History Book: Impresario Charles Haussmann shaped entertainment for 40 years
Aug. 5—History is often written by actors who most of us have never heard of.
Sure, we know about the presidents, governors and so forth who have made major decisions.
But closer to home, there are people who have influenced our lives and, especially as time passes, faded into history.
Charles Haussmann is one.
I stumbled on Haussman's obituary, which ran in the Pottsville Republican on Aug. 2, 1941, while researching another story.
Basically, from the early 1900s to around 1940, Haussmann had a profound influence on how people in Schuylkill County spent their leisure hours.
It's not a word used much anymore, but I guess you'd call Haussmann an impresario.
"For over a period of 40 years, he was a great showman and was interested in hundreds of theatrical enterprises," according to his obituary.
Haussmann brought the first moving pictures to Pottsville in the early years of the century, opening the Lion Theater at Centre and Mahantongo streets.
He was instrumental in opening the Hippodrome Theater, a vaudeville house on East Market Street.
And, in the 1930s, he was in charge of entertainment at the Schuylkill County Fair.
His other interests included promoting Tumbling Run Park and Schuylkill Park, also known as White City Park and later Dream City Park, on Route 209, east of Port Carbon.
He was born in Shenandoah in 1873 — the year the Panic of 1873 triggered the first great depression in U.S. history.
After briefly attending elementary school, he apprenticed with a tailor. He had a business making custom clothing, but gave it up to go into show business.
Haussmann came to Pottsville around 1921 to be assistant manager of the Academy of Music. He became manager and continued in that position until 1914.
"He was a pioneer, having first presented vaudeville in Pottsville at the old Centennial Hall on North Centre Street," his obituary said.
Haussmann startled Pottsville when he announced plans to build a large modern theater known as the Hippodrome.
"Unheeding friendly advice that it would not pay, he went ahead and built the present Hippodrome, one of the finest in this part of the state," the Republican reported in 1931.
Haussmann operated the Hippodrome from 1914 to 1929, when it was taken over by the Comerford Amusement Co., with whom he remained as manager until 1931.
Haussmann brought "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the vaudeville classic "Hands Across the Sea" to Pottsville.
Among the future stars to appear in the Hip was Marie Dressler, who won a Best Actress Academy Award in 1931 for her dramatic performance with Wallace Beery in "Min and Bill." Dressler is perhaps better known for her performance, again with Beery, in "Tugboat Annie."
In 1933, he became general manager of the Schuylkill County Fair, overseeing the selection of shows and general entertainment. He managed the fair until 1941, when it shut down after the federal government took over the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds in Cressona.
In addition to his theatrical ventures, Haussmann was active in civic affairs.
He was chairman of fundraising drives for the Pottsville Hospital and St. Francis Orphanage in Orwigsburg.
He was active in promoting Old Home Week and Centennial Week in the city between 1906 and 1911. He was in charge of entertainment for both events.
He also promoted the entertainment for the Six County Firemen's Convention, held in Pottsville in 1937.
When he served as guest editor of the Pottsville Evening Republican on Jan. 28, 1931, the paper said Haussmann was better known as "The Father of the Theater" in the region.
As editor, he paid tribute to the presidents of Pottsville banks, including Frank D. Yuengling, Pennsylvania Bank; James Archibald, Miners Bank; and Norman B. Farquhar, Schuylkill Trust.
Haussmann was on the board of the Pottsville Hospital and Union Bank & Trust Co. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and was also active in the Masonic Lodge 730 in Pottsville.
Dr. Emil W. Weber, Trinity Lutheran pastor, conducted the burial service. Haussmann is buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Shenandoah.
(Staff writer Devlin can
be reached at rdevlin@
