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Star Lanes Bowling, 219 E. Third St., was opened in late 1961 in the former Fox Midwest Crane Theater. The Carthage Evening Press on April 15, 1961 shows a photo of the new floor being laid. It was mentioned that once the floor was laid, Brunswick would be coming to install automated pin-setting equipment and new bowling lanes.
Before Star Lanes opened, residents would frequent Carthage Bowl at 510 Grant Street. It closed when Star Lanes opened. Carthage Bowl was host to multiple bowling tournaments and league scores were consistently posted in The Carthage Evening Press. One ad for Carthage Bowl in early 1960 stated that every afternoon was “open bowl” for the family starting at 1 p.m., except for Wednesdays and Saturdays and included Sundays.
Carthage has seen a multitude of theaters over the past 100-plus years and one of the most popular was the Crane Theater. When the Cranes purchased the old Harrington Hotel site in the 1920s, the family opened the theater next door. When the theater first opened around 1922, they boasted about having a “Mammoth $20,000 Hope-Jones Orchestral Organ” that would be played during silent films. Around 1930, an article in the Jasper County Democrat was written about Vitaphone reps in Carthage confirming the installation of sound equipment so “talkie” movies could be shown.
The Crane was dedicated to bringing movies to this area quicker than any other. In January 1924, the movie “Long Live the King” starring Jackie Coogan came to town. The ad in the Press on January 5, 1924 boasted the fact that this movie was being shown in Carthage before it even premiered in theaters in Joplin, Wichita, and Kansas City. Because they were able to get this movie so early, they had to increase the admission for adults from 25 cents to 30 cents and children’s prices would remain at ten cents.
The theater did not only show movies. They hosted battle of the jazz band events, fiddle contests, The Missouri Pageant and hosted special appearances by a wide array of individuals. One special appearance was made by the “San Antonio Siamese Twins.” Daisy and Violet Hilton were joined at birth and would travel around the country with a musical program. The Carthage Evening Press on July 2, 1930 announced that “all Carthage twins and triplets admitted free!” The paper was loaded with ads from Carthage merchants about the special event.
Even though the theater is long gone, Star Lanes bowling alley is still a popular spot. Leagues bowl there consistently and many people enjoy hanging out at the lanes. Summer hours are in effect now.
Sources: The Carthage Evening Press, Jasper County Democrat, Images of America Carthage Missouri, Michelle Newton-Hansford.
Wade Utter is a columnist for The Carthage Press
Zooming In! is a column dedicated to the history of Carthage. Every Wednesday since July of 2009, Wade Utter has photographed and exposed the history behind new and century-old structures in the Carthage area.
