Old City Hall and Opera House
The old city hall opened in 1882. Its clock tower rose to a height of 92ft. The first floor housed administrative offices, the police department, the jail, and the fire department. A 1,050 seat auditorium known as the Opera House graced the second floor. It was the city's social center for graduations and theatrical productions. Here, also, John Philip Sousa led his band in “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Other celebrities who appeared here included Mark Twain, William McKinley, temperance advocate Carrie Nation, statesman William Jennings Bryan, Hollywood director Vincente Minnelli, Ben Hur author General Lew Wallace, and abolistionist Henry Ward Beecher. On a frigid winter night, February 24, 1934, the structure was destroyed by fire. Exactly three years later, on February 24, 1937, the current City Hall was dedicated and opened after costing $95,000 to build.
Marker is at the intersection of Sandusky Street and William Street (U.S. 36), on the right when traveling north on Sandusky Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
