Frank H. "Hank" Andorka Article – May 1964

Frank "Hank" Andorka

Last week on my post about bowling, longtime blog contributor Dennis Thompson and I exchanged comments about the location of Andorka Lanes in Lorain. I noted the location of the bowling alley as I remembered it, on Lorain's East side, but neglected to mention that the business was originally located in South Lorain.

So as a follow-up to that post, here's a great article (above) about "Bowling Kingpin" Frank H. Andorka at the time of his passing on May 19, 1964. It's written by Journal scribe Hank Kozloski, and provides a nice history of the Andorka family's longtime contribution to bowling as a popular sport in Lorain.

As the article notes, the original Andorka's Recreation was located on 28th Street. It later moved to 2933 Vine Avenue, where it remained until the late 1950s. 

The sign at the Vine Avenue location

A rare view of the lanes at the Vine Ave. location (courtesy Russell Andorka)

The final move was to a new facility at 1039 Bridge Drive. The 1958 Lorain Phone Book was the first to show Andorka at the East side address.

Here's the first Lorain phone book ad at the new location on the East side. It began running in the 1961 edition.

According to LorainBowling.com, Andorka Lanes finally closed in 1988. (Click here to visit the website, which includes a nice "History of Bowling in Lorain, Ohio" page.

The former Andorka Lanes on Bridge Drive as it looks today

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UPDATE (Feb. 19, 2020)

I received an email from Russ Andorka who sent me this nice photograph of a cherished family keepsake: a framed poster announcing "Hank Andorka's Ninth Individual Bowling Classic 1948."

Hank Andorka was Russ's father.

(If you look closely, you can see Sully Bates was one of the winners listed under '1947 Classic Winners.' )

Russ also sent me this photograph of the former Andorka's Recreation building at 2933 Vine. He noted, "Here is a photo that I took in, I think, January 1977. 

"Andorka's was Puerto Rican Home starting in 1957."

Russ wishes he had gotten a little closer when photographing the building.

"I so regret not getting out of the car, and walking to the building," he admits. "However, I think the temperature was around 10 degrees!"

Here's another photo of the former Andorka Recreation building on Vine after it became the Puerto Rican Home. Russ notes, "A cousin sent this. It was the “Andorka” building built in 1920. The house on the corner was my grandparents, and my parents lived there too in the late 40’s. The house in between was where an uncle lived, and downstairs was a grocery at times or store."

Thanks for sharing your photographs, Russ!