Post by exmassduckpinner on Apr 19, 2011 22:04:44 GMT -5
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To: robin@robinsweb.com
Cc: tudocomprazer@verizon.net
Hi Robin: (I wrote this after I saw your webpage last week 4/2011, great web page)
Steve from Fall River, MA here. I grew up in Middleboro,MA& bowled duckpins for over 30 years mostly out of Lakeville (sorry to see them close but was inevitable as none of the many children of the original 4 brothers that owned it were never interested in continuing that business) and out of Ryan's in Raynham. I also bowled candlepins in NH for 6 years. Although I have stored away my shoes & duckpin balls probably forever, I admit that there are times that I miss duckpin bowling. I want to leave with you some MA duckpin notes and history and some personal observations about why I think duckpin will continue its downward spiral into extinction. Your current list of 4 open to the public duckpin lanes left in Massachusetts is accurate to my knowledge. However there are still a few underground , members only, or non-public lanes still operating here in MA. In Fall River, I believe we still have 2 (not totally sure, I think there was a few lanes in St. Anne's annex)but most importantly for you duckpin historians we still have the 2 original duckpin lanes in the Quequechan Club in Fall River. They are the oldest 2 original lanes on the east coast usa and possibly in the entire country!! They were constructed in 1895 and are still in use today for members only at the Quequechan Club. The Quequechan Club also has the oldest continuous bowling league in the USA and possibly the entire world!!! There are no automatic pinsetters with these 2 lanes, its still done the old fashioned way by a pinboy . My only question to Baltimore area duckpinners is that this 1895 timeline at the Quequechan Club conflicts with Baltimore duckpinners claiming that duckpin started in Baltimore around 1900. I don't know who is right. Did duckpin really get its start in Baltimore or in Massachusetts or is the timeline in Baltimore off by several years?
For any duckpin historian or affection ado who is passing through Fall River, MA, you may want to contact the Quequechan Club if you wish to stop by. It is a members only club but outsiders may be able to convince the staff for a visit or possibly reserve time to bowl a game on this historic property (yes for a few dollars of course, gotta pay the pinboy and the bar staff). Check out their website for more info. Lastly for MA duckpin operations there is still a 6 duckpin lanes located in the Brockton,MA VA Hospital that have been running for decades for patients (or staff who have interest or connections,lol). I believe they are still running. I'm sure there are other underground duckpins in MA but someone would have to e-mail you about this.
Please read my next blogs as to why I believe duckpin will become extinct.
To: robin@robinsweb.com
Cc: tudocomprazer@verizon.net
Hi Robin: (I wrote this after I saw your webpage last week 4/2011, great web page)
Steve from Fall River, MA here. I grew up in Middleboro,MA& bowled duckpins for over 30 years mostly out of Lakeville (sorry to see them close but was inevitable as none of the many children of the original 4 brothers that owned it were never interested in continuing that business) and out of Ryan's in Raynham. I also bowled candlepins in NH for 6 years. Although I have stored away my shoes & duckpin balls probably forever, I admit that there are times that I miss duckpin bowling. I want to leave with you some MA duckpin notes and history and some personal observations about why I think duckpin will continue its downward spiral into extinction. Your current list of 4 open to the public duckpin lanes left in Massachusetts is accurate to my knowledge. However there are still a few underground , members only, or non-public lanes still operating here in MA. In Fall River, I believe we still have 2 (not totally sure, I think there was a few lanes in St. Anne's annex)but most importantly for you duckpin historians we still have the 2 original duckpin lanes in the Quequechan Club in Fall River. They are the oldest 2 original lanes on the east coast usa and possibly in the entire country!! They were constructed in 1895 and are still in use today for members only at the Quequechan Club. The Quequechan Club also has the oldest continuous bowling league in the USA and possibly the entire world!!! There are no automatic pinsetters with these 2 lanes, its still done the old fashioned way by a pinboy . My only question to Baltimore area duckpinners is that this 1895 timeline at the Quequechan Club conflicts with Baltimore duckpinners claiming that duckpin started in Baltimore around 1900. I don't know who is right. Did duckpin really get its start in Baltimore or in Massachusetts or is the timeline in Baltimore off by several years?
For any duckpin historian or affection ado who is passing through Fall River, MA, you may want to contact the Quequechan Club if you wish to stop by. It is a members only club but outsiders may be able to convince the staff for a visit or possibly reserve time to bowl a game on this historic property (yes for a few dollars of course, gotta pay the pinboy and the bar staff). Check out their website for more info. Lastly for MA duckpin operations there is still a 6 duckpin lanes located in the Brockton,MA VA Hospital that have been running for decades for patients (or staff who have interest or connections,lol). I believe they are still running. I'm sure there are other underground duckpins in MA but someone would have to e-mail you about this.
Please read my next blogs as to why I believe duckpin will become extinct.