REQUIEM FOR A BOWLING ALLEY 1953-1994
IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT THIS EDITION OF THE JEFFERSON CITY BOWLING ASSOCIATION YEARBOOK CONTAIN A BRIEF HISTORY OF MIDSTATE LANES (FORMERLY BOWL-A—WILE), SINCE IT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE LOST IF LEFT TO MEFIORY. OUR THANKS TO BILL AND MARGE EGGEN FOR THE HISTORY LESSON ON BOWL-A-WILE LANES, AND TO JAKE AND MARY ANN SCHENEWERK AND JOANN WILDE, SECRETARY, FOR THE INFORMATION ON THEIR OWNERSHIP DURING THE EARLY MIDSTATE LANES ERA. ALSO OUR THANKS TO DON AND DAVE A. SCOTT (A MODERN-DAY FIXTURE AT MIDSTATE), FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE OF THE DEMISE OF JEFFERSON CITY’S ONLY BOWLING 'ALLEY’. WITH DUE RESPECT TO WEST
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THE BEGINNING
The saga of Bowl-A-Wile Lanes began on September 1, 1952 with the purchase of Renn’s Recreation at 321 E. Capital by Bill Eggen and Hubie Neutzler. After operating one bowling season, construction of a new facility to house 12 bowling lanes began on May 11, 1953, at 1816 Missouri Boulevard. Dire results were predicted for a bowling center that far out of town. Due to labor difficulties and other delays, the Grand Opening was held on November 1, 1953. Bowling stalwarts Ray Bluth and Don McClaren of St. Louis were featured in an exhibition match with local bowlers Jim Dyck (former St. Louis Brown's third baseman) and Harold Eggen.
Some familiar league names starting the first week of operation included the Ladies Senior League (later the name changed to the Double Six League), Businessmen’s, Men’s Senior, and the Commercial League. The high men’s single game that first week went to J. N. Nichols with a 239, and V. H. Bradshaw recorded high series with a 622. High single game for the ladies was a 177 by Sid Downs and a 469 series by Mary Emma Schmutz (Boessen).
Bowl-A-Wile Lanes hosted their first Missouri State Bowling Association Tournament in 1956, with V. H. Bradshaw serving as president of the association. Eleven weekends were needed for the 305 teams, 701 sets of doubles, and 1402 singles entrants. Dick Weber of St. Louis set the new state All Events record with a scratch score of 1979. An article in the December 15, 1956 edition of the Kansas City Star stated that the boys from Jefferson City deserve a "pat on the back" for the finest conditions ever in a State Tournament.
After operating for 4 years with pin boys, the lanes were closed in December 1957 for installation of Brunswick Automatic pinsetters. Bowling resumed on Friday, January 10, 1958, with the Commercial League being the first to test the action.
The 22nd annual Men’s City Tournament began on February 8, 1958 with a field of 56 teams.
The 28th annual Missouri Women’s Bowling Association Tournament opened here on October 25, 1958 with Ethel Miget, holder of the local women’s record single game of 298 and 757 series, throwing out the first ball. A total of 390 teams, 733 sets of doubles, and 1466 singles were entered with the concluding date of December 21, 1958. The highest finish of a local contingent was 43rd place by Busch’s Florist.
On March 15, 1959 it was announced that construction of a new 8-lane addition would commence in 6 to 8 weeks. With the usual delays, the gala opening and open house was held on September 26th and 27th, 1959. The establishment now featured 20 lanes, air-conditioning, inter-com system, and ball drilling equipment. Stan Gifford, one of the earliest to bowl a 300 on national TV was on tap for bowling exhibition and instruction sessions.
The 24th annual Men’s City Tournament opened on February 6,1960 with record 80 teams entered. All time tournament records are listed as: Buescher’s team score of 3222 set in 1955, doubles Combination of George Whitley and Jim Graves a 1384 posted in 1953, and a 741 singles series rolled by John Koester in 1940.
After operating for 10 years as a "beer only" establishment, the Tiki Lounge opened on March 11, 1963, serving mixed drinks on the premises for the first time. To say it was an "instant success" would be an understatement.
The last major renovation of Bowl-A—Wile Lanes occurred in the summer of 1964. The first 12 lanes were replaced with Brunswick Corporation lanes that had been repossessed from the state of West Virginia after only one year of use. According to John Ott (a professional resurfacer from St. Louis),
these were the finest "boards" he had ever had the pleasure of sanding. Included in that 1964 up—dating were new masking units, tele-scores, ball returns, bowler’s settees and scoring chairs. All, of which, I may add, were still in place as of the closing.
