Pinsetter (Bowling Alley Boy)
Before automatic machines, young boys worked as “pinsetters” in bowling alleys. Their job? Dash onto the lanes after each frame, reset the pins by hand, and dodge flying bowling balls from impatient players.
The work was loud, fast-paced, and dangerous—concussions weren’t uncommon. Many of these kids worked long night shifts for pocket change, inhaling smoke and noise. With automation in the 1950s, pin boys became obsolete, but their job lives on in old-timey bowling lore.
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