Back to the Past - Wilson Theatre
The citizens of Rupert, Idaho, are betting their town's future on an old building.
When it was completed in 1920, the Wilson Theatre was a big hit. Silent movies, and later, talkies, made the theatre the center of activity. But then came television, and by the end of the 20th century, this triangle-shaped building had fallen into disrepair.
In 1998 the citizens of Rupert listed as their top priority the restoring of the Wilson building. "We have set a tentative date of April 2006, which is the Centennial of the founding of the city of Rupert," says Earl Corless, a member of the board of directors overseeing construction. "We would love to have it finished and opened by then."