Draft:Hamblin Opera House

History-Alexander Carlyle Hamblin
Alexander Carlyle Hamblin or “Mr. A.C. Hamblin” (1817-1897), was born in 1817 in Ontario, Canada and later moved to Alexander Bay, New York. In 1845, he married a woman named Sarah Lane Walton (1821-1870). That same year, Hamblin planned a trip to settle in Rockford, Illinois, but stopped in the Village of Battle Creek, Michigan to visit a friend. While staying in the village, Hamblin was so taken to the small Village of Battle Creek, that he decided to stay in Battle Creek. Hamblin also saw the great possibilities and success of Battle Creek, which was another reason he decided to stay in Battle Creek. He later brought his wife to the village and bought a house. The couple lived in a Gothic Revival style house on the corner of McCamly and West Main Street, which is now West Michigan Avenue. Hamblin founded a banking institution, A.C. Hamblin & Company in 1859, the same year Battle Creek became a city. Institutions of the time often failed, especially because of the economic crisis that often occurred. But Hamblin’s bank was different. Alexander was known for being well-mannered, extremely kind, and always being there for those who needed help the most. In 30 years, never once had he told a man to“wait tomorrow” for his money. This made Hamblin’s bank popular with the locals.

He was also one of Battle Creek’s most wealthiest citizens. Hamblin was also an Alderman in the Common Council of Battle Creek.

The Hamblin Opera House
Up to 1868, the city contained no regular place of amusement of sufficient size to induce large first-class theatrical troops to visit the city. A year earlier in 1867, however, Mr. Hamblin began building a new handsome, and substantial building, which he fitted up in elegant style, and introduced in it all of the modern improvements and stage effects. The building was completed at a cost of $40,000 on December 31st, 1868 and was named the “Hamblin Opera House.” The Hamblin Opera House Opened on January 1st, 1869 and was located at 17 West Main Street. The new building’s ceiling was beautifully frescoed, Hamblin made the general arrangement of the seats made with a design to the comfort of the audience. The auditorium was 72 by 100 feet and with the gallery that surrounded it, it had a seating capacity for twelve hundred theatre goers. The Opera House was a huge success with the locals. In addition to the opera house, Hamblin erected the Hamblin Business Block or the “Hamblin Addition” or “Peninsula block.” It occupied land around Carlyle Street and Hamblin Avenue, and contained 323 lots, and several private houses. The block was almost in the center of the city. Some of the early occupants of the building besides the opera house itself included: Mammoth Fancy Store, another unknown shop, and New-York Store; a books and music store. Later occupants of the building in 1877 included: Bowen Smith and Peter Hoffmaster’s Double Store, which would later occupy the“whole” building.

W.S. Butterfield and the Bijou Theatre
A man named Walter Scott Butterfield “Colonel W.S.” Butterfield (April 25, 1867-April 23, 1936) moved to Battle Creek in the early 20th century, having established himself in the theater business first in Columbus, Ohio and then in Chicago, managing touring vaudeville shows. Butterfield promoted the construction of the Henry Boyle Theatre in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and from there was advised to move to West Michigan by a Pantages circuit executive. As traffic to the opera house slowed, the looming threat of the competition created by newer theater houses in the area became apparent. This looming threat became even worse for the opera house when the nearby Post Theatre, which opened on March 13, 1902 and was part of the Post Inn complex (Later the Post Tavern Complex and Post Motor Inn). This new theater hurt business at the opera house really badly and the Hamblin Opera House closed permanently around 1902-1903. Butterfield’s first theater was the Hamblin Opera House located at 17 West Michigan Avenue in Battle Creek. After the Hamblin had closed, Butterfield arranged to lease it on September 4th, 1905, renting out the second floor. Butterfield refurbished the Hamblin at a cost of $1,000 and $600 (equivalent to $33,000 in 2022), renamed it the “Bijou Theatre”, and booked vaudeville acts. “Bijou” is French for “jewel” or “little gem,” and was a common name for theaters nationwide during the vaudeville era. The Bijou expanded into a circuit, the Bijou Theatrical Enterprise.” Butterfield arranged to affiliate his theaters with the Keith-Proctor vaudeville circuit, and expanded rapidly in the 1910s. Butterfield moved his operations in Battle Creek to a larger theater in 1909

