Detroit Curling Club - Harlem Shuffle

Cool video at:  Detroit Curling - Harlem Shuffle

Even James Cameron Could Not Find Them

In 1974 Mr. John W. Taylor wrote:  “In 1941…a lousy Boche sub sank the ship carrying our stones.  Somewhere in the deep Atlantic lie fifty sets of beautiful Ailsa Craigs.  …we had to wait until the following season for the replacements before we could curl with our new matched stones.”  With those words he launched a legend of a story.  Fact or fiction?  This myth-buster says ‘fiction’.

1)  Oct 1, 1942 The Scots Wha Hae reports:  “In the summer of 41, a syndicate of 37 members provided $1,833.33 to acquire 50 pairs of new matched stones.  These are the stones we played and enjoyed so much this last season” (1941-42).  Conclusion:  We did not wait a season to receive replacement stones.  If the original order was lost they would have gone down in 1941.

2)     Dec 6, 1941 the minutes of the Board of Directors meeting state:  “R. Pearce reported that the new stones were in Detroit and would have been delivered today except for some technicality which will be cleared up the first of the week.” 

3)     Dec 3, 1941 a Scots Wha Hae article states:   “the new stones have arrived in Canada”. 

4)   May 21, 1941 the minutes of the Board of Director meeting:  “Moved and seconded that Robert Pierce, Percy Power and Nate Cornwall be authorized to purchase the new stones.”

There are 26 weeks between the authorization to purchase and the arrival of the stones.  With no e-mail; no fax machines; trans-Atlantic phone service in its infancy…we have to assume it took a few weeks to get the order from Detroit through the dealer in Canada to the factory in Scotland.  It also took a few weeks to ship the stones from Scotland through Halifax and across Canada to Windsor via train.

That leaves about 21 weeks to process the order – 147 days.  In the 1930s and 1940s, according to multiple sources, it would take 2-1/2 man-days to produce one stone from a block of granite.  That means about 250 man-days to produce our order.  At two stones per day, then making 100 stones in less than 147 says is about right.  Our conclusion is that the stones were shipped from Scotland between Oct 15^th and the 1^st of November, 1941.

According to www.uboat.net and www.sharkhunters.com there were 252 ships sunk by between June and November 1941, but only three ships travelling from the UK to Canada were sunk by German U-boats:

·       June 2, 1941 the Michael E.  Travelling from Belfast to Halifax.  Too early in our order process to be considered.

·     June 9, 1941 the Trevarrack.  Left Glasgow, stopped in Clyde on June 1^st and was headed to Montreal.  Again, this was too early in our timeline.

·       October 1, 1941 the oil tanker San Florentino.  It was sailing from Glasgow to Halifax to Curacao.  This is the only sunken ship that could have been carrying our stones.  But, it carried no cargo!!  It was stopping in Halifax only for fuel to continue its trip to Curacao to load up with oil.

·         In November 1941 there were no lost ships heading to Canada from Great Britain.

Conclusion:  There are no curling stones setting on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean that could have belonged to The Detroit Curling Club.

On the other hand, it makes a great story to tell visitors, new members and especially reporters (they love to print it).  So, if you do not tell anyone that the story is a myth then I will not tell either.

Happy Scuba Diving, Angus

Guests Curling at The Detroit Curling Club

Some fun footage here...

Thanks to Mike M.

The Broom and The Bottle

Last week’s James Bond article generated two reader questions.  What is the wooden ‘bowling pin’ in the video used for?  When were push-brooms or brushes first used?

In many curling photographs from Europe we see the use of a tee-marker.  In Scotland they are called ‘bottles’.   In Switzerland they are called ‘dollies’.  Painting the circles is a comparatively recent custom. For a large part of the history of curling the curler played to a house which was only scored in the ice. It was difficult to see from the hack how the stones lay in relation to the tee.

 

The original way of reducing this difficulty was to mark the tee with a movable object, known as the 'tee-marker'. This was usually made of wood so that if a stone were to come into contact with it, it did nothing to affect the running of the stone. The marker had to be small in cross-section so that it took up as little room as possible and high so that it could be seen above any stones that were lying near it. What better shape for this device than a bottle? Hence in many places the 'tee-marker' was known as 'the bottle'.  We thank Bob Cowan for this information.  You can read more at his curling blog.

As for curling push brooms or brushes…We have seen photographs from the 1800s in Scotland that clearly show curlers using brushes.  “The Curler Companion” by W.H. Murray states:  “It was during the 1922 tour that the Scots introduced the long-handled push-brush to North America”.  During this tour of Canada and The USA the Scots visited The Detroit Curling Club in February 1923.  We have photographs and newspaper articles around The Club that show the brush in use by the Scots.

The picture below was taken at The Detroit Curling Club during the 1949 Scots Tour.  Note the HOG line marker on the wall…

From personal experience, it was during the mid-1980s that the brush became popular with USA and Canadian curlers.

