Marshall Public Library (Marshall, IL)

Strand Theater
The building at 503-507 Locust Street that housed the Strand Theater was built in 1901 as the Knights of Pythius lodge hall and included a vaudeville theater called the Pythian Theater that featured visiting troupes of entertainers. The lodge was on the upper two floors. The ground floor theater entrance and lobby faced Locust Street and was flanked on each side by offices. The auditorium, balcony, and stage were at the back of the building facing south. In 1930 the theater was converted in order to show moving pictures, and a contest was held in 1943 to choose a new name. The Strand was the winner. The first movies that were shown were silent. Several local pianists including Helen Coldren (later Helen Moore) were employed to play along with the films.
The building housing the Strand Theater was destroyed by fire late at night on July 22, 1957, and a new K P Lodge building, minus the movie theater, was erected on the same corner a year later.

Notes from Brian Murphy:
The house was originally built by Nineveh Shaw. The farm was later purchased by James C Bryan, my Great Great Grandfather. He was the first hardware store owner in Marshall. Dad and Uncle George Kile had the house torn down, they found it had walnut floor joists and poplar flooring. I have the original order for the lumber that came from Walnut Prairie. It was purchased from William B Archer. That farm had a loom shed on it where farmers brought flax to make linen material. I have a throw that was made there. The farm is now the Westwood Subdivision.

South Side School – Early in Marshall’s history school classes were taught in several small school buildings in town including the King School in the southwest part of Marshall and the Little Brick School in the south east section. These schools proved inadequate for the growing population, and in 1887 a two story building with four classrooms was erected in the south part of town on the block between Walnut and Elm and S. 6th and 8th Streets. This school served students in grades 1 through 8 living south of Archer Avenue in Marshall. Four more rooms were added on the east side of the school by Joe Forbeck in 1908. More room was needed, and in 1956 Walnut Street was closed between 6th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 8th Street, and a one story addition containing a cafeteria/gymnasium and 13 classrooms was erected on the north side of the old building with a connecting hallway. In 1977 the old part of the South Side School building was torn down. Since then other additions and many improvements have been made to the South School building which now houses all of Marshall’s Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes.
Current school address is 805 S. 6th St.