Handling the construction work as well as outlining the plans and specifications for Wayne's new hotel and theatre building was entirely in line with the earlier experiences of C. K. Miller. Before coming to Wayne as a efficiency engineer for the old Harroun Motors Company in the spring of 1917, he had been associated with several prominent automobile and building concerns as construction manager or as an expert on gasoline engine carburetion.
But for the fact that Wayne had some person qualified to take the lead in a building project such as the new Wayne Theatre represents and one who, without expense, could prepare the initial plans and details for presentation to local men; it was unlikely that this structure would of been a possibility at that time.
From the inception of the idea until the building was turned over to the leasing company and serving in such a capacity had kept him a very busy individual. Mr. Miller was born in Sandusky, Ohio but received his first training in the contraction business in Colorado where he had moved with his parents. This work was later followed by his entry into the machinery installation field, putting in several years as state representative for some of the country's largest equipment houses. Much of this work was conducted in connection with the mining industry in Colorado. In 1916, he located in Detroit, as a automobile distributor, since which time he was more or less closely connected with this industry.
After a year spent with the Harroun Moters Companyc in Wayne, Mr. Miller was giving charge of a Detroit plant for a trust company. In 1918 he returned to Wayne and took charge, for the government, of the installation of a million and a quarter's worth of machinery in the Harroun plant which was then entering into war work for the government. Between the completion of this work and his purchase of the George C. Walker garage in Wayne in 1920, Mr. Miller served as construction engineer for the Timkin Axle Company and Maxwell Motors, in Detroit. He was at the time the oldest Willys-Knight and Overland dealer in the country. His success in this line caused him to enlarge his garage in 1923, this being the first building in Wayne having steel roof trusses. His work in connection with the new theatre has been a side line but it had been a most important one from the standpoint of service he had rendered the men with whom he had been associated.
The Wayne Theatre Corp. is a all volunteer, non-profit corporation, consisting of local citizens with a goal of providing a place of cultural enrichment not just the Wayne/Westland area, but for all of Western Wayne County.
Help in reaching this goal is greatly needed. Interested party's should call the theatre at (734) 728-7469 or write The Wayne Theatre Corp. at 35164 Michigan Ave. Wayne Mi. 48184.