The Midway Ballroom was built in 1929 and was expanded 2 years later. After that, an orchestra wing was added to accommodate the big bands that played there in the early 1930's. In 1933, Charles Smithers, the owner, remodeled the place into a beer garden. The building was of concrete block and brick construction. The ballroom was regularly packed, sometimes drawing well over a thousand patrons.
Tragedy struck in 1934 when the structure was destroyed by fire. The ballroom was no more. In 1936, Mr. Smithers built a new general store on the property which operated for many years. I don't know the status of the store building nor am I sure of the exact location. The place was in North Holt and the general location is listed as 4 1/2 - 5 miles south of Lansing on US-127. Mr. Smithers' name came up in many articles I read. He was a long-time businessman and property developer in the area. He passed away in 1966 at the age of 76.