| |
Notes from the Wildwood Historical Society
Located at 3907 Pacific Ave. in Wildwood.
609-523-0277
SPRING HOURS 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Closed Sundays and National Holidays
Over the last few months we have stirred up some old memories about various establishments
that were popular on our island during the 50s. There were places like Marsh’s
Bakery and the Tom Cat Restaurant. At one point, I had mentioned if anyone remembered
the Crest Pier Bowling Alleys. Being a Wildwood kid, I don’t remember much
about them, but I heard from some “Crest kids” who told me all about it.
Don Grosse, WHS Class of 1957, from Florida wrote me in detail about his experiences
there. He said growing up in the Crest, “The Pier” was a second home to them. If you
weren’t going to the boardwalk, you were going to the Pier. It was also a great way to
pick up some quick spending money by setting up pins. According to Don, “Their regular
guys would take a break and the manager, ‘Jelly’, would let you set up pins. It paid seven
cents per person per game and when the bowlers were done, they would throw some
change down the alley to you, maybe as much as fifty cents. If you were real lucky, you
could ‘jump lanes’ and handle two lanes at the same time and make twice as much. Of
course, if it were a slow night, you would only make enough for the pinball machines and
maybe an ice cream cone. You could also go into the Ballroom for dancing or Amateur
Hour.”
By the late 40s and 50s, the alleys were warped and the building had settled so the ball
didn’t always run true. There was no air-conditioning in those days, so behind the alleys
were windows that the pin boys would open. Don said, “Being the wise-guys that we
were, on occasion, we would try to roll the ball hard enough to fly out the open window.
The pin boys would complain and Jelly or Chief Murray, the owner, would holler at us.
Those were great days!”
Another “Crest Kid” that I heard from was Larry Berardelli who now resides in Pennsylvania.
He recalled that there were about ten alleys and a jukebox that was rarely quiet.
One of his first part-time jobs was setting up pins. He concluded with “Those fun-filled
days have long ago surrendered to automatic pin-setting machines. So, yes, I remember!”
I also heard from Bill Mitchell. I had put out an “SOS” for names to go with a Wildwood
High School graduation photo of the Class of 1962 that was donated by Joan Bransfield
Graham. Thank you Bill for taking the time to name all of the graduates for the museum.
Whenever possible, we like to put names to the faces of the people in our photographs.
Also, if anyone has any special memories about Ganser’s Bakery on Pacific Avenue or
“Snuffy’s Luncheonette” in Wildwood Crest, I would like to hear from you. E-mail me
at wildwoodhistoricalsociety@hotmail.com. If you happen to have a photo of Snuffy’s,
please share it with us.
Just a reminder - the museum will be hosting their Annual Post Card Show on April
17. This year we have decided to incorporate a second event. We are planning to hold a
one-day symposium honoring women who are in the military or have been in the military.
The free event will be open to the public, especially to present or former servicewomen.
It will be called “A Salute To Women In The Military.” Drop by to meet some ladies
that have served our country, take a look at the post cards, and enjoy the refreshments.
Until next time . . . . . be happy and be well!
PRESIDENT OF WILDWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
|
|
