The date just below this sentence is so you know if you have seen the latest update w/o actually looking through the whole thing..
"This Page last updated on 12/20/12
This history is getting so lengthy, that I have decided to move "Our History" into a "Main Page" catagory, and subdivide the stories by decades.
The start of a Tradition!
The picture is of one of our earliest newspaper ads. Back then, everyone read the newspapers. There were only 3 TV stations (2, 4 & 7) unless you had a really good antenna and got channel 9 (CKLW) from Canada. Back then everyone also actually believed everything they read in the papers and heard on TV (think Cronkite, Morrow, Pyle, etc.). Note the blurb to the right of the picture: "featuring automatic pinsetters and Brunswick Pin-Dicators). Quite a deal, even in 1961. Check out the phone number: ORlando 3-7340. That was the number for Land-O-Lakes. Airway got its phone numbers after we were open.
The pictures below are of my parents, Frank and Ida. These were taken about 1960, at Firebird Lanes. Then, it was known as Huron Bowl. Huron Bowl was originally located at the site of what later became Felice's Market. I was going to school at St. Benedict's, on Lynn St., and had ridden my Schwinn 3 speed Flyer (yeah, I was hot then, too!). Before I even got to the school, I saw a huge column of black smoke rising above the trees. That was the first time in my life that I ever cut a class. I pedaled my buns over there, to witness Huron Bowl burning to the ground. I got to see a steel bow truss twist up in to the air because of the heat. I later learned that it was almost a total loss except that Joe Bonfiglio and Merv Weber (lane mechanic) managed to bust a hole through the back wall and "save" the drill press and bits from the pro shop. (Must have been really important to them??). We still have that press and the bits here, but I digress. Joe, and his father in law, Dominic Mazza, rebuilt Huron Bowl, and operated for many years on Elizabeth Lake Rd., at the site of "Firebird Plaza" (hence, the name). Joe hired my Mom and Dad, because they had reached an agreement to build a new bowling center on M-59, out in the wilderness. They were to learn the business at Huron Bowl, and take that experience with them to the new location.
Frank Benning
Ida Benning
Note the inline ball returns. The telescores were the "Crown Imperial" model, which was Brunswick equipment. The bowler seating was the "inline" bench version, and, "hold your breath" -- they were fiberglass. What a great thing they were back then. They replaced the inline maple slat seating that was prevalent in the industry then. You may have even sat on similar models at Airway. We had two of them in our meeting room for years. I was able to sell them on E-Bay for $400 each -- quite a collectors item. A women drove here from Connecticut to get them.
(L to R) Joe Roerink, Bill Serle, Lee Miller, Will Girvin and Bob Young.
The "new location" was Land-O-Lakes Recreation, situated at the present day location of Salon 59, right in front. Land-O-Lakes was built in 1949. It had the above ground ball return system, as did all centers from that era, and all the up front equipment was Brunswick Crown Imperial. Actually, everything was Brunswick, except for the masking units and the pinsetters, themselves. Those items were AMF. The picture to the right was taken in 1950, and in the back ground is the "counter" area of the lanes. My parents took over late in the 1960-61 bowling season. The previous owners were Lee Miller, Jr, and his father. Lee, Jr, stayed to show my family the ropes of the operation. Lee was laid off in the summer of 1961, and I, at the tender age of 14, became the "pinjumper" for the summer. My "hire in" pay was $ .25/hour. Huge money for a 14 year old. While all of this was going on, the partners were trying to get together with a final plan on what would happen, and where. More to come.
