Historic Hood River
Championship Bowling Team
1-3-2017
Notes
Pansy DeWitt’s handwriting can be a little hard to decipher sometimes, but I’ll do my best:
Pansy, Mrs. Clyde Burke, Mrs. Geo. Mellon, Lizzie Mohr Kingdon, Ethel House–Champion Bowling Team. I rolled a game with Harry when he shot 299.
I’m going out on a limb here, but I think this bowling alley was the one in the basement of the building at the corner of 5th and Oak which currently houses Bette’s. We saw a glimpse of it in this photo
I also seem to remember Bill Pattison telling me this is where they found the derelict hulk of the city’s 1920 American LaFrance fire engine which was carefully restored. We’ll see if I got that right.
Charlott
One thing we need to get corrected right from the get go. Lizzie was Elizabeth Katherine (Mohr) Kingdon. Daughter of John Adam and Susan (Schultz) Mohr of Pine Grove. Grew up on west end of Fir Mountain Rd near the stone bridge on 35. Didn’t move very far after her marriage to Forrest Henry Kingdon. Resided in the house still next to Moore packing house on Hwy. 35.
She was very involved in her church and a pillar in the Pine Grove Grange. She and Forrest never had any children.
charlott
Ethel House was also from Pine Grove. Her husband was Edwin House and I am fairly certain that they lived on the south end of Eastside in the big red house that in later years the Myron Weygandt family resided in.
L.E.
I am just glad HHR is back. Three days without is too long.
My Great Aunt Edna was on a bowling team, and I remember when she came by our house after a night of bowling, she was always wearing a red plaid wool skirt.
I wonder who Harry was?
L.E.
Oh yeh…Harry was Pansy’s husband. Sorry about that.
Arlen Sheldrake
go figure, blue diamonds, blue dragons…..wonders of HR….did not think of it back in the day but what was HRHS Blue Dragons all about; ……
memories of the pool hall/bowling alley/bus stop in downtown HR was that it was a "den of evil", to be avoided at all costs per Grandma Sheirbon, WCTU member..
yes, good to have HHR back….
Arthur
Thanks for the correction Charlott. Will change "Krugdon" to "Kingdon".
Pansy’s handwriting is basically a squiggle with an occasionally recognizable letter. I’m sure it helped remind her who these people were, but after 80 years and without a list of possible names, it’s pretty maddening to try to read.
Jim Gray
I don’t remember the bowling ally in the basement, it was on the top floor when I was young.
LMH
E.E. House of Hood River and C.J. Kruse of Portland announced the formation of Blue Diamond Alleys in September, 1920 to be located in the basement of the Highway Auto Garage. The official opening occurred on December 14, 1920 with Mayor Scobee, Truman Butler and Rev. W.H. Boddy in attendance. Advertisements regularly appeared in the HR Glacier. Leagues were formed for both women (White Diamonds) and men
(Blue Diamonds). Challenges were thrown about, tournaments scheduled and leagues were formed. By 1921 there were 300 men and 120 women were enjoying bowling. Bowling alleys were considered to be, as Arlen reports, "dens of evil", so a lot of promotion was done to sure the patrons that the surroundings were well light, had good air circulation and a good wholesome recreational activity was taking place. I was warned in the fifties and sixties about the dangers of the bus stop downtown. I just thought it a great place to buy root beer.
Mary Bartmess Kramer
The bowling alley was first in the basement and then moved to the main floor.
Judy
There is probably someone on here that was a "pin boy " at one time in their youth. Got so much a line, etc.
I know Norm Markham was one of them.
Buzz
Is Norm Markham still alive? He was a tough little football teammate.
Judy
He is & living in a care facility near Roseburg OR. He has total dementia.
His brother lives in Oceanside CA
Buzz
Sorry to hear that Judy. He was tough, but concussions weren’t taken seriously back in the day.
Barbara Parsons
Russ Bakurjian (sp?) was a pin boy. I envied him for having his own job so young and for getting to stay out so late at night. When Rene and Toots Hazeldine ran the bowling alley, my dad Harold Parsons did some of their bookkeeping, and both he and my mother were on bowling teams. I was there the night my mom rolled her ball too soon and clipped the pin-setter before he could hop back wherever pin-boys sheltered. My dad ran down to seemif she had maimed him, but came back saying he said he was ok. I hope my dad tipped him some hazard money.