Bringing the past to life: First ever Spirits of Downtown Past Walking Tour a success

GRUNDY CENTER - Despite chillier weather, community members crowded into downtown Grundy Center last Thursday for the first ever Spirits of Downtown Past historic walking tour, hosted by Main Street Grundy Center.
 
The tour took participants around the downtown area to the former locations of five wellknown businesses during the 1950s, where actors portraying the past business owners shared the story of their business’s history with the group.
 
The first stop on the tour was the Center Theatre, where participants were met by Sam Blackburn (played by Ben Paper); Sam’s father was the original owner of the Center Theatre. Mr. Blackburn reminisced about the good old days at the theatre, when a seat cost five to ten cents, and movies were screened in black and white - before technicolor came to the theatre.
 
“Our theatre was small, even for its day, but we were able to screen huge movies,” Blackburn said. “We even showed Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Ceremony in 1953.”
 
For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here.