The Schaefer's Opera House business correspondence, a subset within the Jay T. Last collection of entertainment prints and ephemera, contains records of the Schaefer's Opera House entertainment venue of Canton, Ohio, from approximately 1867 to 1900. Approximately 420 items focus on venue contracts for various entertainment acts and productions, including commission percentages, dates, and other terms. Also included are receipts, tickets, and other ephemera.

Louis Shaefer was born December 25, 1815, in France. He was schooled there by his father (a teacher), and the family moved to Ohio in 1830, where they settled in Osnaburg Township. Shaefer worked first in a country store, then later studied law in the firm of Griswold & Grant in Canton, Ohio. He was also very involved in public affairs, serving as a member of the City Council and Board of Education, and he devoted much of his time to the local public schools. Schaefer also helped develop Canton’s water works system, and, while a county commissioner, Schaefer spearheaded a move to build a county courthouse.

approximately 420 items

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