Until 2018, the bowling industry had been in a precipitous decline. However, it is making a comeback. Over 70 million Americans bowled last year. The number of alleys increased over 15% nation-wide since the industry’s low point. The increase is due in part to a shift in the demographic market from traditionally blue-collar to white-collar participants drawn by a nightclub atmosphere.
In Greene County, bowling reached its zenith of popularity in the 1960s. In addition to the leagues run at each alley, the best bowlers represented their lanes in the seven-team Fayette/Greene Bowling League. Both Waynesburg’s Triangle Lanes and Jefferson’s Sahady Lanes sent teams to compete in that league and area tournaments. The best bowler in the area was the owner of Triangle Lanes, Fred Hughes. Hughes, a former football star at Waynesburg High School and the University of Louisville, had several 299 games during league competitions. His team would travel to tournaments around the country. Sherm Roberts of Myrtle’s Townhouse was also considered one of the better bowlers in the area with a high recorded game of 289. In 1969, local businessman Jim Rush rolled the first 300 game at Triangle Lanes. During the late sixties, Triangle Lanes had the following leagues: Monday Night Men’s, Tuesday Afternoon Tea, Equitable Gas, Classic, Civic, Community Women’s, and Saturday Morning Junior. Each team in those leagues were fully sponsored and the results were reported daily in the Democrat- Messenger. Triangle Lanes was originally in “Dotysburg” near the current location of Direct Results before it moved out Route 21 to Rolling Meadows at the end of the decade.
In addition, Carmichaels had lanes at a facility called the Arena. There were eight-team leagues Monday through Friday. At the beginning of the decade, Nemacolin, Carmichaels and Crucible all had teams in the Mid- Mon Valley Duck Pin League. In September of 1959, they formed the 10 pin Southern Greene League. The eight-lane Carmichaels Bowling Alley opened on August 6, 1960. It was at the site that now houses the Carmichaels VFW. (Photo courtesy of Carmichaels Area Historical Society)
Early in the decade, Waynesburg had a second smaller alley called Howard’s Lanes, which had a 10-team league. In 1966, that facility was called Thomas Lanes and had a league that consisted of six teams: Pepsi-Cola, Waynesburg Moose, American Legion, Jimmie’s Lunch, Joe’s Restaurant and Thomas Bowl. The alley was located in the basement of what is now called the Victoria Square Building (Across the street from the Waynesburg Borough Police Station). It shared the space with Roadie’s Pool Hall. According to local educator Mark McCurdy, who was employed as a pin boy at the establishment in his youth, both the pin-setting and ball return were completely manual.
The sport’s popularity continued into the 1970s. In 1972, Ron Lemley of Waynesburg rolled a 299 in Classic League competition at Triangle Lanes. After eleven straight strikes, his final throw left one pin teetering before it finally remained standing. Two years later, Jim Rathburn of Carmichaels competed in both the King Coal and Big East Leagues and earned his Professional Bowling Association card. He carried a 190 average and bowled the first perfect 300 game at the Carmichaels Bowling Arena. That same year, Leona Hennen of Carmichaels maintained a 150 average in the United Methodist Church League at Carmichaels Bowling Arena at 79 years of age. The Sahady Lanes team from Jefferson won the Boys Pennsylvania State Junior Bowling Championship (13-15 years old). Earnie Sahady, Sr., a teacher at Jefferson-Morgan and owner of the alley, coached both the boys’ and girls’ teams from the establishment. The boys won the title in Lancaster by a tremendous 184 pin margin. A total of 3,400 youth teams had competed in the local, regional and state tournaments.