The Name is Bond. James (The Curler) Bond

There have been 23 James Bond films over the last 51 years.  The 6^th film – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – in 1969 had a brief curling scene.  George Lazenby played 007 (his only Bond role) and actually threw a couple stones.  The scene was filmed at Piz Gloria a revolving restaurant on the Shilthorn near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.

The name Piz Gloria originated in Ian Fleming's James Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963), wherein the hideout of the villain is Piz Gloria, a mountain-top building containing an allergies investigation clinic. In the movie the location is implied as being near St Moritz.

The movie production team found the restaurant partly constructed, and financially contributed to its completion in return for exclusive use for filming the movie, where the building is shown quite prominently. 

Below are photos:  Then & Now.

 

The curling scenes from the movie can be viewed on YouTube:  Click Here

DCC Members Of The Past

In addition to the Dodge brothers there have been many other prominent Detroiters engaged in the grand ol’ game at The Detroit Curling Club.  Here we list a few in no particular order…

·         George P. Codd, the 42^nd mayor of Detroit 1905-1906 and had been captain of the U of M baseball team. 

·         A.B. VanZandt, General Manager of the Detroit United Railway, he ran the system profitably with a five cent fare. 

·         James J. Couzens, a bookkeeper from Chatham, was a US Senator and mayor of Detroit. 

·         Richard Watson – Detroit City Council. 

·         Alexander Dow was president of Detroit Edison (Henry Ford once worked for Dow at an electrical substation).   Mr. Dow introduced Mr. Ford to Thomas Edison.

·         Divie B. Duffield was involved in just about everything of a civic nature.  A Detroit Library Branch is named after him. 

·         John Ballantyne – a prominent banker.   

·         Walter O Briggs, president of Briggs Mfg. (maker of car bodies) as well as owner of the Detroit Tigers (Briggs Stadium).

·         James D. Hawks, president of the Detroit & Mackinac Railway.

·         John C. Lodge, Detroit Mayor and expressway builder.

·         James McMillan, US Senator.  He was one the first people in Detroit to own a telephone.

·         Theodore Luce, pole-vaulter.  In 1891 he won US Nationals with a leap of 10 ft.  6-1/2 inches and again in 1892 with 11 feet ¾ inches (this record stood for nine years).

·         W.H. Mormley, E.R. Palmer, Don Fraser and George Lawton (Skip) curled at the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid.

The grandest member of all is the curler who pays his dues on time.  Is that you?

Hockey, Ice Skating and Curling at The Club

“Two hockey teams have been formed at the Detroit Curling Club and practice will begin tomorrow night.  The Canadian rules will be observed.  Toward the end of the week a game will have the support of The Club and it is thought that it will become one of the most pleasant features of an evening at the rink.  Improvements to the clubhouse will be made so that the spectators can witness the play from above.

“In the skating carnival at the rink last night Clayton Busch won the gentlemen’s prize and Miss Jessie Parkinson that for ladies.

“Two of the club matches in curling were played yesterday afternoon, resulting in wins for Skips Baxter and Cooney.”

Detroit Free Press December 27, 1896.  This was thirty years before the Red Wings were formed.  At least they curled on the ice before the ice skating & hockey!!!

Sign Me Up in 1900

An article in the February 12, 2013 issue of the Scots Wha Hae read:  “Our new club crest sign is in the works.   At the last board meeting, they approved the committee to interview the two low bidders and select the winning vendor to build and install a new illuminated sign intended to be placed on the front of the building. The expectation is that the new sign will be installed before the annual meeting. Things are looking up!”  This reminded me of…

“January 2, 1900.  Detroit City Council; Sixth Ward.  Resolved.  That the Board of Public Works be and is hereby authorized to issue a permit to Wolverine Electric Co. to construct an illuminated sign, 3x7 feet, between lot line and sidewalk, north side of Forest avenue, between Sixth and Seventh streets for The Detroit Skating and Curling Club.

“Provided.  That said work shall be performed under the supervision of the Board of Public Works, and provided further, that no rights in the public streets shall be considered waived by this permission, which is granted expressly on the condition that said illuminated sign and all obstructions in connection therewith shall be removed at any time when so directed by the Common Council. 

“Adopted as follows:  Yeas:  33.  Nays: None.”

I wonder what happened to the old sign – probably still sitting in Joe’s barn. 

Below is the sign at West Bloomfield.

Sparkling signage to all and to all a good curling, Angus.

