The earliest curling reference we
have found in the Traverse City area is from the Record Eagle dated February 4,
1949. The article indicated that so many
people were attending the outdoor hockey games at Thirlby Field that the need
for a civic auditorium was one of the community’s biggest needs. This indoor ice facility could also be used
for curling since “a few curling enthusiasts were also looking for a rink”.
The two men initiating the
attempt to bring curling to Traverse City were John Quigley and Lee Caldwell. Mr. Quigley was born November 23, 1876 at
Grass Lake in Jackson County. He moved to
Traverse City in 1901. For 22 years he
operated a grocery store at 822 Cass Street.
Mr. Caldwell was born in 1886; he was a farmer in Mapleton, MI. They were 73 and 63 respectively!!
In 1950 these curling wannabees
travelled to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to see the skating and curling accommodations
at the new $800,000 municipal auditorium.
Throughout the next three years these two gentlemen gave presentations
to City, County and other organizations trying to generate interest in the
sport.
Finally in January 1953 a curling
club was organized as the Tam O’Shanter Curling Club. Lee Caldwell was named President. Quigley and Caldwell had joined forces with
Bill Fleming and Gerald Williams, the city park department superintendent. The plans were in motion to utilize the dairy
cattle barn at the Fairgrounds as a covered rink area for the sport.
Curling at the Fairgrounds was
made possible through the loan of several sets of curling stones from the
Wausau, Wisconsin Curling Club. During
the winters of 1954 and 1955 in addition to the Tam O’Shanter CC the parks
department promoted curling demonstrations and lessons to adults and high
school students. Unfortunately, we have
found no more information of curling at the fairgrounds after 1955.
Jump forward to December 1971 and
it was announced that Northwestern Michigan College Physical Education
Department would be offering several interesting and unusual winter sports
activities: Snow-Shoeing and Curling
were added to their other classes in Alpine and cross country skiing. These classes were open to students and
community residents. In 1972 NMC held a
weeklong Winter Carnival and a curling demonstration was part of the agenda
each day.
In March 1976 members of the Lewiston
Curling Club held a curling exhibition at the Glacier Dome on Barlow Street in
Traverse City. Over one hundred people
watched and participated in the demonstration.
Now we fast forward to 2014 when Organizer
Don Piche and 55 curling enthusiasts held an organizational meeting to form The
Traverse City Curling Club. The TC
Curling Club has games all winter long and hosts a very large and well run
Bonspiel in April at Centre Ice Arena.
We highly recommend that you consider attending a TCCC Cherry Bombspiel
in the future – you will not be disappointed.
For more information go to www.tccurling.org.
