8 min
Rolle Bolle Audio Oral History | Clip 3 | Dick Claeys Iowa Valley Scenic Byway Audio Tour
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- Places & Travel
Rolle bolle, a game similar to bowling or bocce, originated in Belgium. Rolle Bolle was brought over to the United States by Belgian immigrants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Early players originally played on on-farm dirt courts before introducing it to Iowa towns. There are just a few locations where the game is still played in the United States and many of those locations are in Iowa, mainly in small towns and communities along the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway, including Victor, Belle Plaine, and Ladora.
Rolle bolle has become an endangered sport. The 1950s was the game’s “golden years” in Iowa and many express concern that it isn’t being passed down to younger generations.
Throughout the summer of 2019, Iowa Valley RC&D and Marie Culpepper interviewed and met with players in these rural Iowa towns throughout the Iowa Valley region. The interview subjects are all rolle bolle players who have a profound interest in sharing the history of the game, which includes their personal family histories and stories.
We are sharing these stories in celebration of the game and to preserve its history in hope that future generations will pick up a bolle.
Interviews: Marie Culpepper, Iowa Valley RC&D and Jessica Rilling, Iowa Valley RC&D, Photography: Jessica Rilling, Graphic Design: Julia DeSpain, Iowa Valley RC&D
Rolle bolle, a game similar to bowling or bocce, originated in Belgium. Rolle Bolle was brought over to the United States by Belgian immigrants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Early players originally played on on-farm dirt courts before introducing it to Iowa towns. There are just a few locations where the game is still played in the United States and many of those locations are in Iowa, mainly in small towns and communities along the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway, including Victor, Belle Plaine, and Ladora.
Rolle bolle has become an endangered sport. The 1950s was the game’s “golden years” in Iowa and many express concern that it isn’t being passed down to younger generations.
Throughout the summer of 2019, Iowa Valley RC&D and Marie Culpepper interviewed and met with players in these rural Iowa towns throughout the Iowa Valley region. The interview subjects are all rolle bolle players who have a profound interest in sharing the history of the game, which includes their personal family histories and stories.
We are sharing these stories in celebration of the game and to preserve its history in hope that future generations will pick up a bolle.
Interviews: Marie Culpepper, Iowa Valley RC&D and Jessica Rilling, Iowa Valley RC&D, Photography: Jessica Rilling, Graphic Design: Julia DeSpain, Iowa Valley RC&D
8 min