We broke ground in April or May, 1961. There were no blue prints, only sketches. My father and the builder would meet on the site and discuss where a wall would be built - or not. Update: I had forgotten about the banquet room. This was supposed to be a basement equipment room for the HVAC units of the lounge and coffee shop. Dad had to be out of town for a couple of days during the land preparation time. When he returned, what was supposed to be a 10' x 20' equipment room and grown into a 5000 square foot banquet room. He couldn't stop it because the walls (24" concrete) had been mostly poured in to place.) Things would be going pretty well, then a problem would occur that would need my dad's attention, and he would get it solved. While all of that was going on, I would see my mother, Gloria Bonfiglo and Jane Mazza sitting at our house picking out carpet, furniture, paints and appoitments. Of course, the husbands would try to put in their opinions, but as every woman knows, men have no sense of style and they would do their own thing. The men got to pick the equipment. As the building progressed, the pressure to hit the opening day target of September 5th was huge. One huge problem was that the partners were running out of financing because of "mission creep" (that thing that happens where you add things in because it makes sense at the time) and they hadn't installed the pavement yet. Dad, and the paver (wish I could remember his name) had an agreed upon price, and with just a handshake, and a promise from my dad that he would repay as much as he could as often as he could, the pavement was put down. That pavement was in place until about 10 years ago, when I had the whole thing redone. Dad paid it off in 3 years. Update: My wife, Sheryle, just came across the original contract for the parking lot. The construction compnay was named "Oakland Paving Co.". and the were located on 12 Mile Rd, in Berkley. The contractor was Ed White. A note about the contract. It is dated a year and 2 days after we opened for business. The total cost of doing the lot, including excavating, filling grading (to 1/10" inch) compacting and 4" of pavement was almost $6800.00. The cost of redoing it a few year ago was almost 30 times that.
The opening date was met -kind of. On September 4th, 1961, the center, while operational, was not fully "appointed". My parents had a "free bowling day" for anyone that wanted to bowl - all at no charge. The place was swamped. There wasn't a kitchen ready, or the bar, but people bowled - hundreds of them. This was done for two purposes: #1) make the place known to the public, and #2) work out any problems in the pinsetters before the leagues started the next day. The grand opening was the next day, and there was a full league - one mens and one womens, to bowl at 6:30pm. The coffee shop had a limited menu, but there wasn't a bar at all. To make up for that shortcoming, my folks had the Stroh's distributor back up a semi to our fire door (at the end of the concourse by lane 32) and gave away free beer for the whole shift. It was quite a party. Another update: My Mother just reminded me that when we finally had everything opened, they had less than $500 in the building to make change with. There were 3 registers in the lounge, 1 in the quickie bar, 1 in the coffee shop and one more at the counter. 6 registers and less than $500 to stock them with. Mom & dad spent a LOT of time running from register to register to swap out money and make change! At that time, M-59 was a 2 lane road, out in the sticks, but people came from all around. By the 2nd week of the season, Airway had a full 6:30pm shift, and a full 9:00pm shift every day except Monday. One note about those times. I was a porter then, and when the first shift ended, I, and the mechanic or pin jumper would actually run the lanes with the "Lan-O-Duster" while the other guy ran the approaches. There was plenty of time between shifts to get the job done. Starting times were 6:30pm and 9:00pm. Now the starting times are 6:00pm and 9:15pm and there is no time in between. When Airway opened, the competition was Huron Bowl (32 lanes), Primrose Lanes (16 lanes - now the Poker Room that was area Code 313), Howes Lane's (16, where the Clarkston Eagle's are now located), Motor Inn and Pontiac Recreation in downtown Pontiac, plus Westside Lanes in Pontiac. I think they were all 16 lanes. The Orphium bowling lanes, below Orphium movie theater (8 lanes?) closed that year. There was also a 10 laner in Keego Harbor, but I have never heard the name of it. (update from Art pearson. That center was "Spillwood Lanes". I know that it burned down sometine in the '60's. I have heard that the Keego Firechief was killed when he opened the door to the center and it exploded because of the oxygen that entered. That was in the days of lacquer lanes. I think Art watched the maple trees grow from seeds to saplings to lumber for the lanes at Spillwood). Montcalm Recreation had 10 or 14 lanes at Montalm and Oakland Avenue. And, the 40 lane 300 Bowl opened within a week of Airway. 72 lanes were opened in the area, almost at the same time, and they both opened will full double shifts. Coming next - how Airway was named. Update: I had completey forgotten about the 14 lanes that were on the ground floor of the Pontiac Elks Club, That was a members only bowling alley, so it helped with membership. It was in contiuous operation until the club moved to its present location on Scott Lake Rd. The new building does not have bowling lanes - probably too cost prohibitive. Oh, I almost forgot - people used to grouse about the lane condtions (nothing new there!) because some of the lanes were supposed to have part of the Clinton River flowing underneath. That would make for interesting "effects"! Again, update - the Elks lanes opened after Airway did. However, I had forgotten about Sylvan Lanes (sorry). There were two places in Keego Harbor.
