Harry T. Loper is the owner and operator of the Lyric Theater, one of the leading moving-picture houses in the capital city of Illinois, and he has made the same notable for the fine grade of its productions, besides which the house itself is of the most modern design, equipment and appointments. It may consistently be said that Major Loper enjoys a personal popularity that is fully on a parity with
that which his splendidly ordered theater commands.
Major Loper, who gained his military title while serving as a member of the Illinois National Guard, was born at Greenfield, Greene County, Illinois, September 24, 1860, and is a son of John T. and Susan M. (McBride) Loper, he being the only child and his parents likewise having been born and reared in Illinois, where the respective families were founded in the pioneer days. John T. Loper gave the major part of his active career to farm enterprise, and he and his wife were residents of Greene County at the time of their deaths.
The early educational advantages of Major Harry T. Loper were those afforded in the public schools, and he was but thirteen years of age when he initiated a practical apprenticeship to the painter's trade, which he continued to follow until he was nineteen years of age.
He then turned his attention to the restaurant business, of which he continued a successful and popular exponent in the city of Springfield for the long period of thirty years.
He is to be consistently designated as somewhat of a pioneer in the moving-picture business in Springfield, where he initiated his activities in this field of entertainment in January, 1909.
In 1910, he erected and equipped the Lyric Theater, and to the management of the same he has since given his attention. Here he has presented to the local public the finest productions of the silver screen and his liberality and progressiveness in the ordering of the affairs of his theater have made it one of the popular places of entertainment in the capital city.
Major Loper was actively identified with the Illinois National Guard for the long period of thirty years, served several years as commissary sergeant, and in the closing period of his membership in the organization he held the
office and rank of major.
He is a republican in his political proclivities, and is affiliated with the Springfield Lodge of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks.
Major Loper wedded Miss Molly J. Power, who was born and reared in Springfield, and of this union have been born four children:
Russell is now a resident of the city of Chicago.
Marie G. remains at the parental home;
Harry A. is the house manager of the Lyric Theater;
and the other child, a daughter, died in infancy.
Source:
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS AND HER PEOPLE
Volume IV
BY PROFESSOR GEORGE W. SMITH, M. A.
PUBLISHERS
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1927
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
H.T. LOPER, 87, FORMERLY PROMINENT IN BUSINESS, DIES
Harry T. Loper, 87, of 507 S. Fourth St., former restaurant and theater business man, died at 9:45 p.m. yesterday at St. John's hospital. He became ill at Thanksgiving time while visiting at the residence of his son, Harry A. Loper, and had been a patient at the hospital since Feb. 4.
Mr. Loper was born Sept. 24, 1860, at Greenfield. In 1883, he came to Springfield, and was employed at the "Old French Restaurant," on Washington St. In 1886, he opened a lunch counter in the Pasfield building. Later, he operated the leading restaurant of the time at 223 S. Fifth St.
In 1909, he left the restaurant business to enter the motion picture business. Mr. Loper operated the Lyric theater, where the W.T. Grant store is now located. In 1919, he bought the building now occupied by the Tivoli theater. In 1920, he rebuilt the building and established the present theater at that time. From 1913 to 1922, he owned a theater in Chicago.
In 1886, he married Miss Mary J. Power, who died Jan. 30, 1940. He was a major in the National Guard, serving from 1888 to 1916. Mr. Loper was on the staff of Col. Henry Hill and later of Gen. Frank P. Wells. He was a member of the Elks, and the South Shore Country club, of Chicago.
Mr. Loper retired in 1929 and, since that time, he had spent his time among his children, Russell P. Loper and Miss Marie G. Loper, both of whom reside at 6830 Chapel Ave., Chicago; and his son, Harry, of this city. He also is survived by a granddaughter, Mrs. Robert V. Hanson, and a great grandson, Robert V. Hanson, jr., both of city.
