A TALE OF SELF-COMPETITION
One look at the dates of operation of this theater will surely raise an eyebrow. What could possibly run a theater out of business in a mere 29 days?
A deserving finger can be pointed at theater proprietor, S.S. Range. Mr. Range opened the Nickelodian in the Hodes building on Willamette St. April 1st, 1908. A mere 11 days after this grand opening, Mr. Range opened his second theater, the Dreamland Nickelodeon. Albeit there is nothing wrong with this, the Dreamland was located in the Coleman building - another location on Willamette St. Not only was Mr. Range competing with himself now, there were numerous Nickelodeons already located on Willamette St. such as the Electric Theater and The Orpheum. Such close consolidation of businesses will always be difficult, but the spreading out of assets between two locations is incredibly challenging.
TWIN THEATERS
There is very little to find about the Nickelodian Theater, as most documentation focuses on Mr. Range and his role as theater proprietor.
The Dreamland and Nickelodian seem to commonly be advertised together, likely due to the proprietor, Mr. Range, attempting to maximize his paid advertisements.
Similarly, any general information about construction of the two theaters are lumped together as well. This is an important tidbit, as later in the Dreamland's life Martha Watson steps in - a local theater tycoon who owned multiple establishments. Mrs. Watson later constructed a completely new building for the Dreamland and Electric theaters. For more information, please visit the Dreamland Theater, the Electric Theater, and this article about Martha Watson.
