Joseph “Uncle Joe” Thum was born in Baden, Germany. After coming to America in pursuit of work at age 18, he began working at a German restaurant at 401 Greenwich Street, in the Tribeca West Historic District.[16] After failing to produce significant profits, the restaurant’s owner gifted it to Thum,[17] who managed to turn large profits from the establishment within a couple of years. Seeking recreation, but with no time to leave his restaurant, Thum built his first bowling alley in the basement, equipped with kerosine lamps.[18] It was the earliest version of the modern bowling lane.[15] While there were no waxed boards or fancy trimmings, the sport became a hit.
As Thum’s bowling began to spread, more bowling establishments began to open throughout New York City. The United States Bowling Club was formed, with Thum tapped as its chief organizer.[19] This led to the creation of the United States Bowling Congress in 1895, which standardized bowling rules throughout all professional alleys.
Article in the February 17, 1900 edition of the Evening World citing Joseph Thum as an “expert” in bowling.[20]
In 1901, Thum opened another bowling alley on Thirty-first Street and Broadway, calling it "The White Elephant." He became president of the United Bowling Clubs of America and of the International Bowling Association. He acted as captain of the American bowling team which competed in the world's championship tournament at Stockholm in 1929.
He died on January 10, 1937, due to declining health conditions. By the time of his death, his efforts to expand the sport of bowling throughout New York City resulted in over 7,000,000 people playing the sport.[14]
