Ice Skating in Sodus

For many years in the 1800s and early 1900s, ice skating in Sodus was done on frozen ponds especially one located east of the village.

In 1938, the Sodus Fire Department constructs an ice skating rink on Union Street as reported in the Dec. 1, 1938 issue of the Sodus Record:

 

 

In 1945, a skating rink is built on Curtiss Ave by volunteers and the Sodus Fire Dept. as reported in this Feb. 8th 1945 Sodus Record article:

 

Sometime after 1945, the Curtiss Avenue ice skating rink is believed to have lapsed but it came back in 1961.

By 1961, the Sodus Rotary has added lights to the Curtiss Ave skating rink for night skating and now have an Annual Skating Show and hockey is being played there as reported by the Jan. 5, 1961 Sodus Record:

 

That same year, a building next to the skating rink is repaired and a new heater purchased as reported in the Jan. 19th, 1961 Sodus Record:

 

Let the contest begin!  In 1962, the 1st Annual ice skating carnival began at the Curtiss Ave ice rink as reported in the Feb. 15, 1962 Sodus Record:

 

 

The following week more of the Ice Skating  Carnival winners (and photos) were reported in the Feb. 22, 1962 Sodus Record:

 

The following photos of the races are from Sandi Hamilton:

 

Through the next few years in the 1960s, the Curtiss skating rink was a fun winter recreation  for Sodus as indicated in the Jan. 3, 1963 article in the Record:

 

 

By 1969, the ice skating rink was moved from Curtiss Avenue to behind the Village Barn. Locals say it was no longer as popular there and the end of an era was coming to a close. Here is an Oct. 23, 1969 Record article about the latest ice rink:

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