Lee Croft offered a little friendly advice on pins to his womens' bowling team and apparently it paid off. In January of 1943, his team was the first half title winning womens' team in the Eagle League and was on its way to a second half crown. Pictured, left to right, are Mr. Croft, Ellen McGowan, Zona Wild, Helen Dailey, Gladys Murdock and Norma Matineau. (T. Times 1/27/1943, pg. 12)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Coliseum Bowling Alley (Tacoma); Croft, Lee;

Moose Lodge bowling team.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Loyal Order of Moose (Tacoma);

Members of the Sport Center team, all season champions of the Broadway Ladies Bowling League, pose with their bowling balls. The ladies scored 2347 in the playoff. Pictured, left to right, are Laurene Putbres, Evalyn Stein, Margaret Neary, Vera Kindervich and Jerry Bergman. (TNT 5/3/1942, PG. A-13)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Broadway Bowling Center (Tacoma); Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950; Putbres, Laurene; Stein, Evalyn; Neary, Margaret; Kindervich, Vera; Bergman, Jerry;

On April 20, 1942, the members of the Venetians bowling team posed at the Coliseum Bowling Alley, 407 So. 13th St. Pictured standing, left to right, were Eva Gipple, Gladys Putbres, Hattie Wilkowski and Ann Berry. Seated was Jennie Small. The women, all first year bowlers, were the champions of the Coliseum's Women's Class B League. They defeated their nearest opponents by two points. (TNT 4/26/1942, pg. A-12)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Coliseum Bowling Alley (Tacoma); Gipple, Eva; Putbres, Gladys; Wilkowski, Hattie; Berry, Ann; Small, Jennie;

The team representing Reliance Trailers, of Oakland, California, dominated play in all open bowling events of the Northwest International Bowling Congress, concluding Sunday May 5, 1940 in Tacoma at the Broadway Alleys. The men won the team championship with a total score of 2951. In the front are F. McGee (575), and M. Karolac (614). In the back are R. Waag (592), J. Whetstone (581) and G. Danielson (589). Mickey Karolac won the all events open title, with a grand total of 1858, 30 pins ahead of his closest competitor. Whetstone and Danielson won the open doubles. (T. Times 5/6/1940, pg. 11)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Reliance Trailers--Oakland, Ca.; Karolac, Mickey; Northwest International Bowling Congress;

The O'Donnell Market women's bowling team from Bend, Oregon. Five women dressed in matching outfits representing O'Donnell's Market. Three women in back row have names embroidered on shirts, left to right: Reba, Olga, Evelyn. The team was competing in the annual Western Women's Bowling Congress at the Play Mor alleys April 24- May 5th, 1940.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; O'Donnell's Market--Bend, Oregon--People;

Sherman Tackle Co. women's bowling team, Tacoma City Girls Class B bowling champs. Five women dressed in skirts and blouses gathered around scoring table in bowling alley. They are, left to right, Delores Coleman, Winnifred Rowe, Nell Bowman, Sigrid Anderson and Cecelia Rowe. (T. Times 4/25/1940, pg. 17)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sherman Tackle Co. (Tacoma)--People; Coleman, Delores; Rowe, Winnifred; Bowman, Nell; Anderson, Sigrid; Rowe, Cecelia;

The five members of the Sherman Tackle Co. bowling team, Tacoma's Class B women's bowling champions for 1940, will be competing along with 127 other teams in the annual Western Women's Bowling Congress at the Play Mor alleys April 24- May 5th, 1940. The teams will come from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California and British Columbia. Pictured are, left to right, Delores Coleman, captain, Winnifred Rowe, Nell Bowman, Sigrid Anderson and Cecelia Rowe. (T. Times 4/25/1940, pg. 17)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sherman Tackle Co. (Tacoma)--People; Coleman, Delores; Rowe, Winnifred; Bowman, Nell; Anderson, Sigrid; Rowe, Cecelia;

