Over the years many have asked me what is a “Kanauga”. Kanauga is a small unincorporated area along side the Ohio River on State Route 7 just north of Gallipolis, Ohio.  From 1950 to 2008 the Kanauga Drive-In Theatre was operated there by the Wheeler family.  Built by Harry Wheeler, who also owned and operated The Colony Theatre in Gallipolis, the drive-in was ran by him until his passing in the late 1980s with ownership and management going over to his son, Tom.  Tom Wheeler passed away in 2016.  Incidentally, my Grandad worked at The Colony as an Usher in the early 1940s before the war.

I started using the pseudonym “Kanauga Kool” several years back as a homage to that drive-in that gave me so many great memories as a kid, and later a college student studying at Ohio University.  The screen, signs, and concession stand have long since been torn down, but thankfully some of the old speakers and junction boxes have survived and I’ve been fortunate enough to add some to my personal collection.

As I am always on the lookout for things that have to do with the Kanauga Drive-In Theatre, I recently became acquainted with a very nice lady through Facebook who not only worked there herself as a teenager, but her father Virgil Halley helped build the theater with Mr. Wheeler as well as being the projectionist there for 36 years! Linda Halley Criner has so graciously allowed me to post these vintage images of the Kanauga on my page and I am ever so grateful for it! She also shares with me what it was like working at the theater as a teen:

Below are some photos courtesy of Linda Halley Criner.

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