The ad announced the bowling alley's upcoming Grand Opening on Saturday, August 22, 1959. 1957 BPAA Champion Jean Schultz and 5 Times World’s Individual Champion Ned Day were the featured celebrity bowlers on hand to add some star power to the inaugural proceedings.
The ad has a nice roll call of the various companies that were involved with the construction, financing and outfitting of the building, including Crow Lumber, Wolf Electric, Dick West Plumbing, Oberlin Avenue Carpet Shop and Spaid Insurance.
It’s hard to believe that the facility has been there that long, especially since the building looks fairly modern. But with so many area bowling alleys gone (Broadway Lanes, Shoreway Lanes, Andorka's, etc.), it's nice to see that Lake Erie Lanes is still thriving out there on U.S. 6 in Vermilion.
Lake Erie Lanes was one of the places where I bowled with my buddies in high school, especially when we couldn’t find any open bowling in Lorain. (I’ve mentioned before that I was in the lounge at Lake Erie Lanes watching the 1978 Gator Bowl when Woody Hayes punched the Clemson player.)
The building looks pretty different from the architectural rendering in the ad; I can’t remember if the entrance was remodeled at some point.
Still in the same family all these years, old Mr. Buckosh was succeeded by his son George. I forget when they revised the front facade, but it was some years ago. I first went there in the early 70s and stopped in a year or two ago when I was in town.
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