Historic Sites
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Bruguier's Cabin
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Central High School/Castle on the Hill
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City Halls of Sioux City
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First Brides Grave
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First Schools in Sioux City
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Floyd Monument
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Grandview Park & the Band Shell
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Historic Fourth Street
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Peirce Mansion
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Prospect Hill
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Riverside Park Area
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Sgt. Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center
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South Bottoms Memorial
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War Eagle
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Woodbury County Courthouses
Riverside Park AreaThe Riverside Park area changed hands many times in the early years of the city. Theophile Bruguier owned the area for over twenty years before selling it around 1880. It was finally purchased in 1890 by the Riverside Park Land Company. Owners included: James Booge, John Hornick, John Peirce, E. C. Peters, and James Peavey. The intent of the company was to develop the land for houses, factories, and railway branch lines. Since many of these men also owned the City and Suburban Railway Company, the prospects for success seemed certain. The Financial Panic of 1893 changed all their plans. Both the Land Company and the Railway Company went bankrupt. The railway company was purchased by the Sioux City Traction Company and a new company known Riverside Park Improvement Company purchased the land. The land owned by the Sioux City Traction Company was leased in 1905 for the purpose of building the Commercial Men's Boat Club. This was one of the last boat clubs to be formed in the area. The purpose of the club was similar to that of a country club today. It included both men and women as members. The cost of the two story building was $10,000. It included a large open dance hall, parlors, smoking rooms, and locker rooms on the first floor. The basement held showers and a dressing room. The second floor held card rooms and billiard rooms and women's retiring and bath rooms. Outdoors, it had tennis courts, croquet fields and docks for canoes. By 1911 the club had become one of the most popular among the local citizens and traveling men. Unfortunately a fire burned the club to the ground. In the early days people traveling to the club would take the streetcar to Riverside. Extra large cars were used to accommodate the large numbers of weekend visitors to the area. The aerial photograph shows the tracks in front of the club. Big bands were not the only entertainment scheduled at Shore Acres. The Beach Boys and Chubby Checker also performed there. But due to the decline in ballroom dancing and other factors, the building was closed for good in July of 1965 by the widow of Tom Archer. But that is not the last chapter in this historic building site. It was purchased the following year by the Sioux City Community Theatre. The Community Theatre had lost its previous home in the Victory theatre and had eight previous homes. It has served as the permanent home for the theatre ever since. The interior space has been divided up to serve a variety of purposes from costume shop to scene shop, dressing rooms, storage, the theatre itself and a dining area. The theatre holds 438 seats in its raised seating area providing an unobstructed view of the three-quarter thrust stage. The mezzanine area provides seating for 250 people. Over the years the building has undergone constant remodeling to upgrade and maintain the building. Exploring the basement of the current theatre shows the evolution of the site. Still visible is the tile floor of the men's shower room, and the plumbing outlined on the old walls. Much of the brick foundation harkens back to the glory years of the building and even glimpses of the old caretaker's cabin can be observed.
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