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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

Moose Lodge bowling team.

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

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;

Champion mens' team, 1943, of the Ruston Bowling League. The Ruston league played on its own community lanes. Pictured left to right, some in personalized shirts, are Jeff Tallman, Art Erickson, Jacob Vandenberg, Captain, Glenn Voss and Owen Gallagher. (Times 4/20/1943, pg. 15)

Bowlers--Ruston--1940-1950;

Dressed in matching dark dresses are the 1943 champion womens' team of the Ruston Bowling League, which played on its own community lanes. Pictured left to right are Grace Murphy, Lena Larsen, Lois Oberg and Margaret Velacich. (Times 4/20/1943, pg. 15)

Bowlers--Ruston--1940-1950;

In April of 1943 Dave Davies (far left) was the only member of this North End Industrial League bowling team not named Murphy. His teammates were (l to r) Earl, John, Howard (Pat) and Roy Murphy. Before WWII broke out there were two more Murphys on the team: Roy Murphy, Jr. and Bill Murphy, Howard's son. When the two younger Murphys joined the Navy, Dave Davies took their place. (T. Times 4/22/1943, pg. 14)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Women Bowlers at the Eagles. The unidentified women are neatly attired in matching slacks and short sleeved shirts.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph bowling team. Three bowling balls are shown in the foreground, a trophy sits in front of the men. War posters, a calendar and advertisements are hung on the wall above the players.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950; War posters;

Picture of North End Alleys. The Tacoma Times was sponsoring the Bowling Classic finals at North End lanes. The tournament will use the "Petersen Point" system, it will be the first time the point system is used on the West Coast (T.Times, 2/21/45, p. 9).

Bowling alleys--Tacoma; Pinsetting--Tacoma; North End Alleys (Tacoma);

The Tacoma All-stars bowling team took on a Seattle team in April and May of 1945 in the fourth annual inter-city championship tournament. Bowling for Tacoma were: seated (l to r) Ted Tadich and Bill Eggleston, wearing matching bowling shirts, and standing (l to r) are Pvt. Joe Wilman, Johny Radonich and Frank Barker. Pvt. Wilman was a nationally known bowler from Chicago who bowled for Ft. Lewis. Johny Radonich and Frank Barker bowled for Teamsters Local 313. (T. Times, 4/10/45, p. 9).

Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling balls; Men--Clothing & dress--Tacoma; North End Alleys (Tacoma);

Caswell Girls Bowling Team. Caswell Optometrists bowling team have won the Class A Women's Bowling League championship on the Broadway alleys. The team is shown wearing their team uniform, a skirt and blouse. L-R, Mary Leifester, Kitty Barber, Peggy Ruehle, Jean Colbo and Neva Hurlbut. (T.Times, 4/28/1945, p.5)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Caswell Optometrists;

Dave Penn. Bowlers are ready for action at the Midway Amusement Center. These gentlemen form one of the police bowling leagues. The gentleman with his back to the camera is shaking hands with Leon Sides, operator of the amusement center.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Midway Amusement Center (Tacoma); Sides, Leon; Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Three women bowlers show their Midway Amusement Center bowling vests to Leon Sides, operator of the amusement center.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Midway Amusement Center (Tacoma); Sides, Leon; Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Jerry Worden. Milan Zlokovich, star California bowler, came to Tacoma to finish his 80-game series with Pvt. Joe Wilman June 1-3, 1945, at the North End Lanes. 40 games were rolled in San Francisco and 40 will be rolled here. (T.Times, 5/31/1945, p.15)

Bowlers; Zlokovich, Milan;

Eagles bowlers at North End Alleys. A large group of men pose for the camera.

Bowlers; North End Alleys (Tacoma); Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Fraternal Order of Eagles (Tacoma);

Griffin Fuel Company bowling team. Ed Griffin is seen standing in the middle. The team members wear matching shirts. A patch with a star in the middle and the word "Police" centered over the star is on the upper left front of each shirt. TPL-2521.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Griffin Fuel Co. (Tacoma); Griffin, Edwin L., 1908-1955;

Nalley's Bowling team is gathered together at North End Alleys. Most Tacoma businesses had bowling leagues. They would compete against other leagues and eventually participate in a tournament, the winner would get a trophy.

Bowling alleys--Tacoma; Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling balls;

Brunswick, Balker, Collender Company. The interior of a ten-lane bowling alley. The Broadway Alleys will reopen August 28, 1946, after being closed all summer for a huge modernization program. Heading the improvements is the installation of ten of the latest Brunswick alleys for league play. (T.Times, 8/27/1946, p.11)

Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950; Broadway Bowling Center (Tacoma);

The women's bowling team from Green's Optometrists and possibly Charles A. Green, Jr., owner of Green's Optometrists. The women wear matching bowling shirts backwards to show their team name and they each hold a bowling ball. They each wear eyeglasses as well as the man holding three bowling pins. They are playing at Broadway Bowling Center.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Green's Optometrists (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Broadway Bowling Center (Tacoma); Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Wearing the latest in stylish glasses, these women bowled for Green's Optometrists, 254 So. 11th, in November of 1946 at the Broadway Bowling Center. The women are wearing matching bowling shirts with their names above the left pocket: Marlys, Jean, Helen, Jona and Peggy. Several women's leagues competed at the Broadway Alleys, 739 1/2 Broadway, including the Broadway Ladies and the Eagles Auxiliary.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Green's Optometrists (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Broadway Bowling Center (Tacoma); Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950;

These five women, dressed in matching polka dot dresses, bowled in the Women's A League for the 1306 Tavern in 1946. Owned by Inigo Lucchesi, the tavern was at 1306 Pacific Avenue. Inigo's wife Ann (second from right) was a very good bowler. On November 21, 1946 she had the top three game score for women bowling that night in Tacoma with a combined score of 540.The women on the team have been identified, from the names on their dresses as: (l to r) Dorothy Pollen, Mildred Fleming, Evelyn Stein, Ann Lucchesi, and Josephine Halko. TPL-9491

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Bill Herdman, Shrine bowling team. The five team members, L-R, John Pasnick, Bill Farrar, Henry Wiley, Ben Overdahl and Tony Vetter, listen while Bill Herdman, kneeling, provides encouragement. The back of the team's shirts are embroidered with "Afifi, Tacoma" and their insignia. The team members wear their fez. (T.Times, 12/12/1946, p.18)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Men--Clubs--Tacoma; Fraternal organizations--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Tacoma); Herdman, Bill; Pasnick, John; Farrar, Bill; Wiley, Henry; Overdahl, Ben; Vetter, Tony;

In November of 1947, Stationers women's bowling team lined up for a group photo at the Broadway Alleys (739 1/2 Broadway), modeling their matching bowling uniforms- plaid skirts and white blouses with their names on the left side. Left to right were Tiny, Doris, Pat, Nettie and May. The shirts were set off by a plaid tie at the neck. Stationers Inc. sold office and school supplies, business equipment, office furniture, typewriters and mimeographs. C. H. Armstrong was President and J. F. Wilhelmi was Vice President and Treasurer. The company had both women's and men's bowling teams.

Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling--Tacoma; Bowling alleys--Tacoma; Bowling balls; Women--Sports--Tacoma; Broadway Bowling Center (Tacoma);