Franklin Lanes Opens

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Franklin Lanes opened on March 28, 1942. Since World War II had commenced, the owners of Franklin Lanes had to receive special permission from the government to finish construction. It cost $135,000 to build. Since construction had already started before the war, permission was granted. Original owners lived in Chicago: Gabriel and Tony Augustino, Louis Petronio, and Orazio Richhuito.

There were no automatic pinsetters at the time. Instead, pinboys would pick up the pins and return the bowling balls.

Ten Fun Facts about 1942

  1. Franklin Lanes opened on March 28, 1942. Due to World War II, any construction project required special permission to commence. Because Franklin Lanes was already well underway in construction when the war started, we were given special permission to finish.

  2. Casablanca Premiered – The legendary film Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, premiered in November 1942. It remains one of the most celebrated movies of all time.

  3. The Jeep Became a War Icon – The Willys MB, known today simply as the Jeep, became a crucial military vehicle during World War II. It was mass-produced in 1942 and later became one of the most recognizable off-road vehicles in history.

  4. The First Nuclear Reactor Was Activated – On December 2, 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi and his team at the University of Chicago conducted the first controlled nuclear chain reaction, a key milestone in the Manhattan Project.

  5. Evansville Shipyard – Evansville became home to the “world’s largest inland producer of ocean-going ships.” The Navy built Evansville Shipyard on 40 acres of land on the city’s west side. Within four months after the plant was first announced in February 1942, production of landing ship tanks (LST) began. By February 1945, Evansville Shipyard produced 167 LSTs. By working around the clock in shifts, workers produced one ship every four days in 1944. Besides shipbuilding, Evansville also played a role in airplane manufacturing, with a factory there producing approximately 6,242 of the 15,683 P-47 Thunderbolts manufactured during the war. The aviation factory was later purchased and operated by Whirlpool Corporation.

  6. The Alaska Highway Was Completed – The Alaska Highway, built to connect the U.S. mainland with Alaska for military purposes, was completed in 1942. It spans over 1,300 miles and was constructed in just eight months.

  7. Anne Frank Began Her Diary – On June 12, 1942, Anne Frank received a diary for her 13th birthday. Just weeks later, her family went into hiding, and her writings became one of the most famous personal accounts of World War II.

  8. The First Gold Record Was Awarded – Glenn Miller received the first-ever “gold record” for selling over one million copies of Chattanooga Choo Choo. This later became a standard industry practice for recognizing record sales.

  9. The Battle of Midway Turned the Tide of WWII – One of the most crucial naval battles of World War II, the Battle of Midway (June 4–7, 1942) was a turning point in the Pacific, as the U.S. dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese Navy.

  10. The Rose Bowl Was Played in North Carolina – Due to fears of a Japanese attack on the West Coast after Pearl Harbor, the 1942 Rose Bowl was moved from Pasadena, California, to Durham, North Carolina—the only time in history the game wasn’t played in Pasadena until the 2021 Rose Bowl, which was moved to Arlington, Texas, due to less Covid-19 restrictions in Texas.