Old Arena Images & Beginnings

[a79krgm]

Iceland Ice Skating Rink - Sacramento, CA

Built in 1940. Home to popular ice shows and local senior hockey teams. Ronald Reagan once skated there. Operated continuously from 1940 until March 28, 2010, when a 5-alarm arson fire burned the rink to the ground.
Interesting video on its history--> History | Iceland Ice Skating Rink

 

[VanIslander]

Regrets, I've had few, though never visiting Boston Garden is one of them.

 

[James Laverance]

It appears that there may have been as many as three covered skating rinks in Detroit in 1860.

Unfortunately these rinks were outdoors as the first of the three is shown below in the early 1860's on third street.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Unfortunately these rinks were outdoors as the first of the three is shown below in the early 1860's on third street.
View attachment 154127

Great. In a residential neighbourhood. Church nearby. Looks like a changing room at the side. No boards.

Similar to Canadian 20th century versions.

 

[James Laverance]

A couple of other early outdoor rinks from New York City.

The carnival of the Washington Skating Club in Brooklyn, 1862.

The Fifth Avenue Pond or the Beekman's Ponds, New York City c. 1863.

 

[Canadiens1958]

These appear to be on small waterways as opposed to "in land"?

 

[James Laverance]

These appear to be on small waterways as opposed to "in land"?

Most Likely.

 

[James Laverance]

19th Century Philadelphia Skating Rinks.

The clubhouse of the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society on the Schuylkill River near Turtle Rock, Fairmount Park in 1863.

Clarenbach & Herber Manufacturers. [ca. 1870s.]

 

[James Laverance]

A Postcard of Thomas Healy’s Golden Glades Restaurant Ice Palace in New York City in 1917.

 

[Killion]

A Postcard of Thomas Healy’s Golden Glades Restaurant Skating Rink in New York City in 1919.
View attachment 158247

.... Ha! Very genteel.

 

[James Laverance]

.... Ha! Very genteel.

Thanks Killion.
Apparently it was a four story building Shown from the outside here.

 

[Killion]

Thanks Killion.
Apparently it was a four story building Shown from the outside here.
View attachment 158251

Beautiful. Art Nouveau. Loved the architure, art & scukpture etc of that period.

 

[James Laverance]

The Worcester Skating Rink,Massachusetts of 1869.

 

[Killion]

The Worcester Skating Rink,Massachusetts of 1869.
View attachment 162547

Man thats an old beauty.

 

[MeHateHe]

Cairn marking the location of the Patrick Arena, home of the 1925 Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars. The cairn sits on the site of Oak Bay High School, across the street from where the rink actually stood.

 

[sr edler]

Cairn marking the location of the Patrick Arena, home of the 1925 Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars. The cairn sits on the site of Oak Bay High School, across the street from where the rink actually stood.View attachment 170547 View attachment 170549 View attachment 170551

I'm positive someone will try combat this post by digging up records on old Scandinavian runestones.

"At this spot Asbjörg,
son of Asmund
built a rinkside
across the lakes
He was better than Crosby"​

 

[James Laverance]

In the late 1800’s when people wanted to play hockey or go skating they went to the old drill shed located on Herriott Street or they could go further down the street to the open air ring located on the corner of Herriott and Beckwith. In 1889 the Perth Arena was built in this location for a cost of $4,000. The building, built with the bare necessities, was a wood structure and had a 170 foot by 70 foot ice surface. In the first years of pertain there were only one foot high boards around the ice and the bottom of the rink consisted of a dirt and sawdust base making it difficult to get the ice surface started in the late fall. The arena was built without seats and until one row of seats was added to seat between 700 and 800 people, it was standing room only. Music was added in 1911 in the form of a large military band organ that was purchased in the United States and placed in the upstairs of the arena. The arena was remodelled in 1930. Reserve seating was added to the arena giving the building a seating capacity of 1100 while upstairs the dressing rooms were rebuilt and showers and heat were added. Hardwood floors were also installed. The remodelling of the arena lead to the Perth rink being labelled the neatest and cleanest rink in the Ottawa Valley. Throughout the next 30 years the arena was the sight of many carnivals and hockey games and it became the social gathering spot of the town. After the war the roller skating craze hit Perth and in the summer roller skates replaced ice skates. In 1955, the owner of the building, George S. James, donated the rink to the town and in turn the operation of the rink was passed onto a committee. Even though maintenance of the rink was the responsibility of the town, aside from covering the building with aluminum siding and minor repairs, the arena was allowed to slide into a state of disrepair. In 1961 the building was closed because it was unsafe and it was subsequently torn down.

Interior view of the Perth Skating Rink about 1910. Hockey player at the left is Willie McLaren, beside him is Ginger Lee holding the ice scraper, next man is not known, gentleman with overcoat and hat is Mr. McLaren. The tall man in the centre with long overcoat and cap is George James and beside him holding another ice scraper is Charles Samways. The gentleman third from right, wearing long overcoat and hat is Ernie Meighen. The other players are not known. At that time there were no seats in the rink, only standing room along the side boards. The ice scrapers were manufactured in James Brothers Machine Shop on the Foster Street side of James Brothers Hardware Store, where similar scrapers were made and sold to many places throughout Canada.
Buildings |

 

[James Laverance]

This may be the oldest mention of rink boundaries I've found so far in my research right here in my hometown of Ottawa from 1866.

Ottawa Daily Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) 05 Dec 1866, Wed • 3

 

[James Laverance]

Also from 1866.

Ottawa Daily Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) 06 Jan 1866, Sat • 3

 

[James Laverance]

This may be the first Hockey style of game to be played in the Ottawa area from 1869.

Ottawa Daily Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) 15 Jan 1869, Fri • 2

 

[James Laverance]

Skating on the Harbour Ice, Montreal, Canada in 1850

 

[Howie Hodge]

Shot of the rink after Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (The Aud) had been closed in 1996

The deteriorating Aud concourse. Notice the ramp right hand corner,
connected the levels.

Notice how steep The Oranges were. Anyone who sat up there will vouch for that.

The addition of The Orange seats in 1971 hid the scoreboard from The Upper Blue Seats.
Monitors were hung so the scoreboard could be viewed.

Concessions were still affordable in 1996.

 

[James Laverance]

The Canadian Club Hockey Team from Westbrook, Maine playing a game at a rink behind Brown Street School and the Barton house in the Early 1900's.

Skating on the streets of Seaford, Delaware in the Early 1900's.

 

[Canadiens1958]

The Canadian Club Hockey Team from Westbrook, Maine playing a game at a rink behind Brown Street School and the Barton house in the Early 1900's.
View attachment 202205
Skating on the streets of Seaford, Delaware in the Early 1900's.
View attachment 202209

Schoolyards as venues for rinks.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Some origins of organized hockey in Rhode Island.

1st Brown University team from 1897. They played the 1st intercollegiate game in history, beating Harvard 6-0

Hope High School team. Won the inaugural HS State Championship in 1902. Though back then it was called the "Schoolboy League"

 

[a79krgm]

Some origins of organized hockey in Rhode Island.
Hope High School team. Won the inaugural HS State Championship in 1902. Though back then it was called the "Schoolboy League"

Wow. Is that what high school kids looked like back then? Some of theses guys look like 30 something divorced tax attorneys spending most of their time in the pub complaining about their ex-wife and child support.