Stories of Music, Community and Candy in Englewood

The odd chew of an orange circus peanut.

The smells and spills of concession popcorn.

The grandeur of a historic theater.

Nickel candies.

The cheerful window knock of a postman, later to be a spouse.

The camaraderie of musicians and theater goers.

The suspense and joy of large curtains opening up to a new movie experience.

An exploding piano.

A welcoming open door in a sometimes closed world.

These are a handful of the warm memories of the Englewood Theater, Ben Franklin five and dime store and the Englewood neighborhood shared through the Englewood Theater Community Archiving Day on May 17, 2025.

In partnership with the Friends of Englewood Theater, Mid-Continent Public Library has made these materials available through two experiences that the public can enjoy. From now through the end of March, visitors can experience sights and sounds of the K.C. Opry, which operated in the Englewood Theater from 1978 to 1989, in a gallery exhibit at the Midwest Genealogy Center during regular business hours. Also, the full collection of photos, along with video and audio of oral history recordings from community members, is available online through MCPL’s Genealogy Gallery website.

On Monday, January 5, 2026, MGC hosted an opening reception for the gallery exhibit, inviting a few community members and memory makers to share their stories of the past at Englewood Theater and imagine possible futures in the space.

“Tonight we get to honor the legacy of the Englewood Theater and the K.C. Opry, but just as importantly, we get to celebrate all of you – the storytellers, the memory keepers, the community members who make this history come alive,” said Katie Smith, Director of the Midwest Genealogy Center. “We hope that this is only the beginning. Our team here at the Midwest Genealogy Center is committed to create more events like this – spaces where we can collect stories, share photographs, and listen to one another and continue to build a living, growing community record.”

Karen Williams, who operated the K.C. Opry with her husband Carlton “Tuffy” Williams and performed country music with him on stage, shared memories and inspiration for the future of the space.

“For years, I had just considered being a part of the K.C. Opry as having been a part of my life,” Williams said. “It was part of the past. I had no idea that so many people had so many good memories. That we had left a legacy. Tuffy’s not here, but he would be so proud to know that he had left people in the Independence area with such good memories.”

“This has been a small adventure for me,” said Brent Schondelmeyer of the Friends of Englewood Theater. “And part of the adventure has been meeting Karen. Karen is here with her family, and Karen is here with friends.”

Also, Schondelmeyer shared the pathway to restoration of the space and visions of the future.

“Everybody gets us in this little box. Everybody asks me, ‘Is it going to be for movies? Or is it going to be a live performance space?’ We say we are going to be designing and thinking about it in such a way that it can do all of those things,” he said.

“Spread the word,” Williams said. “Have other people come back, and let them know that the Englewood Theater is going to be alive and going again, and they will have the opportunity to get some of these types of memories and experiences all over again.”

If you know of a community cornerstone like the Englewood Theater in your area that deserves documentation to preserve memories for current and future generations, please reach out to staff at the Midwest Genealogy Center at mgc@mymcpl.org.