Palace Ice Rink

The Palace Ice Rink was an indoor ice rink located in Ripley, Michigan.  The arena opened sometime prior to 1900.  It was the first covered rink used in the Copper Country region of Michigan.  The rink was actually a converted building that was formerly a Portage Lake Foundry building.  It was converted after the facility was abandoned.  A unique "feature" of the building was that the support beams were right down the middle of the building (on the ice).  A game was held in 1902 that had the building packed with 1,000 fans.  The arena was used as a hockey rink until the Amphidrome opened across Portage Lake on December 26, 1902.
The facility was later renovated with the intent of being used for high school hockey for the Hancock High School.  Somehow after the renovation, the company that owned it refused to allow the high school team to use it and it was turned over to curlers who also refused to let them use the rink.  The team had won the state championship in 1906 and was without a team for 1907.
==References==
http://www.cchockeyhistory.org/CCIceRinks.htm#**
Category:Indoor ice hockey venues in Michigan
Category:Defunct indoor ice hockey venues in the United States