James Wallace Conant
| James Wallace Conant | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
August 10, 1862 Portsmouth, Ohio, United States |
| Died | March 14, 1906 (aged 43) New York, New York, United States |
| Cause of death | Heart attack (official cause) |
| Resting place |
Allegheny Cemetery Coordinates: 40°28′19″N 79°57′04″W / 40.472°N 79.951°W |
| Residence | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation | Amusement manager |
| Years active | 1893-1906 |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) | Margaret Conant |
James Wallace Conant (August 10, 1862 - March 14, 1906) was an amusement manager who later became the manager of the Schenley Park Casino, as well as the first manager of the Duquesne Gardens, the first indoor ice rinks in the city of Pittsburgh. Conant is credited with bringing the sport of ice hockey to Pittsburgh, since the indoor ice rinks lured many Canadian players to the city. Over time several of the Canadian players were actually paid to play hockey first at the Casino, and later at the Gardens. He was also the founder of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, the first hockey league to openly hire and trade players.
Conant was born in Portsmouth, Ohio in 1862. At the age of 15 he moved with his mother to Pittsburgh. Once he arrived, Conant took an interest in the city's rivers and he eventually took a job as a steward on a river steamer. He made his home near the bluff above the Monongahela River in the city's Hill District.
After a few years of working on the river, Conant took interest in the amusement industry. Throughout his twenties he worked in theater houses, located in the city's Hill District, a few downtown night clubs, and as a coordinator for a barge company with docks along the Mon Wharf. By the age of 36, Conant's reputation in the amusements industry caught the attention of Christopher Magee, a political boss in Pittsburgh, was made him the manager of the proposed Schenley Park Casino.
In the fall of 1893, the goal of the Casino was to provide Pittsburgh with a facility that would be a place for theater, recreation and social gathering for all social classes of people. The idea sputtered through a committee of capitalists until Conant convinced his boss, who was the head of the Casino, Harry Davis, that the new building could feature an indoor ice skating rink. After learning that an artificial ice surface was possible, investors were quick to agree to financing $400,000 for theconstruction of the Casino, which was completed before opening to the public May 29, 1895. While managing the Casino, Conant introduced ice hockey to Pittsburgh. Conant knew of ice hockey through a fellow amusement mangager involved with traveling ice skating demonstrations, and convinced his bosses that the city would be entertained by the speed and elegance of hockey.
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