Autumn Mowery — The Kind 50

Autumn Mowery, smiling, with sunglasses pushed up into her hair, in front of green trees and a blue sky.

keeping ellsworth rolling

Autumn Mowery’s signature, in white script.

Antique pin-setting machinery, its wooden pins lined up on the rails.

A black-and-white view down the length of the alley, with a row of pin-setting machines on each side.

Autumn Mowery grew up bowling in Ellsworth’s historic candlepin alley, a community hub since 1974.

At 17, she started working there, fascinated by the antique pin-setting machinery.

Candlepin bowling pins standing at the end of a polished wooden lane, one of them knocked over.

Three pairs of worn rental bowling shoes, numbered on the heels, above a shoe sole.

Autumn Mowery sits between rows of pin-setting machines, smiling at the camera.

The Ellsworth candlepin alley at night, its neon “Bowling” sign lit above the entrance.

only two of the twelve lanes worked

Ellsworth Alley needed a win

Business was slow. The alley was at risk of closing for good. That’s when Autumn stepped in, eventually taking over the business herself. In her first few months she faced storm damage, mechanical issues, and then the COVID-19 pandemic.

A pin-setting machine’s chain and sprocket, close up.

Into the thick of it

Autumn became the alley’s very own mechanic. From fixing machines older than herself, to getting hit while resetting pins, none can argue that her blood sweat and tears went into maintaining the alley.

The story spread and
support rolled in

$25

My mom bought her first bike in ‘46 from the money she and her friend Elma made setting pins at night. I am making this donation in her memory. Good luck Autumn.

$500

You go girl!! Wonderful to have a young savvy mechanic in our town.

$250

I’m not donating to a bowling alley, but rather to a community and all the good that this place does for the people of the area. Every community needs an Autumn. She is a treasure to Ellsworth.

A bowler in a cowboy hat sends a ball down a dimly lit lane.

$350K+

donated to keep the ball rolling

Autumn Mowery bowls in a bright alley; a caption reads “Over $300k raised to save historic candlepin bowling alley”.

300,000 and counting

Today, all 12 lanes are up and running. The alley’s busier than it's been in years. With their profits, Autumn provides free community breakfasts and group therapy sessions.

For Autumn, it’s always been about more than candlepin bowling. It’s about giving her community a vibrant place to come together.

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