Panguitch in Garfield County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café ⎯⎯⎯ The Historic Gem Theatre
Photographed by Tom Bosse, July 26, 2024
1. Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café / The Historic Gem Theatre Marker
Inscription.
Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café, also, The Historic Gem Theatre. . , Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café , 95 N Main, Built in 1882, this is one of the oldest surviving commercial red brick buildings on Main Street. Originally, stockholders operated the Garfield Exchange, a general merchandise store, here. By the 1920s Ira Hatch had purchased all of the business shares in the Exchange and changed the name to the Hatch Mercantile. It closed in 1934 during the midst of the Great Depression. Jay Houston purchased the building and sold furniture here until about 1949 and then converted it to a grocery store. Over the years a bakery and a bookstore called this space home. In 1982 Bill and Edy Collier opened the successful Cowboy Smokehouse Restaurant. The Gilbert Family purchased the restaurant in 1993 and continued to serve the restaurant’s signature smoked meats. The upper story is an apartment where many business owners and employees have lived., The Historic Gem Theatre , 105 N Main, The earliest known theater and dance hall in Panguitch, the Mascot Theatre, no longer exists. It stood on the corner of 200 North Main Street and provided a stage for plays and traveling shows and later became the Elite Theatre, the first picture show house. Built around 1909 by Myers and Henry, the building here at 105 North Main Street originally served as a general store. With the growing popularity of movies, Myers and Henry remodeled their store into Kinema Theatre. The theater burned in 1924 but was rebuilt from the remaining outer shell. Renamed the Hub Theatre in 1928, it was the first cinema in Southern Utah to feature a “talkie” with sound stored directly on the film. New owner C. hawks gave the Hub Theatre a complete makeover in 1930 and a new name – The Gem Theatre. Several families including the Talbots, the Allens, and the Wilcoxes operated the Gem Theatre until it closed in 1984. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, the last picture to show, remained on the marquee for the next ten years as the theater sat empty. After suffering another fire and about to be condemned, the Gem Theatre was restored by Mark and Heather Childs in 2009 to become the beautiful and historic cinema and ice cream parlor it is today.
Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café
95 N Main
Built in 1882, this is one of the oldest surviving commercial red brick buildings on Main Street. Originally, stockholders operated the Garfield Exchange, a general merchandise store, here. By the 1920s Ira Hatch had purchased all of the business shares in the Exchange and changed the name to the Hatch Mercantile. It closed in 1934 during the midst of the Great Depression. Jay Houston purchased the building and sold furniture here until about 1949 and then converted it to a grocery store. Over the years a bakery and a bookstore called this space home. In 1982 Bill and Edy Collier opened the successful Cowboy Smokehouse Restaurant. The Gilbert Family purchased the restaurant in 1993 and continued to serve the restaurant’s signature smoked meats. The upper story is an apartment where many business owners and employees have lived.
The Historic Gem Theatre
105 N Main
The earliest known theater and dance hall in Panguitch, the Mascot Theatre, no longer exists. It stood on the corner of 200 North Main Street and provided a stage for plays and traveling shows and later became the Elite Theatre, the first picture show house. Built around 1909 by Myers and Henry, the building here at 105 North Main Street originally served as a general store. With the
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growing popularity of movies, Myers and Henry remodeled their store into Kinema Theatre. The theater burned in 1924 but was rebuilt from the remaining outer shell. Renamed the Hub Theatre in 1928, it was the first cinema in Southern Utah to feature a “talkie” with sound stored directly on the film. New owner C. hawks gave the Hub Theatre a complete makeover in 1930 and a new name – The Gem Theatre. Several families including the Talbots, the Allens, and the Wilcoxes operated the Gem Theatre until it closed in 1984. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, the last picture to show, remained on the marquee for the next ten years as the theater sat empty. After suffering another fire and about to be condemned, the Gem Theatre was restored by Mark and Heather Childs in 2009 to become the beautiful and historic cinema and ice cream parlor it is today.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
Location. 37° 49.462′ N, 112° 26.134′ W. Marker is in Panguitch, Utah, in Garfield County. It is at the intersection of North Main Street and East 100 North, on the right when traveling north on North Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Panguitch UT 84759, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Canyon Country and specifically in Color Country. It is also in the American Mountain West, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lee’s Indian Store / NAPA Auto Parts (within shouting distance
Photographed by Tom Bosse, July 26, 2024
2. Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café / The Historic Gem Theatre Marker
3. Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café / The Historic Gem Theatre Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 211 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 9, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
