DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm just the man drivin' you past it. Way back in 1891, a group of local men in Uvalde put their backs into buildin' something this town had no business being without — a grand opera house. Not a dancehall, not a saloon, not a general store.
A grand opera house. Built for professional troupes coming through, the kind of productions that made folks feel like they were somewhere else entirely, somewhere bigger, somewhere that dressed for dinner. And Uvalde dressed for dinner.
The programs here created what the marker calls a social stir — lavish dress, parties, the whole spectacle. The show, you might say, started well before the curtain rose. Now the building itself was no slouch either.
Copper roof. Corbeled bay window tower. Inside, an ornate stage and auditorium that told you, the moment you walked in, that this was a place that took itself seriously.
And it had help. A former actor by the name of Ben K. Franklin had settled in Uvalde, and he directed some of the home talent plays staged right here — local folks stepping up to fill a stage built for professionals.
That's a particular kind of courage, performin' on a stage that remembers better. The musicals, the dramas, the outstanding productions — they all passed through these walls. And the building itself has passed into notable hands.
At the time of the marker, the Grand Opera House was owned by former United States Vice President John Nance Garner and his son, Tully Garner. A stage that once held theatrical royalty, now held by a man who once stood a heartbeat from the presidency. Uvalde has always known how to keep company.
What the marker says
Staged outstanding musicals, dramas. Built 1891 by local men for professional troupes. Also scene of home talent plays, some directed by Ben K. Franklin, a former actor who settled here. Programs created social stir, with lavish dress and parties. Building has copper roof and corbeled bay window tower; had ornate stage and auditorium. Now owned by former U.S. Vice President John Nance Garner and his son, Tully Garner. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967.