At the end of this month we'll celebrate 4 years of the Pasty Cam, bringing a "daily glimpse of life from the U.P." It gets easier all the time, because of so many friends who send the pictures. Preparing each shot to publish is a real highlight of my day. Thanks to Sue Haralson for this recent glimpse of the changing room at Lake Linden's ice rink.

Often I'll search on Google to find info about the pictures we feature. Let me show you the results for searching "Lake Linden ice rink".

From the PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE - Feb. 22, 1877:

Mr Louis DEACHAMPS, postmaster, Lake Linden, has been notified by the department at Washington that on and after the first of March next, the mail service between Calumet and Lake Linden will be increased from three to six trips per week.

Mr Ed. C. HITCHCOCK, of Hancock, in a prize skating match with Mr D. BARNEY, of Marquette, at the rink last Saturday evening, was awarded the one hundred dollars for being the best and most graceful performer on ice............

Thanks Charlie, for 4 years of entertaining and informative pages! Until I can be in the U.P. again, its a comfort to see the world I love through the eyes of you and your photographer friends.

Memories of skating on the outdoor rink on Front street with the little log building as the changing area, wow. No TV, no video games, just plain good outdoor fun! Thanks for the pic.

How well I remember the log building at the outdoor rink on Front st. It had that big heater in the middle of the large room. I skated there when I was going to LL high school and then some years later I brought my kids there. Few of us guys would get to gether and clean off the rink before the tractor got there so our kids could skate. Is there other history on that old log skating shack before it became the skating shack?

the old long ice rink are some of my favorite memories what fun I would have with my girl friends from the class of "77" Linda in CA

Hi Linda, My sentiments exactly, I'd sure love to see a shot of that old ice rink and the cabin if anyone has one available. I must have spent the majority of my winter nights skating at that rink and when you got too cold you could go in to the cabin and get warm and have cocoa with your friends. It was definitely our social center through the long winter months.

I remember skating there at the old rink a couple of times in the late sixties. I think I went with the Short Family- Barbara and Billy and Danny. It was always such great fun to race around!

But I lived in Hubbell and would beg my older sibs to take me skating down at that rink at the lake. Heather(?) taught me how to skate even though she might not remember me. I want to say her last name was Bonini- her dad was Al from Al's Bar in town... She and one of her girlfriends used to hold my hands and skate me around the rink for hours. To this day I think it's still the best way to learn. I was six or seven and had the time of my life! I remember clear cold nights, lots of giggling between the three of us.

Carl and Donny Diro (sp) and pals - Bobby Klein ? - used to tear around the rink playing hockey. (Wayne Gretzky was a pup when they racing!) They would try to see who could make the biggest spray arc of ice powder when they stopped fast.

Those old wood cabins with a wood stove, some hot cocoa and benches... And the music- all those waltzes! It was wonderful. When people ask me most what I miss about home it's always skating in the open outdoors on a little rink with a log cabin. Thank you Lake Linden and Hubbell for such sweet memories of my favorite things!

I'm also from Hubbell and I used to skate at
both the Hubbell and LL rinks, too. I'm a little
younger than Kathleen, though. You are right
about Heather Bonnini being Al's daughter
and the correct spelling of Carl and Donny's
last name is Deiro.

I really miss having a rink nearby and have
many fond memories. Every time I am back in
Hubbell, I describe the old rink for my
husband. There is a park there now, and the
rink is gone unfortunately. I'm glad the LL one
is still there so kids can continue to have that
experience.

How about the good times that we also had way back in the 50's?? We spent hours and hours at the outdoor rinks in Tamarack, Hubbell and Lake Linden and just waited for the locals to perform at the "skating parties"..Our time was taken with playing hockey while others had their area for their figure skating (no Sarah Hughes here).I do hope that the youth of today are also able to share in these memories.

Oh the memories of both rinks! I grew up in Hubbell and spent many a night skating round & round to the music over the outdoor speakers! Sometimes we would hide our skates in the snowbank & tell our parents we would be skating,when we actually would just bum around town. I live in Shawano Wi now, so "home" isn't too far away, I hope to be there with-in the next few weeks, I left my snowmobile there January when I came "home" for a visit, I hope I can take one last ride this winter! Not a good riding winter in Wisconsin this year!

My sisters & I spent a lot of time at that rink
in the 50's. What memories. I can still here
the music.