HISTORY OF THE APPLETON CURLING CLUB
The Appleton Curling Club was established in 1939. Ray Fallon and Harold Mather each owned a set of stones and purchased eight additional sets of used stones from the High Park Club, Toronto, Canada. Two sheets of ice were flooded on the tennis courts in Pierce Park. This proved unsatisfactory due to snow, frequent thaws, and lack of lighting.
In 1940 a concrete block chicken house was rented at the corner of Richmond Street and Highway OO. Since this was outside the city limits, the only water available was from a nearby well. Water had to be gravity-fed through 100 feet of pipe to the chicken house, where the water was then carried along the length of the building to a number of barrels, which were then dumped simultaneously on the surface. This process was repeated until fairly level ice was obtained.
During 1943 the club was outbid by a chicken raiser for the continued use of the chicken house, so outside flooding resumed on a vacant lot, with poor results. That winter the members decided to construct a curling building. A building permit and permission to locate in Pierce Park were secured.