Date: Tuesday, March 2, 1948
Paper: Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield, IL)
Page: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry T. Loper owned and operated Loper's Restaurant at 223 South Fifth Street in Springfield, Illinois. The spacious eatery was decked out in what, in turn-of-the-century Springfield, was considered elegant style.
Loper's Restaurant was the site of destruction during the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 when a mob sought to lynch two black men held in police custody. Word flashed through the crowd that the automobile used to carry the accused safely out of Springfield belonged to Harry Loper. The crowd headed from the jailhouse to Loper's Restaurant. The marchers came to a hault just short of Loper's door, their enthusiam cooled by the site of Loper himself standing in the doorway brandishing a rifle. It was a standoff, and for more than an hour nothing more lethal than insults were hurled at Loper.
Then, just before 8:30 p.m., the menace that had hung in the muggy air all afternoon finally erupted into violence. Loper's car, which was parked in the street in front of the restaurant, was overturned. The move triggered a general assault by the mob. A plate glass window was sent crashing to the sidewalk when an unknown marksman shattered it with a brick. The mob (quite a few of which had been quenching their summer thirst in nearby taverns) responded with a hail of bricks, stones, and empty beer bottles. Cries of "Curse the day that Lincoln freed the niggers!" and "Abe Lincoln brought 'em to Springfield and we'll run 'em out" were heard as the front of the building was reduced to shambles. Those not actively engaged in the riot stood on the sidelines shouting encouragements to those who were. City policemen, refusing to act out of either fear or an unspoken approval, did nothing to halt the attack.
After the building's front had been wrecked, the mob stormed into the interior of the restaurant, smashing furniture, mirrors, glassware, plates, chandeliers - anything within reach. What couldn't be wrecked by hand was hauled outside and piled in the street, where it was set afire. Loper's car was also put to the torch. The mob, by now thoroughly drunk on liquor from Loper's bar stock, greeted the sight in a frenzy of destructive glee.
Having laid waste to Loper's, the mob turned east toward the Levee.
Source:
Summer of Rage: The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 by James Krohe, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry T. Loper is the owner and operator of the Lyric Theater, one of the leading moving-picture houses in the capital city of Illinois, and he has made the same notable for the fine grade of its productions, besides which the house itself is of the most modern design, equipment and appointments. It may consistently be said that Major Loper enjoys a personal popularity that is fully on a parity with
that which his splendidly ordered theater commands.
Major Loper, who gained his military title while serving as a member of the Illinois National Guard, was born at Greenfield, Greene County, Illinois, September 24, 1860, and is a son of John T. and Susan M. (McBride) Loper, he being the only child and his parents likewise having been born and reared in Illinois, where the respective families were founded in the pioneer days. John T. Loper gave the major part of his active career to farm enterprise, and he and his wife were residents of Greene County at the time of their deaths.
The early educational advantages of Major Harry T. Loper were those afforded in the public schools, and he was but thirteen years of age when he initiated a practical apprenticeship to the painter's trade, which he continued to follow until he was nineteen years of age.
He then turned his attention to the restaurant business, of which he continued a successful and popular exponent in the city of Springfield for the long period of thirty years.
He is to be consistently designated as somewhat of a pioneer in the moving-picture business in Springfield, where he initiated his activities in this field of entertainment in January, 1909.
In 1910, he erected and equipped the Lyric Theater, and to the management of the same he has since given his attention. Here he has presented to the local public the finest productions of the silver screen and his liberality and progressiveness in the ordering of the affairs of his theater have made it one of the popular places of entertainment in the capital city.
Major Loper was actively identified with the Illinois National Guard for the long period of thirty years, served several years as commissary sergeant, and in the closing period of his membership in the organization he held the
office and rank of major.
He is a republican in his political proclivities, and is affiliated with the Springfield Lodge of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks.
Major Loper wedded Miss Molly J. Power, who was born and reared in Springfield, and of this union have been born four children:
Russell is now a resident of the city of Chicago.
