The closing ceremony, for those successful FISU games, was held in the Olympic Center on last Sunday following the men’s gold medal hockey games.

But back to 1932 — the Olympic venues did not have snow making equipment and the only refrigeration was in the brand spanking new Olympic Arena.

So let’s condense the 1932 weather conditions with this quote from a long ago newspaper clipping … “according to the U.S. Weather Service, January 1932 was the warmest in upstate New York in 147 years.”

Get a’load of this — thanks to the files in the Adirondack Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library and assistance from the Chief of my Research Team, Curator Michele Tucker —

(From a 1932 special advertising insert)

The Boston Globe:

“The 1932 Games were cozy, chaotic and controversial. They were cursed with goofy weather, which delayed the final event until two days after the closing ceremonies.

“They were plagued by snafus, the wrong winner was announced in the ski jumping, the wrong anthem played for the hockey victors and marred by disputes between the hosts and the foreigners over rules and conditions. “The Scandinavians, who were used to skating two at a time against the clock, objected to the pack-style format, which favored the Americans, and to the sluggish, cat-‘n-mouse pace of the longer races.

“Jack Shea, (who was the hero of the games with his two gold medals in speed skating,) said the Europeans were pleased to have us go over there and skate by their rules, but when they came over here, they didn’t want to give us the same privilege.”

Lake Placid News front page, 1932

Naturally, the entire front page of the Lake Placid News was about the Games, but I am always disappointed that none of the editors or reporters used a by-line.

“Olympic ice arena dedication”

“The pride of Lake Placid and a project that which will undoubtedly prove to be the greatest asset in the history of this small village, is the magnificent $220,000 Olympic indoor ice arena which is completed and will be formally opened Saturday night, January 16, at 7:45 p.m., with dedicatory address by Gustavus T. Kirby, of New York, past president of the American Olympic committee.

“This event has been anticipated with great interest among residents of Lake Placid, Essex County, and practically everyone in Northern New York State, for they are proud to display this stupendous structure. Lake Placid is the first in the world, outside of larger cities to build such an arena, which contains one of the largest ice sheets in the country and is called ‘the best arranged and most effective designed skating rinks in the country,’ by George C. Funk of Boston, refrigerating engineer in charge.

“The building which will seat over 3,000 spectators at the Games, measures 140 by 250 feet, while the hockey box is 82 x 200.

Nine and one-half miles of steel pipe carry the brine underneath the ice floor. The pumps will throw 1500 gallons of brine a minute. Going into the system the brine is about 14 degrees in temperature and it comes out at 17 degrees. The system makes the equivalent of 75 tons of commercial ice in 24 hours.

“Distin & Wilson of Saranac Lake were the architects.”

Finland’s Skiing Team

“Finland’s skiing team to compete in the III Olympic Winter Games [the first Olympic Winter Games were in Chamonix, France in 1924 and the second in St. Moritz, Switzerland in 1928] will join other foreign contestants at Lake Placid today. Sailing from Stockholm January 7 aboard the S.S. Berengaria, they landed in New York Wednesday.”

Japanese Teams Travel

7,000 Miles

“From ‘The Land of the Rising Sun,’ 21 members of the Japanese Olympic Teams have traveled 7,000 miles to come to Lake Placid to compete in the III Olympic Winter Games.

“In spite of the long journey, the team is in excellent condition and has already begun training for the games. Though physically this group is probably the smallest team entered, [skiers and skaters] it rates as the third largest contingent to enter from abroad. The largest man on the team is weighs only 130 pounds and most of the members are less than five feet, five inches tall.”

1932 Olympic trivia

Blimps Over Lake Placid

“Word has been received here by Thomas P. Faherty, secretary of the local Chamber of Commerce, that the Goodyear blimp, ‘Columbia,’ will soar over Lake Placid during the Olympic Games.

“The U.S. dirigible, the ‘Los Angeles’ will visit Lake Placid sometime during the Games, paying homage to the location of the International event and will be queen of the air. Many commercial and private planes will be hosted at the local airport as well as planes conducting sight-seeing trips.

It is expected that the Los Angeles will make a tour of the villages in the area so those residents will have an opportunity to view it.”

Sled Dog Racing

“J. D. McIlhenny, Jr., of Philadelphia, who in former years has raced in the Annual Lake Placid Club derby, has expressed his intention of entering a team in the sled dog demonstrations at the Olympic Games.

“Stuart H. Belknap from Keene, N.Y., who is a familiar figure in Lake Placid where he is training his team, has also filed his application with the Olympic demonstration Dog Derby at Quebec. Mr. Belknap has spent several years in Alaska and is said to be an experienced musher.”

New York State Troopers at

1932 Olympics

“The first of a detail of 43 troopers assigned to Lake Placid for the period of the Olympics arrived in Lake Placid last week. Lt. H. C. Herrick of Troop B, Malone, who will be in charge of the group of troopers here, and Trooper F. B. Homedew, also of Malone, came to Lake Placid in advance of the others to make arrangements for the installation of a teletype system at the troopers’ room at the town hall which will enable officers here to keep in direct contact with other troopers stationed throughout the state for the purpose of apprehending law breakers.

“Twelve additional members of Troop B are due here this week and approximately 30 others from the Oneida, Long Island and Troy barracks will arrive about February first. It is expected that ten troopers will be stationed at Saranac Lake as well as additional officers at Wilmington and Keene.

“Officers stationed here will be quartered at the Majestic [a Lake Placid landmark restaurant, with rooms above, at 233 Main Street and for many years owned and operated by the Eunice Theodore Cox family] and the Ford Cottage. A room at the town hall has been assigned to the state officers as headquarters.”

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This is part one of a two-part series.