At a cost of $150,000, the KiMo Theatre opened on September 19, 1927, at a time when silent movies were the all-consuming rage of Americans. A contest was run for the naming of the new theatre and Pablo Abeita won the magnificent prize of $50 for the unique name of "KiMo.” KiMo is a combination of two Indian words literally meaning "mountain lion" but more liberally interpreted as "king of its kind."