I forgot to mention one very cool thing that happened as the business moved from Land-O-Lakes to Airway. My parents, and their partners, only purchased 22 lanes (the actual wood parts), The first 10 lanes at Airway were originally installed at Land-O-Lakes. To get them to Airway, Dad called the MESC and had them send 60 day laborers. He had them lined up, 30 on a side of lane, and with the aid of a 2 x 4 that was slid underneath, those 60 men picked up a lane - and approach, and they carried it to Airway and set them all in place like that. Those lanes were built in 1948. As a testament to how well the lanes of that era were built, and because of the high level of care they got, they were intact until about 1999, when I had the heads (from the foul line to just past the splice) replaced. The other 22 were going to need the heads replaced when I did the synthetic lanes instead.
During the Spring and Summer of 1961, my parents ran a newspaper promotion to "name the new bowling alley and win a $500 Savings Bond". This drew a lot of attention, as $500 back then had the same buying power as over $3600 does today. While Dad placed a few ads, reporters picked up on the story, and it was in and out of the "Pontiac Press" constantly. There was an entry blank in the Press, that people had to fill out and mail to Land-O-Lakes. I remember looking at some of them, although nothing sticks except for one suggestion of Dracula's Den, or something wierd like that.
I asked Dad how he would pick the name and he told me that he wanted something that had to do with Waterford or Pontiac, something to do with aviation as we were near the Pontiac Municipal Airport, and something that would be first in the Yellow Pages listings. (That eliminated Dracula's den).
One of the entries came from a woman that lived on Airway street across M-59 from the Airport. Her suggestion "Airway Lanes". Wish I could remember her name! when my Dad made the announcement of the winner in the Pontiac Press, a reporter came out to take photos and write a column. The winner, allowing us to use her name, would have none of that, and even gave the $500 savings bond to her favorite charity. Dad heard of that about a week later. He went to her house personally,and gave her another $500 savings bond -- then that was in the Pontiac Press for a couple more weeks. All of this (mostly free) publicity helped tremendously with the signing up of bowlers that wanted to bowl at the latest and greatest.
Anyway, that was how Airway Lanes was named, and had nothing to do with the fact that my Dad jumped out of airplanes during WWII.
Next installment: "almost the end of the line"
Civil Defense Sign
A comedian, Phil Dunham, was making light of doing comedy (for 150 people yet!) in the "basement of a bowling alley", namely, "Cool Jerks" Comedy Club. Then he mentioned that the place must have been designed as a fall out shelter. Memories came flooding back to me, and, actually, it was not designed as a fall out shelter. But it once was a fallout shelter -- really! We had been open for just over a year when a U2 spy plane was flying over Cuba and spotted Russian missles in various stages of completion, with the completed ones pointed at the USA. By mid October we were deep in the midst of the Cuban Missle Crisis. President Kennedy blockaded Cuba - an overt act of war - and the entire world watched as the Russian Navy sailed towards Cuba with who knows what all.
As this was going on, Airway was inspected by the Feds, and declared a public fall out shelter. (Note: I rememebred the "Duck & Cover" drills in grade school - and even I knew they weren't going to fool, let alone protect, anyone, even at 15 years of age.) Regardless, I remember the Civil Defense signs being put up at Airway by Uncle Sam. (We're from the Governent and we're here to help you.) There were several of them, but the two I remember were by the front door where the no parking sign is now, and by the banquet room stairs.
At that time, there was no deck off the lounge area, and the entire south wall of the banquet room was glass. The Feds came in and started sandbagging the glass walls. I guess they weren't "protective" enough in case of an actual nuclear blast. While this was going on, companies were advertising that they could construct underground bomb shelters in peoples yards, others were selling supplies of food and water, all sorts of things were being hawked over the airwaves. Those airwaves consisted of channel 2 (WJBK), channel 4 (now WDIV), channel 7 (WXYZ) and, if you had a really good antenna, channel 9 (CKLW) from Canada. That was it folks - you could dial those only, there was nothing else. (Note - again- at that time the national news broadcasters actually broadcast the news as it was. All three US stations had a different slant on any story at any given time, and the Canadians just didn't offend anybody!)
All this drama took a real toll on people and when the Russian Navy made that famous U-turn, the whole world breathed a sigh of relief. Within the next week after that, all the signs were gone and so were the sand bags.
