They came for the memories, the history, the nostalgia and, sometimes, just for a nice place to sit.

The first batch of seats from the Paramount Theatre was distributed Saturday morning, and those who came to pick up four of the chairs were happy to lay their hands on part of Chilliwack's past.

"They're cool and they're nostalgia and they're part of the city," Carol Croft told the Times before driving away with a set of four seats.

Megan Stewart had a similar reason for searching through the rows of old seats that filled a large room in the Ewert Building, next door to the Paramount.

"I love the Paramount," Stewart said. "It was so retro. There's something really old-school about it."

For Ken Loughridge, the seats were a reminder of his childhood.

"I went here years ago when I was a kid. It brings back memories," he said.

"And they'll look good in my basement."

Most of the seats had seen better days; when Dennis Muxlow extracted two from their resting spot, popcorn and broken glass fell to the ground from the bottom of the seat.

Still, the upholstery of most of the seats was good and the price-free- was right for a part of Chilliwack's history.

"You can't pass something like this up," Loughridge said.

As for the future of the theatre itself, which is slated to be torn down, there was understanding, but also sadness, on the part of the new seat owners.

"It makes sense that they have to tear it down, but I wish they could have refurbished it," Stewart said.

Loughbridge agreed, arguing that a proposal to turn the theatre into a niche film house should have been given a chance to succeed.

"Chilliwack seems to tear everything down," he said.

Croft, meanwhile, said she could understand the need to tear the old building down.

"That's kind of part of progress, I guess. But I've got part of history," she said.

tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com