At present, it may be just a shell of its former self, but a group of dedicated fans of Coffeyville’s historic Midland Theater are working to ensure this landmark has a secure and splendid future once it is restored to its former glory. Built in 1928, the Midland Theater originally was designed to accommodate the vaudeville acts that were a mainstay of live entertainment, as well as the newfangled motion pictures, both with and without sound. Its 10-foot-tall sign, adorned with 714 flickering yellow lights, attracted moviegoers of all ages to the Midland from the 1930s to 1990s, before time and economic downturns in the area took a toll on this town just north of the Oklahoma-Kansas state line. In recent years, however, the city of Coffeyville has been making efforts to reinvigorate itself through a number of civic initiatives, including the Midland Theater Foundation Inc., which has begun a $3 million capital campaign to renovate the theater to be the community hub it was for much of the 20th century.
Source: Tulsa World.
