Letters: Bowling alleys have colorful Columbia history

The plans for a new bowling alley on Main Street reminded me of the numerous bowling alleys that we’ve had in Columbia, not all of the suburban type we know now.

In the late ’40s and early ’50s, there was a duckpin alley on the south side of Blossom Street between Maple and Holly streets. Duckpins and duckpin balls were smaller than the 10 pins and standard balls now in use. My older brother, David, worked there as a pin setter as a teenager.

Although I was only 5, I recall the great fun bowlers had trying to give the pin boys a hard time, rolling balls prior to the pin boy getting out of the way. My brother always managed to get back on the elevated board behind the pins before the balls arrived, but not all of the pin boys were so agile.

My father worried about my brother’s safety until he had bigger concerns when David changed jobs and began driving a delivery motorcycle for Millwood Drugstore.