Airway has been very successful since opening in September of 1961. Two shifts of bowling every night, plus 1 - 2 shifts of daytime bowling 5 days a week. The Lounge was doing well also. The only competiton was Firebird Lounge, 300 Bowl Lounge, Del's Inn and the Sand Bar. An anouncement was made by the state that M-59 would be widened to 5 lanes from the present two. I was 17 at the time, so it was sometime in 1964 that this happened. While the project was being conducted, the State closed M-59, to east/west traffic from Cass Lake Road all the way to Airport Road. You could cross it, but not drive it. Business went right in to a tail spin as people could not get to Airway. My Dad, being the proactive sort - and seeing everything he had going down the tubes - took matters in to his own hands. He had a bunch of signs made and posted them at different corners, directing traffic to Airway. I can remember one at the corner of Pontiac Lake Rd, where Mott is now, and another on Crescent Lake and Hatchery, but more were out there. He also put together a coalition of property owners all up and down M-59, and sued the state. His crowning achievement was inviting the road grading crew in to Airway after their shift for "dinner & drinks on the house". Dad quickly cut out the dozer operator from the rest of the herd and got in to a deep discussion about how a dozer is actually operated. He matched that guy drink for drink - except Dad's drinks were 7 Up and a dash of Coca Cola. When they poor guy passed out about 2:00am, my Dad "commandeered" the mans dozer onto the Airway property, drove it to where our north wall is (along lane 32) and proceeded to cut an access road from our lot all the way through the horse farm (Fred's) that was behind us, to Crescent Lake Road. After that, all roads led to Airway, and it allowed the bowlers to return again. Gratefully, some time after that, the courts granted relief to all the M-59 business's by ordering them to make all the driveways available to motorists.
Because of all the turmoil caused by M-59 being closed for an extended period of time, Airway, as well as most of the business's up and down M-59, faced real financial difficulty into the mid-'60s'. At one point, my parents, and their partners, came to the conclusion that some of the bills were not going to be paid. Dad found a clause in the contract with Brunswick that would allow him to return the pinsetters that were installed at Airway. (I don't think that clause is available anymore). Dad contacted Brunswick to come and get their pinsetters - this was during the opening part of the 1966-67 season. Brunswick basically just laughed at Dad and said they would foreclose (which, he suspected, was their goal all along). Dad made arrangements to buy 32 "rebuilt" pinsetters (more on that later), and had them delivered to the old Land-O-Lakes building up front. He also borrowed a fork lift from Benson Lumber, in Pontiac. I was driving the lead car as our mechanic at the time, Casey Comstock, drove that fork lift from Benson's, all the way to Airway. Dad also borrowed Merv Weber from Huron Bowl, for the project. In the next two weeks, Casey and Merv pulled out the original 32 pinsetters and re-installed 32 "rebuilts" - and only disturbed one league in the process. It was done with a lot of planning and intelligence, and working a lot of killer hours. I was in college at OCC, Highland Lakes, and worked two 85 hour weeks. Casey and Merv were working schedules in excess of 110 hours a week. We got them in, got them running, and business went back to normal. I passed phys ed that semester, Merv went back to Huron Bowl as if nothing had ever happened, but Casey was told that he had to give notice that he was done. That two weeks were brutal on his home life and he had to make a choice. None of the other people involved with the install worked those kinds of hours although they did get a lot of OT. Update: Those "rebuilt" machines were actually "stripped, cleaned and repainted" machines. The "rebuilders" took apart the pinsetters in large sub-assemblies. These units were the dipped into a cleaner that removed all of the paint. Unfortunately, it also seeped into a lot of the bearing, removing any grease that was in them. Then the sub-assemblies were all spray painted -- without anything being taken apart. As a consequence, high speed shafts had friction mounted bearing, w/o ANY grease in them, painted into place. The bearings would fail, then the shaft would have to be sanded to allow the bearing to be removed and a new one installed. After a couple of those, that became the focus of the mechanics. A LOT of assemblies were "rebuilt" that way!!
Image:
50 years and counting. The Benning family at the "World Headquarters"
Airway Lanes 50th Anniversary
(Front), Dylan Stewart, Mackenzie Benning Photo from: The Oakland Press (middle) Pin Guy, Emily Stewart, Ireland Benning, Nicole Stewart (back) Sheila Kaer, Gary Benning, Sheryle Benning, Frank Benning
