It all started back in March of 1850, when the Stockton House at El Dorado & Channel Streets was converted into a make-shift theatre, solely for the entertainment of pioneer merchants & miners. The “Stockton House Theatre” only lasted a total of 3 months, but then the historic Stockton Theatre popped up on Main and El Dorado 3 years later. While the best in theatre at the time played there, it all came to an end when the theatre was damaged “beyond repair” by a mysterious fire the night before the 4th of July in 1890.