Bowling Alley in Stamford
West End Bowling Alley
By Karen Cuccinello
This article came about because of an entry I found in Daisy (Rogers) DeSilva’s (1898-1979) Stamford Village Historian notes, book “B”, that are now housed in the Stamford Village Library history room. Daisy was village historian until 1979 and succeeded by her daughter Anne Willis. The following is a mix of Daisy’s notes and information I found.
West End Bowling Alley, situated at 2 South St. Stamford, was built in 1884/85 by John Kedzie Grant (1853-1934) for a creamery. It operated as a creamery for about a year; then Samuel I. Brown (1850-1938) used it as a meat market, then cold storage plant. In 1893 an addition was built on the back and Grant opened it as Grant’s Bowling Alley.
November 16, 1896 Stamford Mirror- The regular weekly meetings of the bowling society, which are held at the West End Alleys every Wednesday evening, are proving a great success and afford great amusement. As the heating arrangements prove satisfactory the alleys will be open to the public every Monday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
In 1898 there was a War Tax of $5 on bowling alleys and billiard rooms. Robert Y. Hubbard was in charge of Grant’s bowling alleys for a couple of years starting in 1901 (he went on to become a doctor). In 1912 and 1915 the alley was used as a voting site. Grant sold the bowling alley in1921 to August Ernest Biallas, who went mostly by Ernest.
Ernest was born February 25, 1873 in Germany/East Prussia, came to the USA in 1903 and filled out naturalization papers in 1917. He was living on Lexington Ave., NYC in his 1917-18 WWI registration card and was a waiter. Before buying the bowling alley he was employed at Churchill Hall. In 1929 a new office and entrance were added on. In 1930 a new portico was added and Biallas planted eight trees from China with rose bushes in between. He gave out silver trophies in 1932. A 1933 advertisement in the Stamford Mirror states – Bowling Makes one stoop and bend and twist. Therefore as a weight reducing exercise, it works miracles with the fat man’s waistline. More than that, the game itself offers such wonderful opportunities for good natured rivalry that it is as interesting to the beginner as it is to the most experienced bowler. The establishment is conducted along high class lines and it is patronized by men and women who are accustomed to proper environment. Come in and inspect the facilities that we have provided in order that you may enjoy the benefits to be derived from Bowling.
May 10, 1940 Catskill Mountain News- Bowlers Play Last Game – The Roxbury bowling team, which consists of Donald Cook, captain, Samuel G. Lutz, Omar J. Griffin, Harrison C. Morse and London B. Morse, played their last games of the season Tuesday evening with the Sheffield’s team of Hobart at the Stamford bowling alley. The Roxbury team won all three games played. There are 12 teams in the league: Roxbury, Grand Gorge, Prattsville, Stamford Merchants, Stamford Hook and Ladder Co., Stamford Hose Co., Stamford Rotary club, Stamford Odd Fellows, Stamford Outlaws, Sheffields of Hobart, Hobart, Newcomers of Hobart. The Roxbury team has won 74 games out of 99 played this season.—Roxbury Correspondent
Before Ernest died in 1942 he sold the alley to Charles R. Mattice (1888-1962) in 1941. Charles remodeled the interior in order to add a fifth lane and also built an addition at the south end in 1945. New lockers were also added and a new seating arrangement provided for players in front and spectators in the rear of a slightly raised platform.
Charles sold the bowling alley in 1948 to Jay F. Wickham (1909-1977), who hired Douglas C. Mattice, to manager the alleys temporarily. In 1953 West End Bowling Alley’s phone # was 4421 and it was managed by “Carkie” DuBois. Parker Utter was the manager in 1955 and one of Jay’s brothers, Gideon Leroy Wickham (1902-1974), rented it from 1957- 1959, then bought the alleys. Gideon installed pin setters in 1962 and operated the alleys until his death in 1974.
In 1975 Audiosears Corporation, of Stamford, purchased the former West End Bowling Alley from the estate of Gideon Wickham to use for storage.