Midland County Historical Society

09/08/2026

From the Archives - The Midland Theater: A Midland Landmark
A History of Ashman Circle in Entertainment in Midland

Talk to lifelong residents of Midland, ask about the Ashman Circle and inevitably the discussion will turn to the Midland Theatre, a landmark building that towered over the Circle for over 50 years with an iconic neon sign topping the building.

Built in 1942 by William Cassidy, the Midland Theatre anchored the expanding and newly formed business district that served a growing community as development and expansion moved away from the downtown center and expanded west towards Jefferson Avenue. The Midland Theatre was the third theater in Midland operated by Cassidy since he came to Midland in 1913 and the second one, he built in Midland, the first being the Frolic Theater located downtown on the corner of Main Street and Gordon Street.

The Midland Theatre opened to the public on Sunday May 24, 1942, with a screening of the film “Captains of the Clouds” starring James Cagney, the technicolor film showing the capabilities of the new theater.

The Midland Theatre continued for approximately 15 years before it closed due to poor attendance. The building continued as a business location and with the attached bowling alley remained a popular community location.

In 1998 the building was sold and demolished, removing a much-loved iconic structure. While the building is gone important and iconic pieces remain including the Midland sign from the top of the building. The sign is now undergoing work for installation in the renovated museum at the Midland Center for the Arts, a treasured piece of Midland history brought back to life on display for all to see, enjoy and remember.

Before demolition started a relief was discovered above a dropped ceiling. The discovery, removal, and restoration of Carrodo Parducci’s relief “City of Modern Explorers” resulted in the preservation of a unique community artwork first installed in the theater in 1942.

Both the sign and the relief, treasured pieces of Midland’s history, along with several photographs documenting the theater over the years are part of the Midland County Historical Society Archive and Collections.

08/20/2026

New volunteer opportunity at the Center! Help people experience the new museum including Midland history!

08/05/2026

From the Archives - The Bauss and Haker Families

A History of a Family Farm in Photographs and Memories

Family photographs are not just singular memories of individuals, they also connect the past with the present in unique and distinct ways and provide the resources for sharing the history of a community.

A recent donation to the archives of family photographs provides a view to early life in Midland and most importantly includes the stories that go with them.

Heinrich (Henry) Haker moved his family to Midland and built a house on 40 acres of land in Section 11 of Midland Township. At the time the house was built in 1897 the area was wilderness and rural farms situated outside the Midland City limits on the dirt Swede Road. The house still stands today, located at 3300 Swede Avenue just off Ashman Street. The land the Haker and Bauss family lived on until the 1970’s is also marked on the map with Bauss Street and Haker Street.

Henry Haker’s daughter Bertha married Hugo August Bauss in 1902, Bauss arrived in Midland County with his parents Frederick and Wilhemina in 1895 settling on a farm in Larkin Township.

The photographs documenting the family were taken by Hugo August Bauss, an artist and photographer, and by his son H. Herbert Bauss. The surviving photographs and negatives documenting the family life on the farm at Swede Ave. have been carefully organized, identified, and annotated by the granddaughter and great-grandson of Hugo August Bauss.

The Bauss family photographs and the stories that come with them are a welcome addition to the archives and help us to continue gathering, preserving, and sharing the stories of Midland County and the people who live here. The photographs shared here are just a small selection of what was donated by the family.

08/05/2026

07/30/2026

Did you know we have the original MIDLAND sign from the Midland Theater that was on the circle? It is one of our most unique part of our collections, as work continues to renovate the museum at the Center the full sign is undergoing work to be installed in the new museum.

Maroo, owner of Niche Design is working on preparing the sign for installation and provided us a tour.

07/28/2026

Join us this weekend at the Midland Area River Days Festival! Join walking tours of the Midland Historic District or the River area.

07/18/2026

This is truly phenomenal! Thank you to the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library for putting in the work to make this happen. It is such an important resource for local history.

NEW RESOURCE! Explore more than a century of Michigan history with the Midland Daily News Historical Archive (1881–Today).

Browse digitized newspaper pages or search for people, places, and events that shaped Midland and the surrounding region—from local business and industry to sports, culture, and community life.

Give it a try! https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/source-list?p=AMNEWS.

07/13/2026

From the Archives - The Irish Farm of Sanford

Plat Maps provide a vital resource for understanding how property and land use has evolved over time, and in the case of the Irish family farm in Sanford, this is one of the ways we can match maps with photographs to share history and understand the change.

John and Elizabeth Irish arrived in Midland County with their children William and John H. in about 1867, census records show John Irish’s occupation as Brick Maker with the family living in Lincoln Township. Based on the occupation of other families on the census sheets, it is likely the family was living in Averill, a small village next to the railway and river serving the lumber industry.

In 1872, John Irish purchased a plot of land in Jerome Township section 24 from Christopher and Martha Clute. In 1896, John, a widow transferred the land to his son William and daughter in law Nellie. William was an active farmer and member of the community. Newspaper research also shows he sold farm equipment and items through newspaper advertising.

Land farmed by the Irish family is notable for its proximity to the river and location in relation to the current Sanford Lake and public park. Irish Street, named for the family runs east – west across where the farm was located providing a connection point on modern maps.

Explore the Archives for more Midland County history - https://mcfta.pastperfectonline.com/

06/19/2026