The history of the development of the ski industry on Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, VT, the Ski Capitol of the East. Details and anecdotes of the process are told by two of the major players, Sepp Ruschp and Charlie Lord, (in their own words). Each trail, each building and each lift are chronicled. Through these documents donated to the Stowe Historical Society, we learn how trails were cut by hand, men were carried by horse and wagon, buildings (dorms, ski huts, camps, shelters, etc.) were erected as the needs became obvious and how Austrian, Scandinavian, and local natives carved a place in the style of skiing and ski instruction in Stowe, and how safety on the mountain drove the development of the first ski patrol. This is a very compelling story of passion, creativity, engineering, employing state and federal programs available at the time and hard work by a lot of people who came to work and settle in Stowe. There are 35 mini biographies of people who were there. Each are fascinating, educational, and entertaining. SKI PIONEERS OF STOWE, VERMONT The First Twenty-Five Years By Patricia L. Haslam, Charlie Lord, Sepp Ruschp iUniverse LLC Copyright © 2014 Stowe Historical Society All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4917-1331-0 Contents Foreword by Brian Lindner, ix, Author's Note, xi, Part I: The Physical Development of the Mountain Described in Essays by Charlie Lord from The Stowe Reporter, 1, Introduction to Charlie Lord (Haslam), 3, Early Days of Ski Development on Mt. Mansfield, 7, Ranch Camp Notes, 11, The History of Ranch Camp – (Part #1), 13, The History of Ranch Camp – (Part #2), 17, The History of Ranch Camp – (Part #3), 20, Ranch Camp News, 24, An Early Ski Expedition, 26, History of Stone Hut, Mt. Mansfield, 28, The Shaping of Stowe, 30, Early Ascents of Mt. Mansfield, 40, The First Sugar Slalom – 40 Years Ago, 43, Carving the Way Over Mt. Mansfield, 45, From Tent to Cabin to Mt. Top Hotel, 49, Skiers & Skiing ... a Stowe Tradition, 52, Ski Dates & Construction, 58, Part II: The Sepp Ruschp Memoir, 81, Introduction to Sepp Ruschp (Haslam), 82, Sepp Ruschp, 83, Foreword, 91, Biography, 93, The Early Years, 98, Stowe, 117, The Return, 145, The Starr Years, 167, Tributes, 174, Citation for Sepp Ruschp from University of Vermont, 174, Christi Ruschp Dickinson's Speech at the 2008 Vermont Ski Hall of Fame, 176, Hank Greenberg Letter, 179, Introduction to the WRFB Radio Interview of Sepp Ruschp by Brian Harwood, Oct. 16, 1977, 180, Part III: People Remembering People: Major Players and Other Participants during the Shaping the Ski Industry in Stowe, 201, People Remembering People, 203, Craig Burt, Sr., 205, Roland Palmedo, 211, Frank Griffin, 215, George W. Gale, 218, Abner Coleman, 221, Albert W. Gottlieb, 224, Perry H. Merrill, 227, Cornelius Vander Starr, 229, C. Minot "Minnie" Dole, 234, J. Negley "Cookie" Cooke, 239, Jacques Charmoz, 241, Gary Fisher, 243, Clem Curtis, 245, Gordon Lowe, 251, Priscilla Hess, 253, Helen "Maxie" (Murray) Ruschp, 255, Bill Riley, 259, Henry Simoneau, 263, Milton Teffner, 268, Bob Bourdon, 270, Mary (Mather) Bourdon, 274, Erwin S. Lindner, 276, Erling Strom, 280, Ann "Nose Dive Annie" (Cooke) Taylor, 286, Rita Buchanan, 289, The Gale Shaw, Sr. Family: Ann, Marilyn, Theresa, Barbara, And Gale Shaw, Jr., 292, Lena Gale Allen, 297, Anne (Morgan) (Simoneau) August, 301, George R., Jr. And Vera Fearing, 303, Norma (Magnus) (Walker) Bartol, 306, Acknowledgements, 309, Sources, 311, Index, 327, CHAPTER 1 PART I The Physical Development of the Mountain as Described in Essays by Charlie Lord from The Stowe Reporter. (These articles have been retyped for this publication. The words and writing style have not been changed. Most of the pictures that appear in each article are the photos which appeared in the original publication.) CHARLIE LORD (1902 - 1997) "Perry Merrill, State Forester, basically gave Charlie a bunch of men and work to do, and that's how the first trails got started ... Charlie had a true love of the outdoors." John P. Lord, son of Charlie. & "Unbeknownst to me- we were cutting the trail which is now known as the Lord Trail—Perry gave it that name. I said to myself, I'll get even with him. When we cut a new trail, I somehow got that trail named the Perry Merrill." Charlie Lord, 1992, as related to Earline V. Marsh Everyone loved Charlie and Charlie loved everyone. A self-effacing, likable guy about whom most people in town knew had much to do with early ski development days, but was better known in recent years as the Town Historian. He wrote many articles in periodicals, primarily in The Stowe Reporter and the Newsletter of the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club. The essays that pertain to early ski development are reprinted here with permission of Biddle Duke, publisher of the, now, Stowe Reporter, and by Charlie's son, John P. Lord, now residing in Groton, VT, Charlie's bir