1960s Bowling at Midway Lanes
Midway Lanes Recreation Center (don't call it a bowling alley!) opened in 1962 on the former site of John's Pool south of Trion. For the brief four years of its existence, it was a rare hub of fun in Chattooga County. Some of the staff included Marvin Whaley and Coleen Griffin.
This July 1962 photograph shows bowling couples, from left to right, Richard Greeson, Roberta and Howard Langston, Helen and Duke Jennings, and Roy and Arah Bruce.
Bowlers (from left to right) Evan Bowman, Robert Bowman, Duke Jennings, Don Stultz, J.L. Salmon, and Howard Langston were sponsored by Clemons Bros. Furniture and led their Monday night league in December 1962.
This unidentified lady is focused on that all-elusive strike. Let's hope she didn't chop the spare. Maybe she even bowled a ham bone.
These men were league leaders in January 1963. From left to right: Jimmy Peace, Cebo Colbert, Ray Giles, Fuzz Day, Earl Barfield, and Howard Langston. The team was sponsored by Trion Texaco.
These men were sponsored by Pennville Hardware. From left to right: unidentified, unidentified, Nathan Daniel, Peter ?, Cotton Jackson, and Babe Willingham.
The Trion Dry Cleaner's team included Bob Allen, Bo Sprayberry, Charles Eichelberger, Gerald Clarke, Slats Barfield, and Charles ?.
Charles Barrett won the top prize in the first Midway Lanes Tournament sponsored by Clemons Bros. Furniture in March 1963. Barrett received a "deluxe console TV" and various trophies in the doubles and team categories.
Barrett takes a break after the competition.
Other winners in the 1963 contest included (not in order) Max Jones, John Mellon, Corbin Whitfield, Clay Jennings, Gene Day, Billy Garrett, Earl Alred, and Cordell Powell, among others.
Cordell Powell was regarded as an excellent bowler by his teammates and others at Midway Lanes.
The Coca-Cola team included (third from left) Duke Jennings. Others are unidentified.
From left to right: Daphine Busbin, Geraldine Ware, Kathy Tucker, Joyce Palmer, and Gerry Ware.
These league champion bowlers included Kathleen Sprayberry, Louise ?, Ann Hayes Bennett, and Roberta Langston. Photograph circa 1965-66.
The league championship patches indicate this photograph was also taken around 1966. From left to right: unidentified, unidentified, Betty Jean Strange, Florence League, and Marlene LeCroy.
Another team photo shows, from left to right, Florence League, Peggy ?, Mary ?, Pat Rutherford, Alice ?, and Dot Maxwell Stowe.
First names are, left to right, Elizabeth, Pat, Gertrude, Polly ?, ? and Jo Ann.
This picture shows several women featured in the previous photograph: Elizabeth, Gertrude, Brenda (?), Jo Ann, and Pat. Looks like they won a championship. I'm guessing this photograph was taken around 1965-66.
If you can add more names to the above captions, please contact me and I'll be glad to update them.
Midway Lanes was destroyed by fire in March 1966 after these last photographs were taken and was never rebuilt. Yet another venue of fun vanished in Chattooga County, never to return.
Photographs by T. Emmett Nunn. Courtesy of Betty Morris Rice and Chattooga Library. Information from the Trion Facts.