The Orpheum was the third such theatre built in Sioux City. The previous two, built in 1906 and 1918 respectively, were not enough to meet the high&nbsp;demand (they were eventually torn down) for vaudeville acts. The Orpheum was part of the Orpheum theatre circuit, which was a chain of similar performance halls&nbsp;in California and the Midwest. Sioux City was chosen because it was located in between Omaha and Minneapolis, and that way performers could save money on traveling between the two larger cities. By 1930, vaudeville acts were on the decline as films began to rise in popularity. The Orpheum was converted into a movie theater and was remodeled in the 1970s and 80s to better fit this purpose. Eventually it closed in 1992. Efforts to raise money to save and renovate the building began in the late 1980s. &nbsp;

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Constructed in 1927, the Orpheum Theatre is the last remaining of three vaudeville theaters built in Sioux City. It was designed by the Chicago firm Rapp and Rapp and its construction was largely financed by local businessman Arthur Sanford, who spent a whopping $1.75 million dollars. When it opened it was one of the largest theaters in the state, featuring  2,650 seats, a large Wurlitzer organ, ornate interior detailing, French damask wall coverings, European oil paintings, plush carpeting, and crystal chandeliers. It was built during the peak popularity of traveling vaudeville acts. It underwent restoration in 1999 and has since been the home of the Sioux City Symphony. A variety of performers, including Sheryl Crow, Jerry Seinfeld, and David Copperfield, have also given shows here.

Orpheum Theatre 

This short walk though downtown starts at the Sioux City Art Center and the city's public museum as it works its way north to landmark historic buildings like the Warrior Hotel and Orpheum Theatre. From the tour's concluding stop, it's a relatively short walk to visit Pierce Mansion. Also be sure to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the Sergeant Floyd Museum and Monument. 

The Sioux City Art Center holds a permanent collection that focusses on local artists and American art. The museum's roots go back to 1938 when it was part of the WPA program to provide employment for artists. 

Sioux City Art Center

Combining elements of the Sullivanesque, Moderne, Chicago, and Art Deco schools, the Badgerow is an excellent tribute to the regional interpretation of the Art Decor architectural style. The structure enjoys the nickname "Monarch of the City" and rises twelve stories (169 feet) into the sky, with only two of its facades (east and north) adorned with terra cotta. Formerly located on the corner of a vital commercials block, twentieth-century renewal cleared all but the Badgerow, exposing its brick party walls on its remaining west and south faces. During the late 1920s, E.M. Badgerow sought to construct a modern office building to honor his father and one of Sioux City's pioneers, Gordon Ralph Badgerow. The elder Badgerow emigrated from Ontario, Canada in 1866 and moved to Sioux City in 1876. Gordon Badgerow practiced law, served as deputy internal revenue collector for northwest Iowa, Sioux City Postmaster, and made large investments in the Fourth Street business district of Sioux City. The junior Badgerow desired to pay homage to his father with the skyscraper, so he assembled investors that came to be known as the Jackson Street Building Company. The group chose a plot of land at the geographical center of the residential section of the city. The plot enjoys a rich history as it was once the home of a steamboat captain's house, a pioneer Sunday School, two large department stores, one of which caught fire in 1904 and led to the burning of an entire city block. The Jackson Street Building Company hired Chicago's K.E. Westerland in 1929 to design the building and, despite the onset of the Great Depression, saw that design unfold from 1930-1933.  Chicago's highly acclaimed Louis Sullivan was one of the first architects to introduce the basic high rise building concept to the Midwest. Still, the Badgerow Building goes further in its attempt to "localize" the vertical building form with its striking ornamentation, variety of color, and modernized engineering. The walls of the lobby are comprised of Black Belgian marble and pink Tennessee marble while the floors have patterned terrazzo. A brochure published in the 1930s boasts of the building's modern design, a strategic location at the junction point for all streetcars, and superior elevator service. A Native American head sits above the main entrance and along the parapet, meant to evoke the region's history. Indeed, the Yankton Sioux occupied the Sioux Land region until European fur trappers reached the area during the eighteenth century. In 1804, Lewis and Clark set-up camp near what would become Sioux City, Iowa, with the Omaha and Yankton Sioux nations nearby. Attempts to establish Sioux City failed in 1848, but the arrival of the first steamboat during the summer of 1856 came with materials used to build homes. Twelve years after that, in 1868, the railroad and a few small factories emerged, and then by 1873, the first large-scale meatpacking plant followed by stockyards in 1884. It was during that time when Gordon Ralph Badgerow arrived to Sioux City, and he helped the city develop its business district. In 1880 Sioux City had a population of 7,500. By 1890, the city could boast of 38,700 residents along with streetcars, waterworks, and electric lights. By the 1920s, Sioux City stood as the nation's 99th largest city, with a population exceeding 75,000 by 1930. Just as the Sioux City enjoyed the fruits of its growth, the building and the Great Depression arrived. In many ways, the building speaks to the city's history but also marks a time when the city had reached its peak growth; its current population changed only slightly since the building opened.

