A company known as the Interstate Fair association equipped exposition grounds in Westport in what is now the Roanoke residence district, and the exhibitions were held there from 1883 to 1886. This land soon became too valuable to be used for expositions and then the fair grounds were established between Twelfth and Fifteenth streets at Kansas avenue. A building modeled after the Crystal Palace in London was projected by James Goodwin as an individual enterprise. After vexatious delays, Goodwin called on the public for money to complete the work and $200,000 was subscribed. The opening was held October 6, 1887.

The exposition building for several years was one of the chief attractions of Kansas City. It had seventeen acres of floor space and 80,000 square feet of glass formed its roof. The cost of the building was $265,000 and the equipment $30,000.

The opening of the fair of 1887 was a brilliant event. There had been nothing in Kansas City to compare with it in public interest since the opening of the first exposition in 1871. Bishop E. R. Hendrix of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, made the invocation, and the principal address was given by Major William Warner. Gilmore's band was one of the features of the exposition. President and Mrs. Grover Cleveland visited the fair and a crowd estimated at 50,000 passed in review before them. Chauncey M. Depew and Cornelius Vanderbilt were other noted visitors.

The numerous special days, such as children's day, Kansas day and Irish day, attracted large crowds. The total attendance was 400,000 and the cash receipts were $60,000. The results of the exposition were very gratifying but the exhibitions held the following years were not so successful. In 1892 the exposition association lost about $12,000 and in the fall of 1893 the last exposition was held in the great "Crystal Palace.”

Exposition hall, an empty shell, with most of its 80,000 square feet of glass shattered by hail stones, stood until August 5, 1901, when it was destroyed by fire. A week before it had been announced that dynamite would be used in tearing down the building, but some one thought of a safer method. Fire was discovered in three parts of the building about the same time.

With the inrush of gold seekers, there came to Kansas City traveling shows, gambling devices, shooting galleries and all other amusements that are an adjunct to, and followers of a miscellaneous traveling public. As these conditions passed and Kansas City became more settled, lecture halls were built and the amusements became of a higher type. Debating societies were formed in churches, lecture courses were established, increasing in interest and improving in quality, until the need of a theater for the production of first class plays became apparent.

The Coates Opera house, Kansas City's first popular playhouse, built by Kersey Coates, was begun in January, 1869 and dedicated October 6, 1870. Kersey Coates built the walls from brick made at his kiln at Twelfth street and Broadway. For thirty years it was the city's most popular theater. The opening of the theatre in September, 1871, was an important event in Kansas City. The performance began with the singing of the national anthem; applause followed each stanza. E. H. Allen, after a short address, introduced T. Dwight Thacher of Lawrence, Kansas. Mr. Thacher praised Kansas City's enterprise in having so fine a theatre, and he spoke of the residents' culture and love of art and of the city's "magnificent railway systems, the splendid bridge, the vast and beautiful commercial emporiums and the superb public schools." In conclusion the Kansan spoke of the energy and good citizenship of Kersey Coates.

Mr. Coates and his family were seated in a box the opening night. There was a stamping of feet, whistling and loud calls for Mr. Coates. He finally climbed from the box to the stage and spoke briefly. Then the orchestra played and "Money," the play of the evening, began. The following night "The Lady of Lyons" was given.

The original cost of the Coates Opera house was $105,000. The building was remodeled in 1881 at a cost of $45,000. The total amount of money spent on the theatre at various times amounted to about $200,000. The building was ninety-five by one hundred feet and was two stories high. Originally the theater occupied only the second story, the lower floor being used for store rooms. When the building was remodeled the stage was built on the first floor, giving the theatre a parquet, balcony and gallery. The seating capacity was 1,800.

In the early days Kersey Coates managed the theatre. The first manager employed by Mr. Coates was Charles Lock, afterwards a successful theatre manager in San Francisco, California. After Lock came Melville Hudson, who managed the theatre until the death of Mr. Coates, April 24, 1887, and for the Coates estate until 1891. Mr. Hudson was the lessee when the building burned in 1901.

For several years the Coates Opera House had the reputation of being the finest theatre between the Mississippi river and the Pacific coast. St. Joseph was a bitter rival of Kansas City in the early '70's and was jealous of the handsome playhouse. Several years later the Tootle Grand theatre was uilt in the up-river town to surpass the Coates Opera House.

The last play seen at the Coates Opera House was "Heart and Sword," in which Walker Whiteside played the leading role. Fifteen minutes after the audience left, the night of January 31, 1901, the building was in flames. The fire started in the boiler rooms under the stage. The building was a

total loss, and the Whiteside company lost all its scenery and costumes, including a Shakesperean wardrobe valued at $15,000, and three valuable manuscripts of new plays.

For years the Coates opera house was the only theatre the city had, but when the Gillis theatre at Fifth and Walnut streets was built in 1883, the latter became a close rival. The Gilliss theatre owes its existence to Mrs. Mary A. Gilliss Troost, who died in 1872 and left a will, in which a portion of her estate was left to be used for the erection of an opera house, the proceeds of which were to be used for specified charities. The opera house was not built until 1883, on account of the estate being in litigation. The opening night of the Gilliss was September 10, with Mlle. Rhea in "Adrienne Lecouvrer," Mayor James Gibson and Senator Major William Warner were the speakers of the evening.

Colonel George W. Warder, in 1886, became possessed with the idea that the city needed another theatre, and that the Coates and Gilliss opera houses were not sufficient to furnish the city's theatrical amusement. He therefore announced his intention of building another playhouse. Ground was purchased at the northeast corner of Ninth and Holmes streets and work was immediately begun. The building was called the Warder-Grand and cost $100,000. Six months after the work was commenced the theatre was announced ready for its first performance. The date of the opening was set for October 25, 1887, and the opening attraction was Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett in "Othello." At 6 o'clock of the evening of the 25th the theatre contained no chairs and the hole in the roof was covered by a tarpaulin. When the performance began the audience were seated in camp chairs and shivering with the cold, for the night was a chilly one, and the building as yet did not contain a heating plant. The play was done in one act, owing to lack of scenery, and the curtain, a white cloth, slid on a wire. Altogether the performance was not a success financially and the house lost money from the very first. In 1890 Colonel Warder lost control of the theatre and the name was then changed from the Warder-Grand to the Auditorium.

The Grand opera house was opened October 3, 1891, with Patti Rosa as the attraction. The Grand was built on the site of the old Midland theatre, which was formerly the old Panorama house in which the famous spectacle "The Battle of Gettysburg," was portrayed.

The present Orpheum theatre building stands upon the site of the old Ninth Street opera house, which was built in 1886 by H. D. Clark. The theatre was destroyed by fire in 1891. Mr. Clark rebuilt the theatre the following year and assumed the management himself. The "Old Ninth Street theatre" was one of the city's best paying investments.