Willoughby: First decade of hockey in Aspen

It wouldn’t surprise you to hear that Aspen in the 1890s had a jockey club, but a hockey club? Here is a decade of those first Aspen hockey highlights.

The first mention of hockey in Aspen’s papers was in 1893. The writer noted it was a national winter game in Canada where, “every town of size has a skating rink,” and that “no game is stronger in fixing the attention of onlookers.”

In 1894, the Aspen Athletic Associates organized, “to provide for all popular field sports, football, hockey, skating, etc.” It promised hockey would be introduced “as soon as the ice is good.”

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The following year, Leadville promoted the sport. At that time, the Leadville Ice Palace – a very large ice structure with a large indoor skating rink – hosted an annual carnival and encouraged hockey clubs to participate.

Aspen’s first public hockey games were held in 1896 at William’s Lake on Christmas Day. The Rustlers played the Hot Tamales who won 4 to 1. Each team had eight members, and there was another game a few days later.

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Beginning in 1897, you could buy your hockey gear at Bill Van, The Novelty Man’s (my favorite store name from that period) store on Hyman Avenue. He sold hockey sticks, pucks, and shin guards.

A New York newspaper, in 1898, noted another Canadian influence: Women’s hockey was “the rage by women playing even among the dainty daughter.”

Local hockey picked up in the first decade of the 1900s. Another store offered equipment, Tomkins Hardware, that featured skates made by Barney and Berry and Peck and Snyder. Hockey games were scheduled early in the morning, at 9:00, even in January. It was too warm in the afternoon.

A rink opened known as Messa and Sanders Cooper Avenue Rink. It was near what at that time was a building that housed both City Hall and the Central Fire Station; it was near where Wager Park is now. They charged 25 cents for men, 10 cents for women, and 5 cents for children. They suggested that morning skating was better but later added electric lighting and opened for evening skating.

Regulation hockey sticks were ordered from a Denver dealer, arriving just in time for the hockey club to begin practice in anticipation of playing Leadville, which had two teams. The local games between local groups were scheduled for Sundays, and there was a game many winter Sundays. One of their January games had to end halfway through because the ice was getting too soft. There were two local teams for a while: the Maroon and the Elks Club teams. Boys practiced nearly every morning.

Like with other sports, Leadville was Aspen’s major hockey rival. Aspen went to Leadville to play in 1902 and lost 5 to 2. In 1904, games moved to Stillwater beginning in December.

1906 was the first year it was an Aspen High School sport, for boys.

As the first decade of the 1900s was ending, Aspen, at least judged by the coverage in the newspapers, was into collegiate hockey – following Colorado University and the Colorado School of Mines – but paying attention to national news of college hockey rivalries.

Tim Willoughby’s family story parallels Aspen’s. He began sharing folklore while teaching at Aspen Country Day School and Colorado Mountain College. Now a tourist in his native town, he views it with historical perspective. Reach him at redmtn2@comcast.net.