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33-480: The company was founded in 1918 by Dan Barton, who was from Amherst, Wisconsin . The sixth largest builder of theater instruments in the nation, Bartola focused almost exclusively on the Midwest market. Barton later recalled, "We decided to work only a limited territory so we could give prompt service to all our installations. [This territory included] Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio. No installation

66-598: A fortississimo rendition of the National Anthem, to quell a riot that had erupted at a boxing match. The organ was removed from the stadium and placed in storage before the building was torn down. Unfortunately much of the organ was destroyed in storage by fire in October 1996, although the huge, one-of-a-kind console, which had been stored elsewhere, was saved, and is now in a private collection in Nevada. Another notable example

99-587: Is a 48-acre, hard water impoundment located in the village of Amherst. The mill pond was created by a dam on the Tomorrow River and was once used for power to the local feed mil. The pond has a maximum depth of five feet and a bottom consisting of sand covered with silt. The Tomorrow River is navigable above and below the dam, and there are two public access points on the east side of the pond; the boat landing and Cate Park. The pond has northern pike and panfish for fishing. Fairgrounds were built in 1917. Amherst hosts

132-658: Is a village in Portage County , Wisconsin , United States. The population was 1,035 in the 2010 census . Amherst is at the core of the Tomorrow Valley area. The name Amherst was established in 1853 by Adam Uline, after General Jeffery Amherst of Revolutionary fame and the fact he was native of Amherst, Nova Scotia . The first known settler of Amherst was John F. Hillstrom, who arrived in 1851, while John and A. P. Een follow closely behind, arriving in August 1852. According to

165-474: Is home to the Amherst Telephone Company /Tomorrow Valley Communications. Amherst Telephone Company was incorporated on July 3, 1903. Capital to form the new company was provided by 62 area residents who pledged $ 25 each to buy a share of stock. The company provides copper and fiber service to Amherst and the surrounding communities of Rosholt , Amherst Junction , and Polonia . The Amherst Millpond

198-549: Is the "Rhinestone Barton", so named due to its unique and spectacular rhinestone-decorated console. This 3-manual, 14-rank organ was actually sub-contracted to, and built by, the Wangerin Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is located at Theatre Cedar Rapids (the former RKO Iowa Theatre) in downtown Cedar Rapids , and as far as is known, has the only organ console to have been decorated in this fashion. Many theatres were equipped with organ lifts (elevators), designed to raise

231-575: The United States Census Bureau , the village has a total area of 1.35 square miles (3.50 km ), of which, 1.30 square miles (3.37 km ) of it is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km ) is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 1,035 people, 434 households, and 274 families living in the village. The population density was 796.2 inhabitants per square mile (307.4/km ). There were 471 housing units at an average density of 362.3 per square mile (139.9/km ). The racial makeup of

264-573: The census of 2000, there were 964 people, 395 households, and 250 families living in the village. As of the end of 2006, there was villagewide estimate of over 1,000 residents living there. The population density was 827.5 people per square mile (318.1/km ). There were 419 housing units at an average density of 138.3 persons/km (359.7 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the village was 99.17% White, 0.41% African American , 0.10% Native American , 0.00% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.21% from two or more races. 0.52% of

297-452: The theatre organ . Barton gradually converted his operation from manufacture of the Bartola to the manufacture and installation of larger theatre pipe organs, just as the other manufacturers were doing, with pipes and other sound-producing components installed in organ chambers placed higher in the building, speaking directly into the auditorium, and with only the large organ console remaining in

330-626: The "Wurlitzer-Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra" by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York, it was designed specifically to meet the entertainment needs of theatres (most importantly the accompaniment of silent film). This new musical aesthetic, embraced and marketed by nearly every organ manufacturer then in business in the United States and the United Kingdom, resulted in an instrument which soon became generically known as

363-663: The Amherst Fire District. Police protection is provided by the Portage County Sheriff's Department. Other village services include a public library and the Lettie Jensen Community Center. There is a riverside park downtown along the Tomorrow River . Amherst connects to U.S. Highway 10 (US 10). The Canadian National Railway main line runs through the village, on an elevated grade. Amherst

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396-529: The Bartola Musical Instrument Company was formed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin . Barton was assisted by Butch Littlefield and Walter Gollnick and was financed in the early days by a partner, W. G. Maxcy. Barton turned his attention to the development and manufacture of the "Bartola", one of several precursors of the theatre organ generically referred to as photoplayers. Like other photoplayers, the Bartola

429-626: The Portage County Fair, an Amish craft fair, and other events at the fairgrounds. Stock car racing began at the fairgrounds in 2013 under the name Amherst Speedway. 44°27′03″N 89°17′05″W  /  44.45083°N 89.28472°W  / 44.45083; -89.28472 Wangerin Organ Company The Wangerin Organ Company (1912-1942) was a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . It

462-636: The company changed its name to the Maxcy Barton Organ Company, then ceased business operations about 1931, soon after the advent of " talking pictures " eliminated the demand for theatre organs virtually overnight. Some church organs were also built by Bartola but were marketed as "Maxcy–Barton" organs to distance them from their gaudy theatre organ siblings. One noted Maxcy-Barton organ is a three manual instrument still in use at St. Mary Parish of Oshkosh, Wisconsin . Amherst, Wisconsin Amherst

495-429: The motion picture were built, and orders for Barton organs poured in. This increased demand necessitated the outsourcing of some components—a practice common among theatre organ manufacturers at the time—and materials from component suppliers such as Dennison, Gottfried, Meyer, Wangerin , and Geneva have been identified within extant instruments. In its heyday, Barton had over 150 employees. The largest Barton ever built

