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 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;

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

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

New bowling alley at White Center, Jack Vasso. A view of the players and visitors seating area behind the playing lanes. Racks of bowling balls are seen in the far rear. The bowling ball returns are loaded with balls and the scoring stations are at the ready. The supporting beams for the barrel ceiling attach to heavy posts near the bowling ball racks in the back.

White Center Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Barrel ceilings--Seattle; Lighting--Seattle; Bowling balls;

On Saturday evening January 21, 1950, Amos Sturgis, a 148-average bowler from Puyallup, went to the Sixth Avenue Lanes, 2052 6th Ave. for a little practice. On his second game he started with a strike. After rolling 12 strikes in a row, he was the first bowler in the history of the lanes to throw a perfect 300. For his perfect game, Sturgis received the standing house cash prize, and a special award from Ed Chilla, owner of the alleys. Ordered by Ed Chilla. (TNT 11/23/1950 p.17) TPL-9807

Bowlers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bowling alleys--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sturgis, Amos; Sixth Avenue Lanes (Tacoma); Bowling balls; Awards;

Interior of new bowling alley, West Seattle Bowl. The curved roof with lighting running with the curve of the building, hanging score boards and overhead projectors give this interior a look of the future. The bowling alley advertised 14 lanes, an instructor, service and a lunch counter. Balls are lined up at the return machines.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Bowling balls; Scoreboards--Seattle--1940-1950; Barrel ceilings--Seattle; Lighting--Seattle;

B & B Glass and Paint Company were glass and paint dealers and manufacturers, their business office was located at 748 Market Street in downtown Tacoma. The company was owned by Benjamin E. Bassett and LeRoy O. Bertheau. View of B & B employees and possibly the owners; this company's bowling league appears to have won a local bowling tournament.

Tournaments--Tacoma--1940-1950; Awards--1940-1950; Bowling--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling balls; B & B Glass & Paint Co. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the new West Seattle Bowl facilities featuring the reception area with a cash register, counter, and seating. Many large bouquets are shown representing the congratulations on their opening and wishes for success received by the new bowling alley. The counter is surfaced with wood that is highly grained. The seating area on the right curves around the corner and is covered with leather-like material.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Cash registers; Bouquets; Interiors--Seattle--1940-1950; Lounges--Seattle--1940-1950; Benches--Seattle--1940-1950;

Interior of bowling alley, Brunswick Company, Seattle. A view of the interior of the West Seattle Bowl facilities showing the players' areas and the spectators' seating. The scoreboards hang over the play area.

West Seattle Bowl (Seattle); Bowling alleys--Seattle--1940-1950; Interiors--Seattle--1940-1950;

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);

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;

Permanente Metals had now been operating in Tacoma for a little over six months. The company produced Kaiser Aluminum products and was a growing industry throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Tacoma subsidiary was an aluminum reduction plant, which helped increase the amount of aluminum produced throughout the nation. View of Permanente Metals Corporation's bowling team at Play-Mor Bowling Alley, the league appears happy with their bowling scores.

Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling--Tacoma; Bowling alleys--Tacoma; Bowling Balls; Play-Mor Bowling Alleys (Tacoma); Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees;

View of Permanente Corporation's bowling team receiving their prizes, from Charles P. Love (left), General Superintendent of the company. Permanente's bowlers are being congratulated for a job well done. Permanente is a subsidiary of Kaiser Aluminum, they are an aluminum reduction plant that recently opened in Tacoma and have many other branches throughout the United States.

Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling--Tacoma; Shaking hands--Tacoma; Awards; Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Permanente Metals Corp. (Tacoma)--Employees; Love, Charles P.;

Bowling team in studio, Tug Boat Annie bowling team, Bill Herdman. The Tug Boat Annie bowling team, sponsored by Henry Foss of the Foss Tug and Boat Company, were champions of the Tacoma Major league two successive years. They were such strong competitors, somewhat feared throughout the Northwest bowling circles, that they went on to take first place in the Northwest Pin Classic - the NIBC (Northwestern International Bowling Congress). The champion bowlers were: L-R, seated, Red Wakefield, Frank McGee and Len Thomas; standing, Kelcy Allen and Ted Wakefield. (T.Times, 5/6/1948, p.16; 5/12/1948, p.11)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tug Boat Annie Bowling Team (Tacoma); Wakefield, Red; McGee, Frank; Thomas, Len; Allen, Kelcy; Wakefield, Ted; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma);

Ray Kanzler and one of the bowling teams posed for this studio portrait during the 1951 leagues.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bowling balls;

Rainy days did not keep customers away from the Bowlero Lanes, 3852 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W. in Lakewood. This early December, 1968, photograph shows a partially full parking lot outside the bowling alley, and was used in a December 5, 1968, News Tribune ad. The bowling center, located near the Sears suburban store, was announcing the gala opening of a new restaurant and coffee shop. The menu featured a delicious salad bar and Henning's famous 9 oz. broiler steak for only $3.95. Bowling was still very popular in the 1960's with league results reported in the daily newspapers. Bowlero Lanes was open for business 24 hours a day with 32 lanes available. Another feature was the new expanded billiard area. Photograph ordered by Bowlero Lanes. (TNT ad 12-5-68, B-2)

Bowlero Lanes (Lakewood); Bowling alleys--Lakewood--1960-1970; Parking lots--Lakewood;

Heidelberg Breweries sponsored teams for various recreational leagues. Ten members of the brewery's bowling team pose for a photograph on April 30, 1954. Five men are crouching with their right hands upright; the five women behind them each grasps ahold of one man's arm. The men all have their names embroidered above the pockets on their bowling shirts.

Bowlers--Tacoma; Bowling alleys--Tacoma; Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People

People took bowling very seriously in the 1950's. It was a very popular sport, with many companies sponsoring teams in various leagues. Results were often reported in the local newspapers. These five ladies were probably on the women's team sponsored by the Bailey Co., a real estate firm. Madge, Esther, Marge, Nona and Lois all had their names stitched onto their bowling shirts and engraved on their Brunswick balls as well. Photograph ordered by the Bailey Co.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bowling--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bowling balls; Bailey Co. (Tacoma);

Bowling teams in the 1950's dressed a bit more formally than today's bowlers. This five-man team sponsored by the Bailey Co. all wore identical long-sleeve shirts and nice slacks to bowl. Since bowling was so popular in the 1940's and 50's, many companies sponsored teams who competed in leagues. Winning teams were frequently mentioned in the sports section of the local newspaper. Sepia photograph ordered by the Bailey Co.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bowling--Tacoma--1950-1960; Bowling balls; Bailey Co. (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;

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);

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;

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);