In 1939, Long Amusement Company, operators of the Cleveland Theater since 1933, purchased property on Houston Street to build a more modern theater. Theater officials Glen McClain and John G. Long contracted with W. C. Lindley to complete the 500-seat theater at a cost of $35,000. Known then as the Texas Theater, it opened on Friday, October 13, 1939. In addition to movies, the theater hosted benefit performances and live entertainment. A fire in 1962 gutted the theater and damaged other nearby businesses, and three other fires occurred by spring 1963. In 1967, Owen Properties Inc. purchased the property and constructed a new fire proof building completed in 1969. By the 1990s, small town theaters were becoming obsolete. Cliff and Peggy Dunn purchased and improved the property in 1994 for a family friendly theater. Major restorations took place in 2004, including a 1930s period neon lighting tower. In 2012, expensive changes in projection technology from the old reel system threatened closure, but the community rallied behind the Dunns with a successful Save the Texan fund raising campaign. The Texan Theater routinely shows first run films, offering tickets and refreshments at modest prices, and freely offers its site for community and charitable events. It is an example of nationwide efforts in small towns to restore iconic movie theaters.