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| 1962 Phone Book Ad |
If you grew up in the Lorain area, there were a lot of choices if you wanted to go bowling, including: Rebman’s on Oberlin Avenue; Andorka Lanes on the east side; Broadway Lanes in the basement of the Broadway Building; Aqua Marine Lanes in Avon Lake; Shoreway Lanes in Sheffield Lake; and Lake Erie Lanes in Vermilion. There were also opportunities to bowl in some of the social clubs, like the American Slovak Club.
Driving out to Lake Erie Lanes was probably one of our last resorts, because it seemed so far away. But it is one of the survivors of the group mentioned above.
Lake Erie Lanes was still under construction when the article below ran in the Lorain Journal on April 7th, 1959.
There’s one historical note in the article, which states, “Lake Erie Lanes will provide a much needed recreation spot for the community, which has been without a bowling alley for the past 10 years. Until that time, two lanes were in operation at Furguson’s Recreation, operated by the late E. C. Furguson.”
Lake Erie Lanes had its Grand Opening a mere four months later on August 22, 1959.
Around 2017, Lake Erie Lanes became Pence Lake Erie Lanes.
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I’ve written about bowling many times on this blog, including a post about Sully Bates, the Sheffield Lake resident who invented two bowling grips, and one about Rebman’s Recreation and its Automatic Pinspotters.
I remember the Broadway Lanes although I can't recall how many lanes it had. It was very different bowling there compared to the open, airy feeling of the more modern places like Rebmans. Later I went to that huge bowling center on Brookpark Rd which I think was the largest in the US at the time.
ReplyDeleteLove how the contractors were always included with the grand opening ads. Gives it a local community feel.
ReplyDelete...The thing I've always remembered about Broadway Lanes was the mural that ran along the north wall of gnomes bowling. Hoping that might still be down there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteMike, That mural is now on the wall of "Strike Out Lanes" in Wellington Ohio. Check out their Facebook page.... . Bill N
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