Midway Theater with original marquee in 1918

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In 1917 a group of Rockford men decided that Rockford needed a first class motion picture theater and formed a syndicate to finance the big amusement enterprise. The men were Frank G. Hogland as the head of the syndicate and others associated with him included Ross P. Beckstrom, John Camlin and other local capitalists. The planned theater was located in the center of Rockford at the time, or midway between its city limits. They enlisted Chicago architect J. E. O. Pridmore to design the new theater building, and Mr. Pridmore lent his personal supervision of the theater during its construction. The theater was leased to the Ascher Brothers of Chicago. The Midway Theater would open on August 3, 1918. It was the largest theater in Illinois outside of Chicago when it opened.