Toeller's Department Store/Grand Leader
In 1912, John C. Toeller (TOE-LER) founded the Toeller Department Store. John Toeller was an active director of the Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Company of Battle Creek for a number of years and was a member of the executive committee. He was also the director of the Lakeview State Bank, the Calhoun Savings & Loan Association and the Old-Securities Company. In the late-1910s, John Toeller sold the business over to his first son, George William Toeller (1895-1974), while his second son, Franz Toeller, worked in the automobile industry in the city. Originally, George worked at a department store in Washington, Pennsylvania, which moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where he had purchased his very own store and later returned to Battle Creek for two years to become a sales manager of the Zulu Toy Manufacturing Company. He left Battle Creek again, going to New York City to be associated for four years with the United Business Publishers, then began a long association with a company called the Butler Brothers. In 1921, the store moved to 17 West Main Street and had remodeled the building, replacing the small windows with bigger windows and giving it a flat brick facade. Toeller's then became the Toeller-Dolling Company, then the Toeller-Grant Company. In 1927, the building was leased out with the family still retaining ownership over the building and a the Grand Leader Company department store, founded in 1910, moved from its original East Main Street location and into the new building. In 1933, the Toeller-Grant Company went back to Toeller's after Mr. Grant withdrew from the firm. Toeller's was then sold out. While out of Battle Creek again, George became a salesman in Maine, then a sales manager in a Chicago headquarters of a company. After the death of George's father John Toeller in 1946, George returned to Battle Creek to manage the estate. Starting in August of 1948, the brick facade was removed and a new Streamline Modern façade, made out of Green Terra-cotta tiles was installed with an engraving of the last name of the family "T O E L L E R" at the top. The new façade was completed in October of 1948. In 1962, the Grand Leader Department Store was renamed the George William Toeller Company and George was then called on to help with store improvements. In 1977, Cain Associates designed the George William Toeller Building also called the Calhoun County building located at 190 East Michigan Avenue.

Robinson's Annex
In 1971, a local department store called L.W. Robinson’s of Battle Creek gained ownership of the building after buying the George William Toeller Company, which was originally the Grand Leader. The store was renamed Robinson’s Annex, as it was used as an annex for the main store. In October of 1981, L.W. Robinson’s went bankrupt and was bought by the Grand Rapids department store Herpolsheimer's and the store was opened as a concept called Herp's and the 17 West Michigan location was closed.

High Noon Restaurant, Restaurant Birch, and 17 West
In 1994, the High Noon Restaurant opened in the first floor of the building, also attaching a maroon banner with golden stripes with a circle in the middle for the logo to give it an art deco look. The restaurant closed around 2000 and the building became vacant again. In 2002, Restaurant Birch or simply "Birch" had opened in the back of the building, and the restaurant had made contemporary American food. The Randy Divitto Quartet made common appearances at the restaurant. In 2004, Restaurant Birch had closed. In 2005, a restaurant named 17 West, owned by Michigan Avenue Restaurants, LLC., which also owned 3 restaurants in Marshall, Georgeo's and the Hi-Lite Drive-In. The company had also relocated one of their businesses, Celebration On Location, and Rexie's. Both were opened in the same building. 17 West was located on the first floor. Unlike the other two restaurants, 17 West was a family restaurant, and as a result, the establishment did not serve alcoholic drinks. In 2010, 17 West closed. 17 West was the last occupant in the building. After this, the building was rarely used for performances and community events before being vacated again. In 2013, the city had plans to demolish the building and construct a parking ramp, this never went passed the planning stages, and the former Opera House continues to sit vacant to this day, but there are some plans to turn the building into a residential/commercial building called the "Bijou Lofts."