Midland History: What Used To Be At The Corner of Midkiff and Illinois?

For those who are new to Midland and are wondering what was at the now vacant lot on Midkiff and Illinois. Well since I have lived here all my life I can at least let you know what was there since I have been alive.

On the southeast corner that is now a vacant lot, that used to be a Weinerschnitzel back in the 70's when the now demolished building was built.

After Weinerschnitzel moved out, it was vacant for a long time in the late 80's and early 90's but in the late 90's became a JC's Barbecue for many years before becoming the Dos Soles Restaurant right before the pandemic hit.

Obviously the Dos Soles did not survive the pandemic and now we wait and see what builds on the southeast corner of Midkiff and Illinois.

On the southwest corner that is now the Kingsway Center with a DK convenience store on the corner, the Kingsway center back in the 50's to the 80's was the Dellwood Mall which housed a Kresege's (which was a branch of K-Mart) on the back side facing the alley.

The Dellwood Mall also housed a Dunlap's, M-System Grocery store (which later became a bowling alley, and then Richard Milburn Academy), a Baskin-Robbins where the barber shop is, and a Firestone (where the Family Dollar is now).

You can still go inside the old mall and see where it used to be a mall, which is kind of spooky now to walk through now.

On the Northeast corner where the daycare center is, that used to be a church but the building has been there since the 60's at least and maybe even the 50's.

The Northwest corner has always been a shopping center but on the corner where T-Mobile and Dominos is used to be a Gulf station where my aunt would go to get her car serviced for most of my life.

Behind the small shopping center where Dominos and T-Mobile are has always been a shopping center with no original stores left from when it was open in the 60's and 70's when I was a kid going over to the old Tull's (which was a pharmacy and soda shoppe).

I will give you more history of Midland in future articles, stay tuned as we say in radio.

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