Day 1143 Pioneers

 

October 1st, 1960 was the official opening day of our beloved Old Mountain Lanes, not September 1st, as the ad would have you believe. Other than the date being a month off, I love everything about this old advertisement. Reading through it is well worth a moment (check out the phone number!).

The bowling alley was my Grandpa's pride and joy... other than his grandchildren, of course. He and two of his good friends had the vision to bring ten-pin bowling to our little town, at a time when there were only about 12,000 lanes in the entire country. Pioneers in the industry for sure, vision and commitment at its best.

The three men formed a corporation (noted at the bottom of the ad), and off they went -  building the bowling alley on a large piece of land on Kingstown Road, with two acres of parking to accommodate everyone who would flock to the lanes. When it first opened, it was operating around the clock. Imagine booking a 3 a.m. bowling time?

With all their early success, they quickly set to work on an addition, expanding the facility to include 12 more lanes, bringing the total to 24! 

My grandfather passed away in 1975, but he spent the last 15 years of his life juggling his day job, running his successful construction company, that built countless homes around town and had even rebuilt our Dunes Club after the hurricane of '38. He served on the South Kingstown Town Council and was deeply committed to his family, his community, and always, to having fun at his bowling alley. He smoked cigars, smiled big and loved to cook Jonny Cakes for us kids when we visited. He and my nana always had cookies for us in a bottom drawer of their cabinets, knowing we'd be looking for them, it was always well stocked. 

Two years after his death, Camden’s Restaurant and Bar was added to the bowling alley — where Tim and I still go often for delicious food and nostalgic vibes. I adored my Grandpa and love that I can still visit his old stomping grounds, now run by Robert Toth, the son of one of his original business partners. Robert has done an outstanding job maintaining the business and seeing it through tough times. 

My grandparents lived on Kenyon Avenue, about two miles from the bowling alley. they had a summer house on Worden’s Pond. Being true Swamp Yankees, of course they wouldn’t dream of having a summer house out of town!

Old Mountain Lanes isn’t just a piece of local history — it’s a living tribute to the passion, hard work, and vision of those who built it, and a place where their legacy continues to shine. My Grandpa is smiling down on his bowling alley, those who continue to care for it and everyone that walks through it's doors and leaves with even bigger smiles.