FORMER
2/5 Johnson |
Rex Cafe 
Moorhead, Minnesota

History of the Johnson (Composite) Theatre Pipe Organ at the Rex Cafe

 

After the Red River Theatre Organ Society was organized in 1965 and began its work spreading awareness and public interest in the theatre pipe organ, several small theatre pipe organs sprang up in the Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN communities that were not original leftovers from the instrument's heyday in the 1920s. One of these such "new arrivals" was a small composite organ installed in the Rex Cafe in Moorhead, MN. This organ was built by Lance Johnson, a charter member of RRTOS and President of Johnson Organ Company, Inc.

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Not much is known about this organ except for its size and approximate date range of being at the Rex Cafe from ca. 1971-74. Lance leased the organ to the cafe and he as well as Pat Kelly and Alice Harden played it nightly for classy ambiance while patrons dined. At least one RRTOS meeting was held at the Rex Cafe as well.

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No photos instrument specification sheet is known to exist for the organ, but at 5 ranks they probably were Tibia Clausa, Concert Flute, Violin, Vox Humana, Trumpet.

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Here is some additional information about the Rex Cafe (and caption for the above photo) from the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County: The east end of this block housed the Blackhawk Lounge, Leo Kossick’s Bowling Lanes, Neubarth’s Jewelry and Kenny Seaburg’s Rex Café. The Rex was originally in the Rex Hotel, 202 1st Ave N. When that burned in the early 1960s Seaburg moved the restaurant to this site on Center Ave and 5th St. Alfred W.

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Interesting to note is that business owner Leo Kossick mentioned above was husband to Elsie Kossick, one of the first house organists of the Fargo Theatre in the 1920s. She later played organ at the bowling alley they owned (albeit on a Hammond and not a theatre pipe organ).