A trio of lawn bowlers, (l to r) George Fairbaine and Charles P. Middleton of Seattle and Eugene McNeal of Tacoma, crouch to measure the distance between a bowling ball and the "jack" on the green in Wright Park. On May 28, 29 & 30, 1938, eighty five lawn bowlers from Bellingham, Portland, Seattle and Tacoma competed in the Northwest Lawn Bowling Association's holiday tournament in Wright Park . The Scottish game had developed a large following in the Pacific Northwest and Wright Park held one of the finest manicured playing fields in the region. McNeal of Tacoma won the singles title with Fairbairn finishing third. The object of the game is to roll your ball as close to the "jack", the small white ball, as possible. (T. Times, 6/1/1938, p. 5).

Bowling--Tacoma; Bowlers--Tacoma; Tournaments--Tacoma; Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Lawn bowlers compete in Northwest tournament at Wright Park. The ancient Scottish game attracted 85 bowlers, signifying growing popularity in the Northwest. Spectators watch bowler as he stands on lawn pad and rolls the ball. (T.Times, 6/1/38, p. 5).

Bowling--Tacoma; Bowlers--Tacoma; Tournaments--Tacoma; Wright Park (Tacoma); Parks--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Bowling has long been popular in Tacoma, producing such greats as Earl Anthony. The Tryfon Hatters bowled for John Tryfon whose hat store was located at 944 1/2 Commerce Street beginning in 1921. Greek-born Tryfon, affectionately known as "the Madhatter of Commerce Street", retired in 1973.

This five-man bowling team posed with their bowling balls and three pins outside an unidentified bowling center entrance on April 1, 1928. Each of the men wore a long sleeved dark shirt with an emblem on the left side. They are possibly the five-man team representing Duncan's Garage who would do well in the Northwest Bowling Congress meet later in April. G53.1-100

Bowlers; Bowling balls;

M & M Hats bowling team. Team members were photographed at the Imperial Lanes, 9th & Commerce, on April 9, 1925. First row, L-R, team captain Bill Slater, team manager Arthur McGinley, John Radonich. Back row, L-R, George Tripp, Cal Hier, V.E. McClure. Five of the men are wearing bow ties, white shirts, and a "M & M-Hats" pennant. Manager McGinley has his hat on the floor and holds a bowling ball. The team finished fourth in the 1925 City League Bowling standings and also participated in the Bowling Congress at Aberdeen. G53.1-104 (TNT 4-10-25, p. 21)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bowling balls; M & M Hats (Tacoma);

This was the all-star women's bowling team sponsored by Tschunko's Florist in 1925. They posed with two wooden pins and a bowling ball. The ladies would be competing in the Pacific International Bowling Congress at Aberdeen on April 11th. Back row (L-R): Alice Lindmark, Ann Carlsen, Mrs. H. Young. Front row (L-R): Mrs. B. McCormick, Mrs. C. Bingston. Tschunko's was located at 5001 Pacific Avenue across the street from what is now Stewart Middle School. By 1938, ownership had changed hands and Gibson's Florists & Greenhouses operated at the same location until 1999. G53.1-101 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-5-25, C-3)

Bowling--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bowlers--Tacoma--1920-1930; Bowling balls; Lindmark, Alice; Carlsen, Ann; Young, H.--Family; McCormick, B.--Family; Bingston, C.--Family; Tschunko's House of Flowers (Tacoma);

The 8-man Northwestern Woodenware Co. bowling team posed for a group portrait on October 22, 1923. They participated in the Commercial League. Two bowling balls and a pair of wooden pins are being held by three members seated in front. Standing in the second row on the left is Leif Jensen, accountant for the firm. G53.1-105

Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling balls; Jensen, Leif; Northwestern Woodenware Co. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Dining area of the Sky Lane Bowl in Seattle.

Bowling lanes and seating area of the Sky Lane Bowl in Seattle.

Bowling lanes and seating area of the Sky Lane Bowl in Seattle.

Mechanical interior behind bowling lanes of the Sky Lane Bowl in Seattle.