528-475: The music and sound effects to the action on the screen were obvious, and the Bartola was an immediate success. In the early- to mid-1920s, larger and more opulent theaters were being built, and photoplayer-type instruments were no longer considered adequate to meet the musical demands of the larger houses. A new kind of organ was being developed, one which expanded greatly on the concept of the photoplayer. Originally developed by Robert Hope-Jones and marketed as

561-583: The orchestra pit. Along with its many competitors, this was the genesis of the "Barton Organ". Wurlitzer was, in addition to being its inventor, the largest manufacturer of theatre organs by a considerable margin, so it is inevitable that Barton's products would be compared to that standard. The Barton organ was especially robust in construction and tonal design, was soundly constructed from quality materials, and worked exceptionally well. They have been described as "huskier" in construction and tone than were typical Wurlitzer organs, an apt description. Some consider

594-455: The organ console to stage level for solos, and lower it into the pit for film accompaniment. Bartola also manufactured organ lifts, recognizable by their distinctive four posts—one at each corner of the lift, and topped by metallic spheres. The posts concealed the lift mechanism, and Bartola's four-post lift was of great interest to small to mid-sized theater builders because it sat flat on the orchestra pit floor without requiring excavation below

627-436: The organ to the customer—were almost always vividly (one might even say "gaudily") decorated, with striking designs and colors. One common decoration scheme used brilliant red and gold (or black and gold) paint over gesso relief designs. This style of decoration eventually became informally referred to as the "circus wagon" motif. The 1920s saw massive demand for theatre organs as more and more theatres devoted to exhibition of

660-504: The pit, or even the drilling of a central screw shaft into the floor. Many Barton organ consoles were installed on these lifts, to say nothing of consoles of other builders. Like all Bartola products, they were robustly constructed, and many remain in use today. One example of this lift unit for the Barton organ may be found at the 1927-era historic Temple Theatre in Saginaw, Michigan . In 1929

693-434: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 395 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 36.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

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726-417: The typical Barton sound to be "cruder" or "less refined" than the typical Wurlitzer sound, while others revel in its brash assertiveness. Dan Barton was a savvy businessman who knew the importance of showmanship in show business. Bartola, arguably more than any other manufacturer of theatre organs, designed instruments that would appeal to the eye as well as the ear. Barton's consoles—the most visible part of

759-662: The village was $ 40,125, and the median income for a family was $ 54,821. Males had a median income of $ 37,132 versus $ 24,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 18,514. 10.8% of the population and 7.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 13.2% are under the age of 18 and 14.2% are 65 or older. Amherst is served by the Tomorrow River School District, which has Amherst High School , Amherst Middle School, and Amherst Elementary School, all on one K-12 campus. Fire protection and ambulance service are provided by

792-557: The village was 97.9% White , 0.3% African American , 0.2% Asian , 0.9% from other races , and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 434 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who

825-410: Was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.14. In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. The median income for a household in

858-400: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the village was 35.1 years. 29% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.1% male and 50.9% female. As of

891-554: Was a continuation of the company after the partnership of Adolph Wangerin and George J. Weickhardt, Wangerin-Weickhardt, ended with the death of Weickhardt in 1919. It had previously also been known as the Hann-Wangerin-Weickhardt company. Many of its organs are still played in churches today. During the theater organ boom in the 1920s, when the Barton Organ Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin could not keep up with

924-429: Was a set of electrically operated bells that formed a musical scale. Mounted around the interior of the theater, these were operated by the pit drummer who was performing foley and various other sound effects for the picture. After seeing the highly enthusiastic reception of his invention, Barton began toying with the idea of a more elaborate mechanism employing additional percussion instruments and organ pipes. In 1918,

957-443: Was designed around an upright piano, and consisted of several ranks of organ pipes and various percussion instruments and sound effects housed in a case, all installed in the theatre's orchestra pit . There were four models. The larger ones had several cases–one for organ pipe ranks and the other for percussions and sound effects. The traps and other percussions were powered directly by electric solenoids and not pneumatically as

990-462: Was installed in the Chicago Stadium sports arena. The organ was installed in the center ceiling, and had 51 ranks of pipes of massive scale as well as the usual percussion, traps, and effects. The gaudy red and gold "circus wagon" console (perhaps the largest organ console ever built) was on prominent display on the arena's balcony, and boasted six manuals as well as over 800 stop tabs. The organ

1023-437: Was more than an overnight sleeper ride from Chicago." For this reason, the instruments were almost unknown outside of this relatively small area until later years, long after manufacture had ceased, when many were moved from their original homes into venues around the United States. The company built about 250 theater organs from 1918 to 1931. Barton's first successful experiment in producing equipment to accompany silent films

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1056-420: Was powered by an immense 100 HP Spencer blower, and the sound of the organ (in the words of the reviewer of Marcel Dupré 's 1929 dedicatory recital) was immense: "...It was as if even the most ardent lover of chocolate soda were hurled into a swimming pool filled with it..." In a probably apocryphal story, long-time stadium organist Al Melgard was reputed to have broken windows and light bulbs while executing

1089-406: Was the case with most other photoplayers. Also, while most other photoplayers were designed to play mechanically from a punched paper roll, the Bartola was equipped with a divided keyboard that could be swung in front of and above the piano's keyboard, enabling live performance by a musician. A footboard placed around the piano pedals was used to play the effects. The benefits of being able to tailor

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