ABC57 News in South Bend, Ind. covers all of Michiana including St. Joseph, Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaPorte and Marshall counties in Indiana and Berrien, Cass, Van Buren and St. Joseph counties in Mich.
Michigan Pool Halls, 1800s-1960s
Many, many years ago - and lasting thru centuries - hangin out in a pool hall was where men went to get away...from work, from home, from wives.
These little retreats had everything a man could want.at least for the times: cigars, alcohol, munchies, and pool. Nope, no prostitutes, because one of the main points was to get away from the opposite sex.
Sexist? Of course it was.but back then, that was the norm. The men had pool halls & bars, and the ladies had their own clubs, organizations, outings and functions. Even so, women had been playing pool since it gained prominence over 600 years ago! It s not that women weren t allowed in pool halls.it just sorta became a male meeting place for many years until things finally relaxed, making it comfortable for men and women to shoot pool together.