Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Houston: wealthy, transit)

[THOMAS655]

Originally Posted by boss rider

i don't think so ! Ninepin bowling is alive and well in new england, and there is at least one place on cape cod that has both in one building.

Along with bud, i was a "bowling brat" who's parents bowled several times a week at highlands, san pedro, the texas, and herman's sons. My favorite thing to do at the highland bowl was the game with the rifle and the bear; hit the optical target on the bear, he'd stand up and roar and reverse direction. We also like to go to siebert's and read the comics, and maybe get one of those bbq sandwiches they had where they put the bun on the hot air warmer. If things got really boring, we'd go down to the rr tracks and put pennies on the tracks. Later on they built a dairy queen on the other end from siebert's and we'd hang around there.

how about duckpins and candlepins? They are still quite popular on the east coast as i hear.

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by THOMAS655

the old woodlawn bowling center was upstairs, correct? I belive the space is now occupied by a ballroom dance club.

Yes, the Woodlawn lanes were upstairs. When you entered the door, there was only a stairway upstairs. The had 24 lanes. Sixteen were on one side, and eight on the other. They had a large snack bar. I liked the Woodlawn lanes because the balls came back above ground.

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by THOMAS655

Any ex-employees of columbia 300 bowling balls out there? The plant closed in 2007 after ebonite bought out columbia and moved the manufacturing to their kentucky location.

I once worked for the president of Columbia 300, but not at the bowling ball factory. He opened up some gas station/Robo Car Washes in early 1971, and I helped manage the four locations. I had to order the gasoline, wash soap, and open each location every morning, and then worked at the West Avenue location for the remaining eight hours.

The last time I saw Ron was quite a few years ago when one of the local news people uncovered that toxic waste was being dumped in a nearby creek.

Something is open at the old Columbia 300 factory. There are lots of cars in the parking lot.

[THOMAS655]

Originally Posted by outafocus

Yes, the Woodlawn lanes were upstairs. When you entered the door, there was only a stairway upstairs. The had 24 lanes. Sixteen were on one side, and eight on the other. They had a large snack bar. I liked the Woodlawn lanes because the balls came back above ground.

I am a little too young to have ever bowled there, but I have heard stories about it forever. One day when I was at Bowling & Billiard supplies back in the 80's, I saw the door to the former Woodlawn lanes open. There was a construction crew there, they were remodeling the space into a ballroom dance club. I asked if I could go upstairs. They allowed me to do so, and some of the old bowling lanes, etc... was still in the space. I felt like I had stepped back in time.

There were several other older bowling centers with above ground ball returns- Hermann sons, San Pedro Bowl, etc..., I used to hate to bowl at these centers and have to shoot for a 10 pin on the right hand lane and kick the ball return riser (OUCH!!!).

[THOMAS655]

Originally Posted by outafocus

I once worked for the president of Columbia 300, but not at the bowling ball factory. He opened up some gas station/Robo Car Washes in early 1971, and I helped manage the four locations. I had to order the gasoline, wash soap, and open each location every morning, and then worked at the West Avenue location for the remaining eight hours.

The last time I saw Ron was quite a few years ago when one of the local news people uncovered that toxic waste was being dumped in a nearby creek.

Something is open at the old Columbia 300 factory. There are lots of cars in the parking lot.

Was this Ronald Herman or Roger Zeller that you are talking about?

I believe an upstart company has taken lease on part of the old factory, and are manufacturing bowling balls there again. I think Ebonite basically abandoned all of the manufacturing equipment, so it was easy with anyone with some knowledge of the workings of the plant to step in and start up their own brand.

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by THOMAS655

I am a little too young to have ever bowled there, but I have heard stories about it forever. One day when I was at Bowling & Billiard supplies back in the 80's, I saw the door to the former Woodlawn lanes open. There was a construction crew there, they were remodeling the space into a ballroom dance club. I asked if I could go upstairs. They allowed me to do so, and some of the old bowling lanes, etc... was still in the space. I felt like I had stepped back in time.

There were several other older bowling centers with above ground ball returns- Hermann sons, San Pedro Bowl, etc..., I used to hate to bowl at these centers and have to shoot for a 10 pin on the right hand lane and kick the ball return riser (OUCH!!!).

I remember the San Pedro Lanes with their above ground ball returns, too. I'm pretty sure they later remodeled, and went to below ground returns.

Bowlerama was probably the oldest bowling alley to have below ground returns, and they were painfully slow. When the ball finally came back, it made quite a racket at the machine that brought it above ground which was near the scoring desks, and then the ball rolled to the end of the long rack down by where the lane started! Bowlerama was near my house, inexpensive, didn't have many long waits for a lane, as it had 32 lanes (a lot back then), so I put up with it.

[gy2020]

Originally Posted by outafocus

I just have the 1968 phone book. San Antonio was A LOT smaller then! The yellow and white pages are all in one book, the print is big enough to read, and it's about half as thick as today's yellow pages alone. My aunt was cleaning out her garage and came across the '68 phone book and was going to throw it away. I am glad I rescued it!

Remember when the Woodlawn Bowling Lanes had a five alarm fire in 1967? My dad was a fireman and helped put out the fire. He didn't think it would ever reopen, but it wasn't long before it did. I think I bowled my last game there around 1971 or so.

My first bowling ball was bought right down the street at Bowling and Billiard Supplies at 1844 Fredericksburg Road. A girlfriend bought me a nice Columbia Titeline ball there for my birthday in 1970. After she gave it to me, I had the holes drilled there I still have and use that ball! About five years ago I noticed the thumb hole had "shrunken" a bit, and needed re drilling. I was shocked to see Bowling and Billiard Supplies still open. They enlarged the thumb hole for free! I just looked at the 2010 yellow pages, and they are no longer listed.

Outafocus: How did you have time to work the bowling alleys when you had that 30 year career in the theatre business? Are was that douoble duty?

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by gy2020

Outafocus: How did you have time to work the bowling alleys when you had that 30 year career in the theatre business? Are was that douoble duty?

I didn't WORK the bowling alleys, I bowled on my time off. I worked for the president of Columbia Bowling Ball's gas stations/Robo Car Wash when I was learning projection (unpaid) at the Palace,Texas, and Dixie in Seguin at night. Ahh to be 18 again! I worked from 6 AM to 2 PM at Handy Gas, drove to Seguin and worked from 4:30 to 11:30 or so at the Palace, 10:30 at the Texas, or midnight aat the Dixie drove home got 4-5 hours sleep, and then started over. I didn't do much bowling around that time!

[gy2020]

Originally Posted by outafocus

I didn't WORK the bowling alleys, I bowled on my time off. I worked for the president of Columbia Bowling Ball's gas stations/Robo Car Wash when I was learning projection (unpaid) at the Palace,Texas, and Dixie in Seguin at night. Ahh to be 18 again! I worked from 6 AM to 2 PM at Handy Gas, drove to Seguin and worked from 4:30 to 11:30 or so at the Palace, 10:30 at the Texas, or midnight aat the Dixie drove home got 4-5 hours sleep, and then started over. I didn't do much bowling around that time!

Sounds like me. When I was in St. Louis, sometimes worked three jobs at the same time. Crazy times!

[FastFerrari]

jus wanted to share something i found. miss sa
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