Mitchell Invitational

Alexander Mitchell, a Scot from Aberdeenshire, moved to Milwaukee in 1839 as the representative of a Scottish insurance company. He became a leading banker, industrialist and later on became President of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. In December of 1884, he donated the Mitchell Gold Medal for annual competition to be "played in the Eastern and Western sections alternately with the Gordon Champion Rink Medal." Mr. Mitchell died of pneumonia in the spring of 1887 and the last Western Competition was held in St. Paul in February of 1898. After that it was held only in the East, and in 1916, it was decided to make the Utica Curling Club the permanent host of the bonspiel.