This iconic Sioux City building has twelve-stories and two facades, one made of terra-cota while the other is exposed brick. The building planning started just before the Wall Street crash of 1929, but while many projects were canceled or scaled back, construction of this building went forward. E.M Badgerow formed a group known as the Jackson Street Building Company to design a building that would pay homage to Badgerow's father, who proved to be one of the pioneers of Sioux City during the 1870s by working several civic duties and investing in its commercial development, notably on Fourth Street. A Native American head adorns the entrance, which also speaks to the region's history prior to its European development before Louis and Clark arrived in the area that was controlled by the Omaha and Yankton Sioux tribes. 

Badgerow Building

The Warrior Hotel opened in 1930 and stands today as a physical reminder of Sioux City's halted expansion and prosperity resulting from the Great Depression. The Warrior Hotel proved to be the final twentieth-century significant investment in Sioux City's by its business leaders. Thus, the hotel was the first and last mid-twentieth-century hotel built in Sioux City. Still, the hotel endured the Great Depression and enjoyed success for forty years, eventually becoming (for a short time) the city's most elegant hotel. After remaining vacant for several decades, the hotel underwent a renovation and then reopened in 2020, only do to-so during the height of another crisis: the COVID19 Pandemic. The Art Deco hotel building survives as Sioux City's first departure from an architectural trend tied to the Chicago commercial school design. The hotel opened at the end of a decade marked by substantial population and business growth for Sioux City. The nearby stockyards and meatpacking plants, as well as numerous marketing enterprises, helped fuel Sioux City's growth. But, the city lacked a strong service-industry, notably regarding hotels. By the 1920s, several older hotels deteriorated, leaving only the Hotel Martin as the city's quality hotel. As a result, the town's business leaders saw an opportunity to develop a hotel that could compete with Hotel Martin in a city starving for modern hotels.In a joint effort, the business leaders financed a hotel intent on catering to small business owners and travelers. The group assumed the hotel would compete with Hotel Martin only to mistakenly lease the property to a large hotel corporation owned by E.C. Epply, who also owned the Hotel Martin. Nonetheless, the group hired Kansas City architect, Alonzo Gentry, who also designed the Harry Truman Library. The Warrior Hotel's name speaks to the city's early history, while Gentry's plan looked to convey the progress of Sioux City with its modern features and Art Deco design. Construction plans for the new hotel emerged in 1929 shortly before the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. Despite the onset of the Great Depression and the resultant economic turmoil suffered by its investors, construction finished on the lavish hotel in December of 1930. Still, The Great Depression affected Epply, spurring him to favor his Hotel Martin; The Warrior lost money for the bankers, business leaders, contractors, and all those involved with building and opening the new hotel. Regardless of its tough start, the Warrior Hotel survived and grew into an essential hotel for Sioux City, ultimately operating as a strong competitor to The Hotel Martin. During the 1960s, the Sheraton Hotel group (which had merged with Epply in 1956) renovated The Warrior, which consequently evolved into the city's most popular and finest hotel during the 1960s. Nonetheless, it proved to be a short-term distinction; the hotel closed for a time in 1972, and then again in 1976. The hotel remained vacant for almost forty-five years before the Marriott Group purchased and renovated the hotel in 2018-2020, ushering in its new life as an elegant hotel. However, just as the hotel once opened during the start of the Great Depression, the COVID19 crisis of 2020 arrived simultaneously with the hotel's planned reopening. (At the time of this writing, it's set to open in August, 2020.)

