Bowling alleys
| Type | Sports Activity Space |
|---|---|
| Park Section | Midway The Grove Other |
| Built | 1896 |
| Opened | 1896 |
| Closed | 1937 (Park closure) |
Bowling was a feature throughout the years at Olentangy Park. When the first building was built in 1896, it was the only regulation alley in the city. There were two alleys and people could play "ten-pin" and "cocked hat" games.[1] Bowling was one of the few activities local groups and teams could do at the park while it was closed for the season.
After flooding destroyed the original alleys, four new alleys were built in 1898.[2][3] The following year, a wing in the first Dancing Pavilion was closed to have a bowling alley installed. At the time, the Dancing Pavilion was considered the park's north end.[4] Bowling alleys were part of the Boathouse by 1901.[5][6][7]
In the 1902 season, W. E. Josephy showed a new bowling-type game called "Red, White, and Blue" on alley No. 4 during the closing week.[8]
In 1909, a Bowling & Pool building was built at the north end of the Midway[9] but six pool tables and two box ball alleys were put up for sale the same year, meaning the building might have only served that purpose for a year.[10] Bowling tournaments and games were offered outside the park seasons.
The 1913 Flood warped the bowling lanes of the alleys in the boathouse, so they were not included in the building's remodel.[11]
Discrimination Accusations
In July 1902, Rev. J. M. Riddle, field missionary for the Baptist Church, and P. W. Chavous, proprietor of the local Black newspaper, were allegedly accused of being prevented from bowling. The young man in charge of admission to the alley told them the alley was in use. Later, the park employee said it wasn't in use; he said Manager Dusenbury told him not to allow Black patrons to bowl and to do it kindly by saying the alley was in use. The Rev. Riddle and Chavous said Franklin County Commissioner Amlin witnessed the discrimination. A week before this incident, a group of Black patrons were refused entry for the same "in use" reason, even though two lanes were not used the entire time they were there. The adults in the group explained they'd only want to play a single game with the children and were sure those who claimed use of the alley would understand and allow them to use it if they appeared. The management continued to refuse them entry. Rev. Riddle and Chavous planned to sue the park.[12]
Injuries
In 1899, a bowler hit the pins hard enough to make a pin fly into the audience, hitting a man named Felix A. Lane in the mouth and knocking out a tooth. The park agreed to settle all the damages.[13]
References
- ↑ "Olentangy Park Opened." Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 13, 1896. Page 5.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch, May 27, 1898. Page 11.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park: The Band Concerts." Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 9, 1989. Page 11.
- ↑ "Location is Changed." Columbus Evening Dispatch, March 27, 1899. Page 7.
- ↑ 1901 Sanborn Map. Vol. 1 - Sheet No. 63.
- ↑ "Columbus Railway & Light Co." Street Railway Review, 16 (2): 70. Accessed through Google Books https://www.google.com/books/edition/Electric_Railway_Review/VlY_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22shooting+gallery%22+Olentangy&pg=PA70&printsec=frontcover
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, OH), June 14, 1906. Page 2. Accessed through Newspapers.com Clip 1 | Clip 2
- ↑ Red, White, and Blue." Monday Columbus Dispatch, September 15, 1902. Page 9.
- ↑ Postcard. 1916. "Olentangy Park midway, postcard." Columbus Metropolitan Library: Columbus in Historic Photographs, 708O451916. Last modified on December 23, 2021.
- ↑ Classified advertisement, Columbus Evening Dispatch, August 1, 1903. Page 17.
- ↑ Barret, Richard E. 1984. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1, April 1984. Page 11.
- ↑ "Color Line Drawn." Thursday Columbus Dispatch, July 17, 1902. Page 6.
- ↑ "Pin Struck Him." Columbus Evening Dispatch, September 18, 1899. Page 5.