Mixed International Bonspiel 1981

'A' Event Winners

Maurice (Skip) & Louise Daniel and Beth & Jack proctor

'A' Event Runners-Up

Rick & Cathy Cote and Pat & Dick (Skip) O'Connor 

'B' Event Winners

Mary & Jim Oliver and Vi & Jo (Skip) McGlynn

* * More Pictures from the 1981 Bonspiel click here * *

Barbie Goes Curling

Many years ago, while searching for curling items on eBay, I found a Barbie curling outfit.  It looked like an old-timer’s curling sweater.  I thought it was rather unique and, obviously homemade, perhaps one-of-a-kind.  So, I bought it and then found a Barbie doll to wear it.  (Why I had Barbie dolls is another…very long story).

In May of 2012 Bob Cowan & David B. Smith posted an article on their blog about Hand-Knitted Curling Sweaters - often referred to as Cowichan sweaters.  Within the article they had a picture of another Barbie sweater.   So, mine (in red) is not that unique.  Perhaps I’ll try to learn knitting so I can make an outfit for Ken. 

Bob & David’s Curling History blog can be found at www.curlinghistory.blogspot.com.

Happy Knitting, Angus

The First Scots Tour to Canada and the USA 1902-03

The idea of a group of curlers from Scotland to visit Canada and the USA had been discussed as far back as 1858.  The prominent idea was to hold friendly games.  The long winters in Canada and the States coupled with the curling facilities in covered rinks afforded these curlers five months of games every winter.  The Scottish curlers had on average a fortnight’s play every winter in the open air when the ice was very often in a rough or soft condition.

The Tour was approved in the spring of 1902.  The organization; the agenda; the members of the team and the clubs they would visit was prepared during the summer and fall of 1902.  On December 17, 1902 the team of 24 men left Glasgow for Liverpool.  Here they boarded the RMS Bavarian…after travelling 9,918 miles they returned to Glasgow on February 28, 1903.  This article focuses on the events in Detroit on January 31, 1903.

The visit to Detroit was mainly due to letters from the President of the Detroit Curling Club and the Secretary of the Ontario Curling Association.  One of these letters stated:  “Detroit can furnish ten sheets of ice, and a game here would probably be participated by the following clubs:  Windsor, Grand Rapids, Sarnia, Toledo and Detroit.”

After their brief experience at the royal city of Windsor the Scottish curlers were ferried across the broad river to Detroit, ‘the cleanest, brightest, neatest city in all the States.’  They had been anxious about their entry into America, for they were told before landing to answer the following questions:   Can you read and write?   Has your ticket been paid for by yourself?  Have you any money?  Have you ever been in prison or in a poorhouse?  Are you a polygamist?  Some of the team members were not quite sure if they could give satisfactory answers to these Yankee queries.  To their relief, no questions were asked has they alighted on States territory.  Their luggage was not searched.  It was a case of “snakes in Iceland” – they had no luggage to be searched.  On leaving Toronto they had been instructed to take as little as possible, and beyond their pajamas and the suit they curled in, they had little additional to cumber their week’s circular tour.  Besides, they did not sleep at Detroit but at Windsor.

The Scotch curlers were met at the foot of Woodward by members of the Detroit Curling Club.  The big special street car named ‘Yolande’ was utilized for a trip around the city.  The journey occupied considerable time, as the Detroit curlers were anxious that the visitors should see as much of the city as possible.  A luncheon was provided with numerous speeches, songs and stories.  The crowd adjourned to the Forest Avenue rinks where the remainder of the evening was spent with ‘stane and besom’.

 “The battle of Detroit went all in favor of the invaders, who thus crowned the week’s circuit with an American triumph.”  Three games were played – The Scots won 24 – 6.

In October 1903 The Detroit Curling Club received a handsomely embossed certificate of thanks from the Royal Caledonian Curling club of Scotland.  This proclamation is framed and hanging in The Club today.  There are very few clubs still in existence today that own one of these documents.  I have seen only one other at The St. Thomas CC in Ontario.

Good Curling, Angus MacTavish                                   

Those were the days, my friend...

Old Time Curlers at The Rookery

When two or more curlers gather for a friendly chat, sooner or later the conversation will be directed to a discussion of certain characters that frolicked on our ice in the days of yore.  As a friendly warning to the current membership, be careful of what you say and do because in another fifty years or more, you may be discussed in the same way.

And so, let’s talk about some of the old boys.  As starters we can consider John and Horace Dodge fresh out of Niles, Michigan, who were making more money that they could spend.  Their idea of a fun evening was to wreck the Ponchatrain bar and then cheerfully pay for the damages the following day.  In all fairness you couldn’t call them the “good guys with white hats” in those days. 

Another favorite haunt of the Brothers Dodge was our own hallowed halls.  A well authenticated story has it that one night, following a close game and while they were relaxing as curlers have always done, one of the brothers decided we should have a new club house.  This seemed like a good idea and so after another hour or so of elbow bending, one of the Dodges took out his ever ready check book and wrote one payable to The Detroit Curling Club in the tidy amount of $50,000.00.  The story should have ended there but it did not.  One outsider in the group – not a Dodge – took the check in hand and after the rink had called it a night, tore same up, probably figuring that brother Dodge had not known just what he was doing and would probably have stopped payment in the clear light of the following day.  This particular boy scout has never been identified, which is just as well, because he no doubt would be remembered today in infamy.  A few days after this incident, the writer of this check dropped dead.  In the light of subsequent events, would the Dodge estate have ever missed this one little item?