This Sioux City building serves as a reminder of the city's growth during the early twentieth century and the impact of the Great Depression. Plans for the hotel were finalized in the fall of 1929, just before the "Crash of '29." When the Warrior Hotel opened in 1930, no costs had been spared. As a result, most of the investors and those associated with the hotel suffered economically. Despite these challenges, hotel management persisted and the hotel not only survived the Great Depression, but became one of the city's leading hotels from the 1930s through the 1960s. The loss of rail traffic and the creation of less expensive hotels along interstate corridors led to declining business in the hotel's final years. After remaining vacant for much of the 1980s through 2010s, the building underwent a three-year renovation. The hotel was set to reopen in the summer of 2020 just as the COVID19 crisis resulted in a dramatic decrease in travel. 

Warrior Hotel

The Davidson Building, completed in 1913, was the first office building in Sioux City and the only designed in the Sullivanesque manner. Renowned Sioux City architect William L. Steele designed the early-commercial-style building for two Russian immigrants, Ben and Dave Davidson, who enjoyed substantial success real estate and as entrepreneurs in Sioux City.Steel trained under famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan and the Davidson Building resembles much of the work he witnesses while in Chicago. Steel went on to develop many buildings in another Sullivan style, made more famous by Frank Lloyd Wright: The Prairie Style. But the Davidson Building stands as one of his earliest works. Still, it exhibits the confidence and talent of a young architect who had gained the significant Davidson project in 1911, a mere four years after establishing his own architectural firm. Ben Davidson emigrated to Sioux City from Russia in 1882 when Sioux City only supported a population of approximately 7,000. While he waited for his brother, Dave, to arrive one year later, he peddled tinware to make ends meet. When Dave arrived n 1883, the two brothers opened a retail store. Their younger brother, Abe, joined them a few years after the store opened. By the late 1880s, the Davidsons' store -- eventually referred to as Davidsons Brothers -- enjoyed tremendous success, which continued well into the early part of the twentieth century. The brothers launched several ventures in the early 1900s, including the Davidson Realty Company, Davidson Building Company, Davidson Day-Light Block building, Davidson's Court residential area, and the Sunset Residential Development Area. As well, the brothers served as leaders of the Sioux City Jewish community. Ben also saw the need for a modern office building that served the brothers' interests and distinguished professionals. So, he hired William L. Steele to design the first such office structure in the city: the Davidson Building. The building enjoyed a modern design, and it offered its occupants a wealth of the most modern conveniences available in 1913. The Davidson brothers expressed their pride and joy in completing the building by throwing a lavish grand opening party on April 1, 1913. The Davidson Building served as the headquarters to the brothers' retail operation until 1947 when they sold their interests to the Younkers Department Store. From 1947 until 1969, the retailer went by the name Younker-Davidsons. But, in 1969, the "Davidsons" name disappeared. The department store was demolished during the 1970s, leaving the office building as the only reminder of the Davidson brother's influence on Sioux City. After the completion of $73 million in renovations in 2020, the Davidson Building and the adjoining landmark Warrior Hotel function together as one luxury apartment complex, boutique hotel, and lower-level commercial space.

The Davidson Building opened in 1913 as Sioux City's first major downtown commercial office building. The Davidson brothers immigrated to Sioux City from Russia during the 1890s and soon rose to profound financial success as retailers and also became leaders of the city's Jewish community. The office building served as the headquarters for their retail operation. It also serves as a monument to local, successful architect William L. Steele, who studied under the famed Louis Sullivan in Chicago. Steel went on to design many Prairie-Style buildings in Sioux City. 

