History Question

good information and good point!

DynoDan said:

Don’t know the genealogy/relation, but the old poolhall where I grew up in Wyatt’s hometown (also Ralph G. birthplace) was once owned by the Earp family. 50’s population was 10,000 and had then at least 4 poolhalls (not counting numerous taverns with bar boxes, which were just starting to appear).
P.S. As far as I know, women were typically never admitted in small town poolrooms (the ‘good old days’). It wasn’t until Brunswick came up with the wholesome ‘Family Recreation’ concept in the mid-50s (?) and started installing pool tables in their bowling alleys to attract more women & children (and boost failing revenue) that the ‘general’ public really had free access.

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Thanks for the information about the Earp family and pool halls. The comments about women and children were a good reminder too. When I was thinking of available to all, I meant all social classes, men only. Of course ladies and children didn't belong in a billiard parlor.

I played in a few old pool halls. High ceilings, one or two rows of tables, a bit dark except where the lights were on over a table people were playing on. No women, children, dogs, or juke box, if anyone got a bit loud they might be warned once but if they persisted in rambunctious behavior they were politely but firmly escorted to the door! A slightly raised voice calling for a rack boy was as noisy as things got. Rackers were forever "boys" no matter how old and dignified or decrepit they might be. Adding a nickel to the dime to rack was the gentlemanly thing to do, giving a quarter a rack was being a bit flashy.

The good ol' days when times were rotten! I miss them.

Hu

lfigueroa said:

5,200 licensed *pool halls* in one county and that shows how billiards was more popular?!

And you seemed to have missed that Danny MsGoorty was a 3C player and he was talking about his home room. Of course he'd choose a home room that catered to billiard players. But Chicago and most major cities had a ton of pool tables back in the day.

Lou Figueroa

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I'm so sorry, I seem to gotten confused.