Barron Lake was developed starting in the 1800's. The Avalon was built by the Reid family in the 1930's. The area was serviced by the railroad at that time. It attracted people from the Tri-State area and was advertised heavily in the Indiana papers. At one point, there was a hotel and several cottages built nearby. The ballroom featured many popular big bands including Skinnay Ennis, Horace Henderson, Charlie Agnew, Charlie Teagarden among many others. See the ads below on those. The ballroom was famous for it's New Years Eve celebrations.
By the 1950's, musical tastes had changed and attendance began to decline. The ballroom eventually closed and the building was used as an antique auction and other businesses over the years. It fell into such disrepair it was demolished in 1998. The location is now an empty lot amongst residential homes on the lake. Only the old-timers remember the place now. You would never know it was there looking at the current site.
While researching this ballroom, I also found references to Reid's Pavilion which I created a page for. See the link for that below.