The Bowl-A-Wile annual Match Game Tournament (a prelude to the Miller Shootout) was inaugurated in April 1964. The results of the first tournament are not available, but in the 2nd Annual in April 1965, first place honors went to Don Scott, followed by Mike Tomlin, Stan Phillips and Dave Presley. According to the Knights of Columbus "Mariner" of December 1965, the finest and largest K of C State Tournament was held at Bowl—A—Wile Lanes in November 1965. Local winners were 1st place Team: Eggen Jewelers, 2nd
— Concrete Foundations, and 3rd — Fechtel Stag. Doubles: 1st - Bill and Harold Eggen, 3rd - Clete Rackers and Don Schnieders; 1st place in All-Events was taken by Charles Dudenhoeffer.In the Men’s City Tournament of 1966, Paul Johnson rolled the highest game in tournament history with a 290. A product of Bowl-A—Wile Lanes Junior Program, "P. J." has been a fixture behind the counter for 29 years. His 709 singles total eked out Mike Veit’s 702.
In February 1969, Mike Veit established a new series record for Bowl-A-Wile Lanes’ league bowling with a 746. Mike hardly survived a Viet Cong ambush 2 years earlier and was home on leave awaiting a medical discharge from the Marine Corps.
After a great run of 21 years at 1806 Missouri Boulevard, Bowl-A-Wile was sold to Jake Schenewerk of Midstate Oil Company on March 1, 1974. The name was then changed to Midstate Lanes.
It is with much regret and sadness, that we watched the demise of an "old friend" in May 1994.
Written and compiled by Bill and Marge Eggen.
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THE SAGA CONTINUES
AFTER THE PURCHASE OF BOWL-A-WILE BY MIDSTATE OIL COMPANY FROM EGGEN AND NEUTZLER, EDGAR ‘JAKE’ SCHENEWERK UNDERTOOK TO REMODEL THE FACILITY. THE SNACK BAR, WHICH HAD EXISTED, WAS REMOVED AND VENDING MACHINES WERE THEN INSTALLED. ALSO, DURING THIS PERIOD OF REMODELING, THE LOUNGE AREA WAS ENLARGED. DON SCOTT (DAVID ALLEN’S BROTHER) WAS MANAGER AT THIS TIME. DON MANAGED THE HOUSE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS BEFORE MOVING TO MOUNTAIN VIEW TO TAKE OVER HIS OWN CENTER. DURING HIS TENURE HERE, HOWEVER, HE BOWLED HIS FIRST 300 EVER DURING THE ANNUAL CITY ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT. ALSO, DURING THIS TIME BILL EGGEN BOWLED HIS FIRST 300 GAME.
IT WAS 1980 WHEN A DISCUSSION BROUGHT ABOUT WHAT WAS TO
BECOME THE PREMIER SCRATCH TOURNAMENT IN Jefferson City. JUST WHO IS THE FINEST SCRATCH BOWLER? TO DETERMINE THIS, WHAT IS NOW KNOW AS THE MILLER LITE SHOOTOUT WAS BEGUN AND HAS OCCURRED ANNUALLY FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, MIDSTATE LANES HOSTED THE MENS STATE TOURNAMENT TWICE. THE WOMENS STATE TOURNAMENT ONCE AND WAS THE SITE OF THE VERY FIRST STATE WOMENS SENIOR TOURNAMENT.THE EVER INCREASING SCORES HAVE SINCE ECLIPSED MANY OF THE EARLY 'HIGH' SCORES BY BOWLERS USING UP-TO-DATE EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUE. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY 300 GAMES, 299’S, 298’S AND 11 IN-A-ROW AWARDS EARNED, TOO MANY TO LIST. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SEVERAL 800 SERIES SHOT WITH THE HIGHEST KNOWN TO BE 823, BOWLED BY MITCH ROBERTSON IN
91-92.ONE 800 OF NOTE, HOWEVER, WAS BY GLENN DAVID MCFANN, A COLUMBIA BOWLER COMPETING IN THE SHOOTOUT A FEW YEARS AGO. DAVE SHOT HIS 800 ACROSS THREE PAIRS OF LANES, CAUSING THE ASSOCIATION SECRETARY TO PERFOM THE REQUIRED DRESSING INSPECTIONS ON ALL SIX LANES AS REQUIRED BY ABC AT THAT TIME. AND DAVE WAS NOT EVEN A MEMBER OF THE JCBA AT THAT TIME. SINCE HE BOWLED SO WELL AT MIDSTATE, HE SOON BECAME A REGULAR BOWLER IN TOWN.