Curling is an old diversion in the Grand Forks area. Records of the game in northeastern North Dakota going back to the 1880s.

With Canadian encouragement, the ancient sport became well established in communities north of Grand Forks in the early part of this century. Crystal, Hensel, Gilbert, Bosemont and St.Thomas boasted clubs in this period, Drayton's Dakota Club was established in 1899.

It may have been an impatient letter to the editor of the Grand Forks Herald from a St.Thomas reader in 1913 - why in "blazes" Grand Forks didn't have a curling club - that gave the impetus to the official founding in this city of the Dakota Curling Club on February 4, 1914. A few weeks later, its name was changed to the Caledonia Club in deference to the 15-year-old Drayton Club. Curlers organized a club in Larimore at the same time.

As was the case in later years, an initial bonspiel preceded the official founding of the club on Jan. 24, 1914, just 12 days after the opening of a new skating rink in the city. Curlers from Winnipeg, Hensel, Crystal and Drayton took part, with the latter taking the honors. A district bonspiel followed early in February in which North Dakotas rinks from Crystal, Hensel, Drayton, Gilbert, Bosemont, St. Thomas and Grand Forks, as members of the Manitoba Curling Association, were eligible to advance to the organization's 26th annual bonspiel. Crystal on the right to entrain for Winnipeg and compete for the coveted Tuckett Trophy. Drayton won the Strathcona Cup in a second event; and in a third event, Gilbert took the Thompson Cup, then emblematic of the North Dakota district championship.

There are many suggestions that because of proximity to Canada, curling influence came from the North, even though the game was well established in St Paul by that time.

First president of the Grand Forks Club was Dr. George Williamson, already famous for his killing of Younger brothers - members of the notorious Jesse James gang-during their raid on Northfield, MN. Charter officers were J.C. Sheppard, N.B. Black, D.W. McKenzie, F.D. Cameron, Thomas Griffith, R.J. Green, Scott Rex, and Charles Murphyand for a number of years, curling dominated the sports pages in local news papers during the winter months. First patron and an enthusiastic promoter of the Grand Forks club was Mayor R.D.Waugh of Winnipeg who, with two associates, donated three pair of rocks to the infant club.

So with rented and donated rocks,$3 dues for the season, and 80 stalwart members, the Grand Forks club made its debut into the world of the "WI Besom and Stane." By 1916, there were 30 skips and a peak membership of 120, and in 1919 limited facilities and higher costs made it necessary to limit membership to 100 and increase dues five fold.

In the 1921-22 season, the famous "kid" rink skipped by Joe Bach of Grand Forks and comprising of A. Jensen, P.H. Mulloy and I.R.Thompson won everything in sight in North Dakota curling circles and knocked top-rated Canadian rinks out of the running wherever they went. So powerful was this teen-aged rink that the next year it was broken up "for the reason that none of the other rinks would have a chance against it." Through the '20's the club was fairly stable, but in 1929 - like the national economy - it began to crumble. In 1930, the Caledonian club was without financial support and it died; it was briefly resurrected in 1933, and finally expired at an afternoon meeting in November 1935.

It was not until 19 years later - March 26 - 28, 1954 - that Grand Forks played host to a bonspiel in the University of North Dakota Winter Sports Building, attracting 52 rinks from North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba. Ten days earlier, at the suggestion of G.E. Satrom and Arnold Lenci, 26 potential curlers met to consider the founding of a new curling club. This time the encouragement came from the Walsh County Curling Club at Park River, N.D. At an April 13 meeting Lenci was appointed temporary President; Gene Lavoy, acting secretary; and Satrom, A.A. Bray, Glen (Red) Jarrett, Joe Bach and A. C. Moore, temporary directors,

A big deficit and a bigger bonspiel marked the 1954-55 season, but enthusiastic members of the new club took care of both problems in the spring. Since those first faltering days, the club has been a profitable venture.

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