Some people know the name "Gus Young" only because of the street named after him in Edina. Lately, I have received a couple of emails from people asking who the man is behind the name. Here's one research request: Wondering if there is much information in the archives about the life and career of Gus Young, for whom Gus Young Lane in Edina is named. I'm aware that Gus Young's Biltmore Lanes (bowling alley) stood at that site for many years, and I would be interested in any additional information you might have.

Let's start by looking where  Gus Young Lane is today, courtesy of Google maps.

And here's the area when Gus Young owned the Biltmore Lanes in the 1950s.

(I wrote about this area for our regular monthly feature, "Last Glance," in Edina Magazine. See article here in the June 2012 issue.)

And here is an ad from the 1959 Edina phone directory.

I wrote a little about Gus Young for a past exhibit on early suburban Edina:

The name on the sign might have been “Biltmore Lanes” but the Grandview area bowling alley was more commonly known as Gus Young’s. Gus made his claim to fame first by coaching at several high schools, as well as Carleton College and the University of Minnesota. He finished his coaching career at Gustavus Adolphus by dethroning the Hamline Pipers and winning MIAC basketball championships in 1954-1956. 

 “Biltmore Lanes was one of the most modern centers in the Twin Cities at the time,” according to Minnesota Bowling web site, with 32 lanes, automatic pinsetters, and lighted telescores.  In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Biltmore Lanes included a Pro Shop operated by Twin Cities bowling legend, Leo Mann.

“Gus was a decent bowler, but his contribution to the sport went beyond his skills.  Gus believed in the value youth sports, whether it be bowling, basketball, baseball, and since it was the 60’s in Edina, I suppose I should mention hockey… Gus Young died on Halloween, October 31, 1977.  The next year he was inducted into the Gustavus Adolphus Hall of Fame.  The school’s basketball court is named after him, as well as an avenue in Edina. His legacy lives on…” Randy Ooney, writing for www.mnbowling.com.

Unfortunately, that was about all we had in our files. We don't even have a photo of Gus. So with a little intrepid investigation, I found one of his daughters, Margie Sampsell, who told me her parents also ran Southdale Lanes in Edina.  She gladly agreed to find photos and other information about her parents and their businesses. I'll update you with any additions. If you can share any photos or memories about bowling in Edina, please comment here or email me.

2. Operation (Photo) Identification
I posted a few photos from the donated collection of former teacher Del Frederickson, and I'm happy to say most people are now identified.

Thanks to Jim Taylor for providing the names for this photo:
Dennis Hughes was president of the 1969/1970 Edina High School Student Council, and Steve Precht was vice-president. Also in this shot are Betsy Murphy, who was secretary, and Pete Spokes, who was treasurer (both class of 1971). I believe the fellow who is diligently writing is Drick Boyd, who was also a member of this Student Council.

3. Southdale comments
A couple of people wrote about a recent post on Southdale,  From the Collection: Life Magazine on Southdale:

Nancy Hiatt commented: This certainly brought back memories. I lived in Richfield in the 60's, so Southdale was just west of us. One thing I remember was that the shopping center closed on Saturday nights at 6 pm. I loved watching the fishes and the birds!

Chris Rofidal wrote: That was great! I always thought Southdale was first, but now I know different. Thanks for the information!

Thanks to all who comment on blog posts. As you can see, readers can prompt me to dig a little deeper for information, assist us in archiving photos and provide a little validation for our work. It's always nice to know that the blog posts are read.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Last year, I took more than 1,000 photos at my son's baseball games. No, I didn't hold the zero key down too long. Yes, the comma is in the right place. Crazy as it may seem, I did shoot that many photos.

Just so you don't think I'm completely nuts, I hasten to add that I deleted hundreds of them and printed only a handful. But still, the 2009 baseball season is well documented for him and his teammates should they ever want to remember a mediocre finish to a pretty fun year when they were 11 years old.

If only I had a handful of photos for an amazing finish to a history-making season for the 1983 Edina American Legion team. Even though the team won the Legion World Series, the Edina Historical Society does not have one photo of their accomplishment.

And neither has anyone else, it seems. We're still trying to hunt down some photos from former players, the local newspaper and fans. If you have a great photo to share, please contact me. I hope to run a story and photo for our monthly "Last Glance" history feature in Edina Magazine.

On the plus side, we do have the October 1983 issue Edina Magazine (under different ownership) that spotlighted the team on its cover. We also have a DVD of the local cable television station's feature on the team. To make sure the 1983 season is remembered by the community, we have worked with the American Legion, which has been without a building for several years, to get the trophy and flag out of storage and on display at the Wayne Courtney baseball complex.

I'm sure that we'll eventually get photos. Even if there are no action photos, I know some mom or dad made those young men line up with their shiny World Series trophy so they'd always remember their 1983 season.