The above story is from the unpublished writings of John W. Taylor (Past President 1942-43).  It is printed here for the first time. 

Lang may ur’ lum reek,  Angus

Fox 2 Detroit - Out & About: Curling at Detroit CC

Fox 2 News Headlines

FOX 2 Detroit - Do's & Don'ts of Curling

Fox 2 News Headlines

Where to Curl in Detroit

That depends upon when you lived in or around Detroit…

1832 –   Pine Lake & Orchard Lake:  Orchard Lake Curling Club (wooden ‘stones’)

1843 –   Detroit River:  Detroit Curling Club (iron ‘stones’)
1845 – Milwaukee Junction (near East Grand Blvd & St. Aubin):  Detroit & Milwaukee Railway   employees
1864 –   Woodward Avenue Skating Rink: Granite & Thistle Curling Clubs (iron ‘stones’)
1868 –   Woodward Skating Rink:  Granite CC (covered building)
1868 –   Jefferson Avenue Skating Park: Thistle CC (granite stones from Waterloo, Ont. replaced irons)
1870 –   Woodward Skating Rink hosted The Western National Curling Tournament:  Milwaukee City Club,     Buffalo Queen City Club, Detroit Thistle CC, Buffalo Caledonia CC, Orchard Lake CC, Detroit Granite CC,   Cleveland CC, and Hamilton CC.
1875 –   Peninsular Cricket Club (Woodward Ave original site of the Detroit Athletic Club):  Granite CC (covered building 160 x 35 feet)
1884 –   Detroit Zoo (Michigan Ave. Corktown):  Granite CC, Thistle CC
1885 -    The Granite Rink:  Granite CC
1887 –   Detroit Athletic Club (Woodward Ave.):  Detroit Curling Club
1888 –   Forest & Gold:  Detroit CC
1895 -    Forest & Fourth Ave:  Detroit CC
1898 –   Belle Isle:  Detroit CC (International Bonspiel)
1898 -    Pontiac (not sure where):  Pontiac Curling Club formed
1902 -    Detroit East Woodbridge St:  Detroit Racquet & Curling Club
1916 -    Grosse Pointe at the home of Horace E. Dodge on Lake St. Clair:   Detroit CC
1941 -    Ann Arbor (U of M Coliseum Ice Arena):  University of Michigan
1958 -    East Lansing:  Michigan State University (42 DCC members attended)
1970s – Birmingham Skating Rink:  Birmingham CC
1970s – Southfield (Beechwood Ice Arena):  unknown if a club existed
1980s – West Bloomfield (Drake Rd.):  Detroit CC
1980s -  Jackson:  Cascades CC
Present – Ferndale:  Detroit CC
Outside the greater Detroit area curling clubs have been or still are in:
                Toledo, Lansing, Flint, Midland, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lewiston, Sault Ste. Marie, Port Huron

Can you name another place or two?  Please send us a message.

2013 Men's International Bonspiel

The Bonspiel is ON

“FOURTEEN CLUBS REPRESENTED IN THE COMPETITION”

The Detroit Free Press January 7, 1897

“Unfavorable weather caused the committee of the Detroit Curling Club to advise several of the teams entered in the Bonspiel not to come, but a change in the atmosphere occurred just in time to bring the near-by teams here for the opening.  The Club held off until Tuesday morning before being certain of ice, and then it was too late to reach some of the teams in time to bring them on, yet fourteen are on hand and the play will continue through two more days at the rink on Forest Avenue.

“The ice was made under difficulties and had to be built almost sheet by sheet.  There was not time to flood the place and be sure of its freezing; hence on the opening yesterday the surface was not as smooth as is desired.  The cold of last night, however, allowed the flooding of the rink, and the ice will be all that can be asked when the merry Scots assemble this morning.

“The Bonspiel is the greatest ever undertaken by a club.  The prizes are the finest and attracted some of the best curlers in the United States and Canada.  The curling began late yesterday morning and continued throughout the day.

“Windsor and Grand Rapids have new clubs and the games between the rinks representing them were interesting.  The Windsor club is but two weeks old, and the victory over Grand Rapids will materially help the organizers. 

“There was not only good curling but plenty of fun watching and hearing the curlers.  The play will resume this morning and continue all day.  The rink is located on Forest Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh streets.”

Ed Note:  The drawing above appeared in the Free Press with the article.  It is the only image of the inside the original Detroit Skating & Curling Club that we have seen from the 1800’s.

Good Curling, Angus MacTavish