Marie G. remains at the parental home;
Harry A. is the house manager of the Lyric Theater;
and the other child, a daughter, died in infancy.
Source:
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS AND HER PEOPLE
Volume IV
BY PROFESSOR GEORGE W. SMITH, M. A.
PUBLISHERS
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1927
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
H.T. LOPER, 87, FORMERLY PROMINENT IN BUSINESS, DIES
Harry T. Loper, 87, of 507 S. Fourth St., former restaurant and theater business man, died at 9:45 p.m. yesterday at St. John's hospital. He became ill at Thanksgiving time while visiting at the residence of his son, Harry A. Loper, and had been a patient at the hospital since Feb. 4.
Mr. Loper was born Sept. 24, 1860, at Greenfield. In 1883, he came to Springfield, and was employed at the "Old French Restaurant," on Washington St. In 1886, he opened a lunch counter in the Pasfield building. Later, he operated the leading restaurant of the time at 223 S. Fifth St.
In 1909, he left the restaurant business to enter the motion picture business. Mr. Loper operated the Lyric theater, where the W.T. Grant store is now located. In 1919, he bought the building now occupied by the Tivoli theater. In 1920, he rebuilt the building and established the present theater at that time. From 1913 to 1922, he owned a theater in Chicago.
In 1886, he married Miss Mary J. Power, who died Jan. 30, 1940. He was a major in the National Guard, serving from 1888 to 1916. Mr. Loper was on the staff of Col. Henry Hill and later of Gen. Frank P. Wells. He was a member of the Elks, and the South Shore Country club, of Chicago.
Mr. Loper retired in 1929 and, since that time, he had spent his time among his children, Russell P. Loper and Miss Marie G. Loper, both of whom reside at 6830 Chapel Ave., Chicago; and his son, Harry, of this city. He also is survived by a granddaughter, Mrs. Robert V. Hanson, and a great grandson, Robert V. Hanson, jr., both of city.
Date: Tuesday, March 2, 1948
Paper: Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield, IL)
Page: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry T. Loper owned and operated Loper's Restaurant at 223 South Fifth Street in Springfield, Illinois. The spacious eatery was decked out in what, in turn-of-the-century Springfield, was considered elegant style.
Loper's Restaurant was the site of destruction during the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 when a mob sought to lynch two black men held in police custody. Word flashed through the crowd that the automobile used to carry the accused safely out of Springfield belonged to Harry Loper. The crowd headed from the jailhouse to Loper's Restaurant. The marchers came to a hault just short of Loper's door, their enthusiam cooled by the site of Loper himself standing in the doorway brandishing a rifle. It was a standoff, and for more than an hour nothing more lethal than insults were hurled at Loper.
Then, just before 8:30 p.m., the menace that had hung in the muggy air all afternoon finally erupted into violence. Loper's car, which was parked in the street in front of the restaurant, was overturned. The move triggered a general assault by the mob. A plate glass window was sent crashing to the sidewalk when an unknown marksman shattered it with a brick. The mob (quite a few of which had been quenching their summer thirst in nearby taverns) responded with a hail of bricks, stones, and empty beer bottles. Cries of "Curse the day that Lincoln freed the niggers!" and "Abe Lincoln brought 'em to Springfield and we'll run 'em out" were heard as the front of the building was reduced to shambles. Those not actively engaged in the riot stood on the sidelines shouting encouragements to those who were. City policemen, refusing to act out of either fear or an unspoken approval, did nothing to halt the attack.
After the building's front had been wrecked, the mob stormed into the interior of the restaurant, smashing furniture, mirrors, glassware, plates, chandeliers - anything within reach. What couldn't be wrecked by hand was hauled outside and piled in the street, where it was set afire. Loper's car was also put to the torch. The mob, by now thoroughly drunk on liquor from Loper's bar stock, greeted the sight in a frenzy of destructive glee.
Having laid waste to Loper's, the mob turned east toward the Levee.
Source:
Summer of Rage: The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 by James Krohe, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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