Randsburg in Kern County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Commercial Hotel
My Place Dance Hall / Orpheum Theater
— 1895 Centennial 1995 —
Photographed By Denise Boose, September 6, 2011
1. The Commercial Hotel Marker
Inscription.
The Commercial Hotel. My Place Dance Hall, also, Orpheum Theater.
The Commercial Hotel. The mining boom of 1922 created a demand for more hotels. To help fill this demand Mrs. Artibe had the Commercial Hotel built in 1922. The lumber for this hotel was finished by the Johannesburg Lumber Company.
My Place Dance Hall. From 1903 to 1907 Marguerite Roberts ran a “House of Ill Repute”, on or about this location, called the “My Place Dance Hall”. Several trade tokens from the dance hall and the “Orpheum Theater” have been found around the small buildings called “cribs” located directly behind this building. The “goody two shoe” type tried repeatedly to shut down this house but Marguerite was able to keep it open until her death in 1907. Marguerite is buried in the local cemetery.
Orpheum Theater. Joe Petrich originally opened the “Orpheum Theater” in 1897. The Orpheum was the center of entertainment in town for the miner’s. Stage plays, dance hall girls, ladies of the evening, and a gymnasium in the basement were just some of the offerings of the establishment. Roberta Starry states in her book, Desert Bonanza, the “According to an Old Timer”, In 1899 the Orpheum Theater, or Woodward’s Dance Hall, was at its best. Each night there was the brass band in front to render the opening noise. Bass drum and horn, cornet and trombone.” Joe Woodward ran the Orpheum from 1899 until it burnt down in the “Fire of 1903”.
The Commercial Hotel
The mining boom of 1922 created a demand for more hotels. To help fill this demand Mrs. Artibe had the Commercial Hotel built in 1922. The lumber for this hotel was finished by the Johannesburg Lumber Company.
My Place Dance Hall
From 1903 to 1907 Marguerite Roberts ran a “House of Ill Repute”, on or about this location, called the “My Place Dance Hall”. Several trade tokens from the dance hall and the “Orpheum Theater” have been found around the small buildings called “cribs” located directly behind this building. The “goody two shoe” type tried repeatedly to shut down this house but Marguerite was able to keep it open until her death in 1907. Marguerite is buried in the local cemetery.
Orpheum Theater
Joe Petrich originally opened the “Orpheum Theater” in 1897. The Orpheum was the center of entertainment in town for the miner’s. Stage plays, dance hall girls, ladies of the evening, and a gymnasium in the basement were just some of the offerings of the establishment. Roberta Starry states in her book, Desert Bonanza, the “According to an Old Timer”, In 1899 the Orpheum Theater, or Woodward’s Dance Hall, was at its best. Each night there was the brass band in front to render the opening noise. Bass drum and horn, cornet and trombone.”
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Joe Woodward ran the Orpheum from 1899 until it burnt down in the “Fire of 1903”.
Erected 1995 by Randsburg Desert Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.
Location. 35° 22.092′ N, 117° 39.319′ W. Marker is in Randsburg, California, in Kern County. Marker is on Butte Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 166 Butte Avenue, Randsburg CA 93554, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 736 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on April 24, 2022, by Ronald D. (Ron) Trigueiro of Fresno, California. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 24, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
