The Bethel Ski & Outing Club and
the Vernon Street Ski Tow
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In November 1948, a group of Bethel people met to come up with a plan and the means to create a town ski area. Within less than two months, this group had organized a Bethel Ski and Outing Club, Inc. and established a ski area with a rope tow that was less than one mile from Main Street.
The story as it was reported in the Bethel Citizen goes like this:
November 11, 1948: “Winter Sports Meeting Stirs Interest – Inspecting Ski Sites This Week” On Tuesday about 25 people interested in skiing and developing winter sports met at the Community Room to discuss local possibilities. The meeting was in the charge of Wilbur Myers who as chairman of a Bethel Chamber of Commerce committee.
Locations suitable for improvement or extensive development on several local hills and mountains were considered including slopes at Middle Interval, Songo Pond and West Greenwood. Russell Haggert who operates the ski slopes in Bridgton gave a briefing on the problems encountered in developing a winter sports area, costs of building a tow and maintaining slopes as well as his experiences in meeting the desires of the skiing public.
A committee was named to go over the various sites suggested and meet at the home of John Howe (his home was on the corner of Broad and Paradise Streets) on Sunday evening.
(The Community Room in Bethel is shown below during a Molly Ockett Day auction in 1962. It was an essential town facility – one that is sadly lacking today.)
Officers elected for the new club were: John Howe, president; Addison Saunders, vice president; Stan Davis, secretary and treasurer. There were three committees set up as follows: Finance, Richard Young, Richard Davis and Wilbur Myers; Low End Slope, Murray Thurston and Wilbur Myers will aid him in laying out the same; publicity, Stan Davis, for the present time.
The Citizen goes on to report that local skiers are very pleased at the discovery of this slope on land owned by Florence Machia. Not only is the site pleasing because of location but it is steep enough to interest the more skilled ski enthusiast. Construction of a town this season is assured. Funds will not be solicited by the new club but donations and suggestions are welcome. Material help will be accepted by the treasurer. Financial arrangements have already been made by those interested in the promotion. Officers will draw up by-laws and arrange details of membership.
The club is to be non profit and any income from operating the slope will be reinvested in to the same. Work parties are already working at the slope nearly every day and groups will work there this Thursday morning and all day next Sunday.
December 2, 1948: “New Ski Slope Well Under Way – Tow Motor and Rope Purchased.” On November 30th there was a meeting at John Howe’s house for the officers and directors of the Bethel Ski and Outing Club. It was reported that rope and the tow motor have been bought. Also suggestions have been received from the Maine Development Commission and from winter sports organizations.
About 50 people were at work on Sunday and equipment in use included power saws and a bull dozer. (The bull dozer was provided by Addison Saunders.) Leslie E. Davis had donated posts for the tow. Needed were six Model A Ford wheels. Work groups will be at the slope on Saturday and Sunday.
Photo map above is an edited Google Earth image.
Don Angevine has provided a more detailed layout below.
Also ski enthusiasts were invited to a Chamber of Commerce meeting Saturday where James Thorpe of the Maine Ski Instructors Association will be the speaker.
December 9, 1948: It was reported that a December 13th meeting was scheduled for the Community Room where the Bethel Ski and Outing Club would adopt by-laws and accept pledges of membership. All interested persons were invited to attend.
At a Chamber of Commerce meeting on December 7 it was voted to donate $25 to the ski club. James Croteau, Carl Brown and Clayton Fossett are to arrange for free use of the ski tow this winter for town children.
The Citizen of December 16th reported a large attendance at the Community Room meeting three nights previous. Business included announcing that dues were fixed at 50 cents for those under 18 and $1.00 for those 18 or over. Membership entitled the holder to reduced rates when using the tow and purchase of ski equipment at discounted prices through the club. Dr. Willard Boynton was appointed to chair the membership drive. Wilbur Myers was in charge of rates and tickets. Kimball Ames was responsible for concessions. The membership drive was to start the following week.
Those at the meeting were also told that work on the slopes had progressed very well. The grand opening would occur as soon as there was sufficient amounts of snow. As an added note however, that winter, however, the first real snow storm did not arrive until January 13, 1949.
The name of the new club was announced as the Bethel Ski and Outing Club, Inc. It was incorporated as a social club for the promotion of skiing and other forms of recreation for the benefit of the people of Bethel and any others using its facilities. Although it is not mentioned in the Citizen article, Henry Hastings was elected secretary of the Chamber in 1949 and he probably did the legal work for the ski and outing club’s incorporation.
December 23, 1948: “Warming hut a base of ski slope ready for opening.”