Davidson Building

The Williges Building, completed in 1930, is one of the last surviving examples of a manufacturing and retail facility for Sioux City's fur industry; the company manufactured furs from 1930 to 1954. The building also exists as one of the last Prairie School commercial buildings remaining. August Williges, the building's (and company's) namesake, was an influential Sioux City manufacturer and businessman during the early twentieth century.August Williges was born in Hanover, Germany, on March 26, 1858. He received a limited formal education and began a four-year apprenticeship with a fur manufacturer at the age of fourteen. The apprenticeship provided him with the skills to work as a furrier, but it also proved to him that he would rather own a company one day than work for someone (although it would take two decades to accomplish that goal). His path towards entrepreneurship started in Europe after his apprenticeship ended. He took a series of positions with furriers in several German cities and Zurich, Switzerland. And then, in 1881, he immigrated to the United States intending to open a fur store. The move to the U.S. did not immediately provide success for Williges as he had to work for a fur manufacturer in New York for eight years. While there, he married his wife, Regina, and they had their first two children. He also had the misfortune of contracting tuberculosis, which inspired him to leave New York. The family moved to Springfield, IL, where he again took a job with a furrier; his dream to own a business would have to wait. While in Springfield, he read materials and newspapers from Sioux City, which led him to believe he could finally realize his dream in that city. But, as was common in the day, city newspapers often served as propaganda material that helped bolster a city's reputation and help draw new people. When Williges and his family arrived in Sioux City in June 1895, they discovered a place suffering from economic decline stemming from the Panic of 1893. However, he remained confident Sioux City would be where he would establish his own business.Finally, in 1895, Williges opened his first fur store in Sioux City. Early success allowed him to move to bigger stores, first in 1897 and again in 1912. By 1930, Williges' children joined the business as it grew into one of Sioux City's most prominent enterprises. Although Williges attempted to single his company out from others, his fur company operated at a time when the city supported several fur companies. Nonetheless, Williges did enjoy one distinction: his company served as the only furrier in town that fashioned garments directly from raw skins purchased from hunters and trappers. Williges' success by 1930 led to considerable expansion, including building the historic Williges Building. The building emerged at the end of a construction boom in Sioux City that coincided with the healthy U.S. economy -- the "Roaring '20s." -- and the end of World War I. The builders broke ground for the Williges building in September, mere weeks from the October Wall Street crash that effectively begat the Great Depression. President Hoover funded a national program to reinvigorate commercial construction, which allowed for projects like the Williges Building to continue; the building opened in March, 1930. Designed by William L. Steele, a former draftsman from 1897 - 1900 in the office of Louis Sullivan, and his partner George B. Hilgers, exhibits the lasting allegiance to Sullivan's architectural philosophy. Sullivan advocated the integration of function and rich architectural ornament rendered in terra cotta. Steele and Hilgers designed a terra cotta facade for the fireproof Williges Building comprised of steel and reinforced concrete. Williges died from pneumonia in 1939 while in Missouri. He divided his estate equally among his five children. In the 1940s, the children sold the business to Cownie Fur Company, who then sold it to Paul Wilderson, Sr., during the 1950s. Wilderson changed the store's focus to women's clothing, effectively ending its run as a leading fur retailer. The building closed in 1998 and remained vacant for nearly a decade and slated for demolition in 2008. But, a public objection arose, which led to a restoration project from 2008 to 2009. In 2010, the Preservation of Iowa awarded the Preservation at its Best award to Bart Connelly and Vriezelaar, Tigges, Edgington, Bottaro, Boden and Ross, L.L.P. law firm for excellence in historic preservation efforts in the Adaptive Use category for their rehabilitation of the Williges Building. By 2014, a conversion of the third floor into living spaces took place.

The Williges Building stood as the home to the highly successful Williges Company, a fur retailer and manufacturer. The operation served as a dream realized by August Williges who served as a furrier apprentice in Germany in the nineteenth century and then spent two decades in Europe, New York, Illinois and finally in Sioux City attempting to open his own business. He opened his company in Sioux City in 1885 and enjoyed immediate success with the 1930 Williges Building existing as demonstration of the company's growth.

Williges Building

It was designed by Des Moines architect William L. Foster and built by 
brothers Charles E. Hedges and Daniel T. Hedges for $75,000. In 1914, the county determined that the courthouse was too small for the 
city and they decided to build a new one. The old courthouse was sold 
and the new one was constructed from July 10, 1916 to March 1, 1918 at a cost of $850,000. This building is the current courthouse. &nbsp;

The Woodbury County Courthouse is a building that fills an entire quarter block in Sioux City, IA. It is thought of to be one of the finest Prairie School buildings in the United States. The courthouse was not finished until 1878, even though Sioux City was made the county seat in 1858. 

Woodbury Country Courthouse

In 2003 a&nbsp;group of women first proposed the idea for a children's museum. The museum was incorporated in 2007 and bought the old Hoak Motors building in 2009. Exhibit planning started that same year. Unfortunately, flooding in 2011 stymied the museum's progress but in 2012,&nbsp;the museum brought in&nbsp;professional museum administrators and the development sped up. The building was deemed unsafe and demolished. The current building was completed in January 2016 and opened a month later.

LaunchPAD Children’s Museum focuses on developing children's understanding and appreciation for the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). The museum features several exhibits. The first one as they enter, called You and Me, teaches children to learn about their own skills and personal statistics and how they are part of a larger community. Other exhibits cover the topics of machines and architecture, wind, water, commerce and trade, and agriculture. There is also an area for infants and toddlers. 

Downtown Sioux City Iowa Walking Tour

Orpheum Theatre

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information