// TALES FROM SHEET NINE


Small clubs in Wisconsin rich in curling history


By David Garber, U.S. Curling News Columnist, dj.garber@tds.net


dedicated ice. Tis county in particular, and Wis- consin in general, is a curler’s paradise, with 24 dedicated ice facilities, one arena club, and two outdoor clubs, all hosting bonspiels of one sort or another. Most Wisconsin curlers can find many bonspiels within an hour’s drive. From 1959 through 1971, curling was an official letter sport at 29 high schools, only to be dropped, along with skiing, because too few schools fielded teams af- ter a new minimum standard was established. Te Lodi Enterprise featured an article about


C


the origins of curling in Columbia County, part of which is reprinted here. Curling began in Columbia County, Wiscon-


sin, in Dekorra in January 1857 reaching Lodi in the early 1860s. In March 1879 the Lodi Valley News mentioned a “roaring game” on Brown- rigg’s mill pond including Lodi players. Te Val- ley News also mentioned playing on Foot’s duck pond, which was in back of St. Patrick’s Church. In December 1880 the curlers organized the


Lodi Curler’s Club and J.O. Eaton was elected president. Tey played teams from Poynette, Por- tage, Dekorra, and Arlington. Local sawmills made curling stones sawed out


of poplar logs or oak just trimmed up a little but plenty of rough bark remaining. Te iron handles went clear through the stone so a depression was whittled out of the bottom for the bolt head or nut. Tese were stored in the summer in the pond to preserve the wood. Ten they were retrieved for curling season being a perfect balance of a water-absorbed wood block. Te first purchased curling stones were cast


iron curling blocks from Portage in 1880. Each block weighed 35-40 pounds each with a conve- nient handle screwed into the top. In 1887 granite blocks were used, although the quality of Wis- consin granite did not match Sottish blue hone. A new one-sheet rink opened in January 1922


olumbia County, Wisconsin, is a ru- ral place a half hour north of Madi- son, with five curling clubs, each with


with 57 club members. In December 1926 the curling rink house roof collapsed because of the weight of snow and ice. Te curlers got to work right away to repair the damage at a cost of $275, and re-opened a month later. Curling continued to be very popular and in


1948 the Lodi curlers purchased a Truax Field mess hall, surplus army property, 160 feet long and 33 feet wide for $2,273. Most of the building, in 20-foot sections had to be hauled to the Lodi Fair Grounds. Te curling committee included Roy Fisk, later of Alaska. As proved to be a suc- cessful model in Midwestern towns, the commit- tee had negotiated with the Lodi Fair Association to make a large building a combination 4-H ex- hibition hall and curling rink. Curling started in this new building in the winter of 1948-49 with two sheets of ice, a warm spectator room and 55 club members. In 1949 new stones were purchased for $960.


Tey were hewn from rock on a small Scottish is- land (Editor’s note: sounds like Ailsa Craig). Curl- ing also was added to the curriculum as a regular Lodi High School winter sport. In 1953, 11,000 feet of pipe was laid in the rink


FXUOLQJ VKHHWV WR PDNH DUWL¿FLDO LFH 1RZ WKH curlers were assured of continuous curling from December to April without the frustrating sched- ule upsets due to thaw and soft ice. In 1962 the John Steele rink of Lodi High


School won the fourth annual Wisconsin Inter- scholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) State High School Curling Championship. The team included Steele, John Cook, Steve Cobbs, and Dale Dolson. The Lodi Lauries (the Women’s Curling Club)


ZDV RI¿FLDOO\ RUJDQL]HG LQ )HEUXDU\ ZLWK /XFLQGD 1HOVRQ 0DULH +DEHUPDQQ 0DU\ &RRN and Vivian Packard. ,Q


RQH GR]HQ EURRPV FRVW DQG


PHPEHUVKLS GXHV LQ ZHUH IRU PHQ DQG IRU ZRPHQ The current curling building was built in the


fall of 2007. So concluded the Enterprise description of the GHYHORSPHQW RI FXUOLQJ LQ /RGL 7KH HDUO\ FXUO-


A copy of the USA Curling Annual Report


for fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015) is now available to download in PDF format. We hope to provide a 2016 edition aſter the audit is completed.


USA Curling (( 31


ing, word has it, resulted from a surfeit of Scottish immigrants, PDQ\ RI ZKRP IDUPHG DQG PLVVHG WKHLU IRU- PHU FROG ZLQWHU DFWLYLW\ ,W VHHPV WKDW FXUOLQJ was less expensive on duck ponds using wooden VWRQHV WKLV IUXJDOLW\ FDUULHG RYHU IRU PDQ\ GH- FDGHV DV FXUOLQJ UHPDLQV LQ PDQ\ SODFHV D QR- WDEO\ LQH[SHQVLYH SDVWLPH 7KH WZR VKHHW FOXE LQ 6WHYHQV 3RLQW P\ KRPH


FOXE XVHG WKH VDPH OD\RXW SODQ DV FOXEV LQ *UHHQ %D\ 7ZR 5LYHUV DQG 3RUW (GZDUGV 7KHVH FOXEV ZHUH EXLOW LQ WKH


V IRU DERXW GXU-


ing a mini-boom for curling, which included the northern Illinois and other areas. 6LQFH WKHQ *UHHQ %D\ KDV H[SDQGHG WR WKUHH


sheets; Port Edwards, with support from its land- lord, the former Consolidated Papers, was moved VHYHUDO PLOHV HDVW WR :LVFRQVLQ 5DSLGV UHPDLQ- LQJ DV WKH 7UL &LW\ &XUOLQJ &OXE DOVR LQFOXGLQJ 1HNRRVD KRPH RI 2O\PSLDQ 0\OHV %UXQGLGJH and expanding its club room but still two sheets, DV LV 6WHYHQV 3RLQW VDGO\ WKH 7ZR 5LYHUV /DNH- VKRUH FOXE IROGHG DERXW \HDUV DJR Credit: Lodi Enterprise


Editor’s note: Te five Columbia County clubs


will once again host the United States Senior Men’s Curling Association National Bonspiel this winter.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32