From the U.S. Olympic team, to "Bowling with the Champs," to countless corner bars with a couple of lanes in the basement, Milwaukee has lived and breathed this sport. In the late 1800s, German brewers like Capt. Frederick Pabst and the Uihleins offered bowling in their Milwaukee beer gardens. When Abe Langtry brought the American Bowling Congress here in 1905, "Brew City" became bowling central. Today owning a bowling alley is a labor of love, with good reason. It's the place where you rolled that 700 series, met your wife, and taught your son how to bowl in the junior league. Even in this high-tech, immediate-gratification society, bowling still thrives in Milwaukee. Several old-school lanes still have steady business, and this book is a tribute to the people, the places, and the sport that made Milwaukee "America's Bowling Capital."
Manya Kaczkowski is a freelance travel writer with a soft spot for history. She's been a league bowler in Greater Milwaukee for 25 years. Her work can be found in regional and national publications.