A Portage merchant named H.W. Williams founded the Waupaca Curling Club in 1879. The first curling sheets were scribed on Mirror Lake on the southeast side of Waupaca.
Between 1888 and 1924 the club did not have a permanent residence, so sheets of ice were built at numerous locations including the Waupaca River, the Modern Garage parking lot, an old starch factory, and in front of City Hall in down town Waupaca.
During the 1924-25 curling season, 40 members of the Curling Club were able to acquire the present property on S. Franklin Street. The 40 members donated $25 each to build a barn-like building. This “curling shed” housed two sheets of ice and a small warming room, which contained a wood stove and park benches. In 1945, 32 used curling stones were purchased; previously club members owned their own pair of stones.
In 1950, under the direction of Ray Pinkerton, two more sheets of ice were added to the ice shed and the clubroom was expanded including a viewing room. This is also the year that women were granted permission to curl; there were 14 charter members organized as the Waupaca Lochs.
The WCC purchased a compressor making artificial ice for the first time in 1957.
In 1964 a new metal building replaced the old wooden ice shed and an updated clubroom was added. The club also purchased 64 Blue Hone Granite stones from the Kays of Scotland.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in 1998 for the construction of the new clubhouse in anticipation of the 1999 Jr. Nationals Championship. The new clubhouse included an updated kitchen, two new bathrooms, and a larger viewing/gathering room.
Thanks to the generous support of our members, sponsors, and community, the WCC is able to continually upgrade our facilities maintaining it as a world-class facility. These upgrades include the 2013 purchase of 66 stones from Kays of Scotland.
