Municipal Auditorium Then and Now

2110 First Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Dodge Citians have always needed a place to congregate. In the early 1870s, important meetings were often held in saloons, from which women were excluded. As the town became more civilized, facilities like Kelley’s Opera House, McCarty’s Skating Rink, and the Chalk Beeson Theater filled that role. But those were private businesses and our churches were initially too small. It became clear Dodge needed public spaces.

After George Hoover’s death in July of 1914, funds received from his estate were earmarked for a new municipal auditorium. Contracts were finally let for construction of the Hoover Pavilion in February of 1919. But that building was also small and the sides were open to the elements, making year-round use impractical.

We needed something bigger and the City Commission thought maybe the Works Progress Administration (later Works Projects Administration) could help as part of the New Deal. However, voters were asked to approve $40,000 in additional bonds for a new auditorium in September of 1936, with the bulk of a $125,000 auditorium being funded by the WPA. The Great Depression wasn’t the time for more debt.

Voters decided the time for more debt was during the post-World War II building boom. A $400,000 bond issue passed by a wide margin in June of 1945.

It was really happening, until it wasn’t. Somehow, the City held this special election before selecting a site. Construction materials were in short supply due to the postwar euphoria. Prices rose pretty dramatically and auditorium plans were put on the shelf.

Another $385,000 bond issue passed in September of 1952 and this time, they meant it.

But once again, they had to argue over a location. A site was selected “at the end of First Avenue” and some people thought that was crazy. It was in the middle of nowhere! This aerial photo was taken in September of 1953. You can see the area just northwest of the water tower was pretty empty.

A. R. Mann and Company dusted off their original plans and made revisions to fit the current budget. The building measured 235 x 240 feet with a curved façade and would seat 2,764 for basketball games. Stage events could accommodate 3,272. The facility also included five meeting rooms.

In March of 1954, Hunter Construction Co. of Hays was finally awarded the general contract in the amount of $420,800. Construction began on April 19. That September, changes were approved to add an office facing the lobby and changes to the wiring for the stage, switchboard, and press box.

The back side of the building is shown here during construction looking north. The parking lot would have space for 1,000 cars.

Former Mayor Gordon Morgan, City Commissioner Dale McCook, and former Mayor Charles Clinton were photographed in front of the entrance on September 12, 1955.

The cost of construction was $763,630 but some extra funds were needed to purchase additional equipment. You can see the building originally had a row of windows just below the ceiling of the auditorium. That seems like a poor choice in a west-facing building. In addition to the horrible glare, those upper seats must have been toasty in the summer.

Photos: Ford County Historical Society Studio de Lari Collection

A two-day formal opening was held October 8-9, 1955. This program contains a glaring typo; The auditorium was not, in fact, completed in under three months.

Program: Kansas Heritage Center

Governor Fred Hall of Dodge City spoke at the dedication ceremony on October 9.

The Municipal Auditorium became known as the Civic Center in the early 1970s. You can see those upper windows had already been bricked in by the time this photo was taken.

I should note that the curtain has been swapped out and a large portion of the original resides at the Ford County Legacy Center.

For many years, the Civic Center hosted the Southwest Kansas Square Dance Festival.

I learned to hate circuses and love Russian Ballet at the Civic Center and I also sat in the student section on the stage at Demon basketball games. Here’s L. J. Goolsby doing his thing in the early 1990s.

High school graduation ceremonies were held at the Civic Center for ages. We’ve attended concerts, voted, and learned about upcoming changes to our community in that building.

Speaking of learning, the City Commission and USD 443 approved a plan to transfer ownership of the Civic Center property to the school district in January of 2013. The Board of Education discussed options for a new administration building in September of 2017. This new facility would be tacked on to the north end of the Civic Center and designed with an exterior aesthetic very similar to its mid-century neighbor. The administration building opened in July of 2020 but no grand opening was held at that time due to COVID-19. Public tours were finally given in December of 2021 with the return of the Cowboy Capital Classic at the Civic Center.

This is how the former Municipal Auditorium looks today:

Coincidentally, Josh Roesener recently broadcast live from the Civic Center welcoming kids back to school so you can check out changes to the interior.

This building has never been what one would consider posh. It’s definitely a product of its era and while I don’t love the style, I do appreciate how little the exterior has changed over the past 71 years.

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