If you lived in the Lorain area back in the 1960s and 70s, and were in the mood to go bowling, you had a lot of choices. Everybody no doubt had their favorite bowling alley.
Not belonging to a league, my buddies and I had to find a place with open bowling. We would go far and wide in our search; Andorka Lanes on Lorain's east side; Shoreway Lanes in Sheffield Lake; Lake Erie Lanes in Vermilion; Aqua Marine Lanes out in Avon Lake; I even remember going to Broadway Lanes (in the basement of the Broadway Building) at least once.
But the one that I (and other west-siders) probably went to the most was the one closest to home: Rebman's Recreation.
Unlike many of the businesses that I write about, Rebman's is still out there at the south end of Oberlin Avenue and doing well. But originally it was located at 1040 Broadway (across from Lorain Monument on the other side of Broadway – now lost to the underpass).
Here's an ad from the September 8, 1947 Lorain Journal announcing its opening.
But with the beginning of the new year in 1955, the new lanes on Oberlin Avenue were almost ready for their grand opening. Here's a schedule that ran in the Lorain Journal on January 7, 1955 mentioning the opening day for the 'new establishment.
And here's the Opening Day ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on January 14, 1955.
I posted a July 1958 ad for Rebman's promoting its Acme Automatic Pinspotters back here.
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As I reminisced back here, bowling was kind of important in the Brady family. My parents met while bowling. They bowled in a BF Goodrich league. And Mom tried to make bowlers out of my siblings and me by signing us up for a Saturday morning league at Shoreway Lanes.
I even took bowling as one of my physical education requirements at Ohio State (along with ice skating) and bought an engraved ball after college. But unfortunately, bowling was never something that was right up my alley.
4 comments:
I always smile when I see an ad for Italian Ravioli and Spaghetti. I mean, is there any other kind.
My older brother was an excellent league bowler with an average in the low 200s. It never interested me as much, but the kids I hung with bowled as a group fairly often on open nights at the local lanes. It was good fun at a low price, especially since with so many of us, a line would last almost forever. And let's not forget those snappy red & black shoes!
I was in a league in the 80’s at Rebman’s while at the Journal. The editorial department had a team as did the ad department. Worked out great since you only bowled every other week. A great family place…I used to bring my kids and their coloring books while I bowled and they loved it (of course the French fries helped). I never had my own ball but I did have a favorite that I used to hide so I could find it in two weeks when I played again! Todd
Us neighborhood kids used to bowl in the Saturday morning league at Rebmans. My Dad also used to let me tag along and watch him bowl during his league night even though it was a school night for me.
I then bowled in a couple different men's leagues for about 25 years at Rebmans. Best part was being on the same team as my Dad for many of those years. I took a "year off" about 8 years ago and haven't gone back. My Dad still bowls in the Thursday afternoon Senior league at age 83, still averaging in the 180's.
Rebmans (Rick, Rob, Patty, Mary Lou) are a good family that keep the place nice, adding little improvements every year.
I used to bowl at Andoka's in a Saturday "teen" league. After that..I bowled in the Lorain Products League at Rebmans on Thursday nights. Had a grand time in both leagues. I bowled there only one "season" then I moved to Seattle, WA. in 1980. Not many bowling alleys out here. I went to Open Bowling a few times, but did not rejoin a league. Jeff Rash
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