The first Eatonville theatre was built in 1915 on Mashell Avenue by Frank Van Eaton in 1915. Electricity hadn’t made it’s way to town yet. so a 2-cylinder kerosene generator powered the silent movies.
A piano supplied the score, and the same pianist sometimes sold popcorn. Early pianists included Mrs. A.W. Fairburn, Miss Ethel Stinnette, Mrs. Fix and Fay Williams Duke.
At the time this picture was taken in 1920, Douglas Fairbanks would have been one of big screen starts.
Information drawn from: Timber Town and Later, by Edith Erickson
Eatonville To Rainier 
4 responses to “Eatonville Theatre 1920”
[…] The first theater was built by Frank Van Eaton in 1917 (I’ve also heard 1915). The building still stands on Mashell Ave., across from the visitor’s center. However, the “boardwalk” has been long since replaced with concrete. […]
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[…] for the most part, life goes on like it always has. Movies are still playing in town (although then they were silent). There are still politics — T.C. Van Eaton and H.S. Pravitz […]
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[…] Eatonville Theater was alive and well in 1917. The photos reads: L-to-R, Frank Van Eaton, Norma Norwood, Jackson Fairbann and Mack Van Eaton. If someone could verify those folks, please let me know, because I don’t think that’s Frank Van Eaton. […]
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[…] shot of the old Eatonville Theater taken in the late 50s, taken by Joe Larin, makes the town look like a ghost town. A new theater had […]
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