Rocketwhit and the Grayhaven Bowling Alley

[xdet]

I couldn't find any recent posts by Rocketwhit, with the last being three years ago and mentioning poor health. Anyway, he mentioned a bowling alley at Grayhaven that others seemed unaware of, being near the bridge. That bowling alley, my uncle tells me, was out the backside of my grandfather's office there at Grayhaven when he worked for Edward Gray [[who died in 1939) and Gar Wood until grandpa [[Elmer LeSuer) died in 1945. This was his office at Grayhaven, right by the bridge-

If you follow this 1949 aerial map of Grayhaven up to the bridge it'd be on the right.

The bridge area looked like this c. 1944 and the office would have been behind them. [[my parents and grandmothers at Grayhaven)

Hope that clears things up for those wondering about the bowling alley that Rocketwhit mentioned.

[kathy2trips]

Great photos! Was that a public bowling alley BTW? And could you show the link to the original post about it?

[Wheels]

You should post this on the Garwood page also.

[xdet]

Kathy2trips- that original post came from the old forum. Since the bowling alley was part of Gar Wood and Edward Gray's office I doubt it was public. I'm visiting my uncle, the last living son of my grandfather. He was just a kid then but as a kid he'd roam around. So I'll post more late September. They lived on Continental, just up from Grayhaven. You can imagine the adventures a teenager could get into around Gar Wood's family and employees! One was that they'd have him sit up front on one of the smaller 'Gar' boats as they'd test different engines- they had markers set out on Belle Isle for a measured mile and would see how fast they could go. Amazing adventures for a kid from an otherwise 'middle class' family!
The original quote was "Whats up Old_guy ? I could'nt amagine being there while the mansion was in working order, that had to be great. The bowling alley was under the bridge for all grayhaven residents i assume. during my visit no-one lived there." No one lived there as it was an office, at least when grandpa worked there. The link to that whole section is- http://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messa...tml?1220714101
Uncle Bob on Port Drive-

Their home on Continental- it was a multi-family home. My grandparents were the LeSuer's, our Pennsylvania relatives were visiting. Edward Gray was from Pennsylvania too, where grandpa met him in 1906 at Riverside Engine in Oil City then came to Detroit in 1910 to work for Edward Gray at Highland Park. Grandpa worked for him for five years after Gray left Ford in August, 1914.
Grandma LeSuer [[grandpa was Elmer Allen LeSuer- he must have taken the photo), middle back, my uncle Elmer LeSuer Jr., back, right. Uncle Bob, kneeling, right so this photo is c. 1938 or so, Gray died in 1939 so grandpa worked just for Gar Wood from that point on.

[xdet]

I had to look up Port Drive- just off Grayhaven apparently. I'm curious if he used that camera much- and kept those photos! I have an attic to go through with him when I visit in September!

[xdet]

Now this would have to go back to the 'old time Grayhaven' gang- the watchman at Grayhaven had a 'pet pheasant', one tame enough to pet. Tom Pell was the watchman- c. 1940? Uncle Bob was born in 1930 so going by that I'd say about that time.

Back of photo-

[xdet]

You should post this on the Garwood page also.

Wheels, by that do you mean the Garwood posts on the forum? I've posted quite a few there but this seems a little different, it was different time frame- late 1930's to 1945 or so.

[xdet]

If you like reading about this kind of history of Grayhaven and Edward Gray, you'll like reading Hugh Dolan's account of a boating trip with Edward Gray- great story told during the Oral History recordings in the 50s and available on line from the Benson Ford Research Center. All the files are pdf files of manual typewriter copies, a little hard to read so I retyped this one, just the part of his adventure with Edward Gray. To set it up, imagine you're in the Chicago area and you're talking to someone about your background and it's in gas engines. This guy says, hey, I know someone in Detroit who's looking for people with your background. So you go to Detroit and talk with him [[Edward Gray) and get hired. On Saturday he takes you to the power plant area at Highland Park and shows you around. During that time he asks if you'd like to join him on his boat tomorrow [[Sunday-an August day in 1913) for a little outing. I don't think you'd say no, besides, it sounds like fun. Besides, you used to help service boats in Chicago so you know something about them anyway. The rest of the story of Hugh Dolan's adventure, he's a great story teller!

[old guy]

Thanks xdet, that clears up a few mysteries. One night a few of us were invited up to the Fisher Mansion for drinks. At one point the owner of the residence at that time, and I can't quite remember his name took us on a tour of the house. There was a bowling alley in the basement. I have a picture of it somewhere, but I believe it was only one or two lanes. When rocketwhit asked about a bowling alley I thought he might have been talking about the one at the Fisher Mansion. In the two and a half years I was around the mansion I never ventured under the bridge. Now I know. Great photos.

[xdet]

Talked to my uncle today- he says this one was two lanes and he remembers Grandpa setting pins for Gar Wood and friends. They weren't public lanes, just for Gar and the office staff. Probably didn't get used often as during that time Gar was off to Florida, Algonac and other points all the time.