New England’s First Chairlift

Hi Greg,

I have been reading your print articles since your beginning but must confess this is my first visit to this excellent site. Thank you much for your efforts!

Solely due to the fact I lived about one mile from it, I was aware of the history behind the Belknap single and rode it many times during the ’50s. I am a shareholder at Mad River Glen and today the experience there is similar but better.

Interestingly the lift had the modern single pole type towers rather than the lattice type of Stowe’s and those which Mad River Shareholders voted to painstakingly retain during the single’s VT Tramway Board mandated rebuild for their retro look. As a result the lift was much closer to the ground and often had to be dug out along the line as seen in photos of similar efforts at the original Sun Valley chair. The chairs themselves were, as I remember very similar to those of Stowe and Mad River.

We resident students of Belknap County were very fortunate indeed as the county owned area extended $1.00 day and $25.00 season passes! I remember many a day skiing virtually break free from 8 AM to 4 PM to make sure I got my money’s worth……

The Works Progress Administration had constructed 10, 20 and 60 meter (with a 40 meter added later) ski jumps and Gilford was a Mecca for Nordic events similar to Rumford, ME, Berlin, NH, Brattleboro, VT, Salisbury, CT and Lake Placid, NY.

These photos here:

http://www.weirsbeach.com/newmedia/12views/view11.html

depict it all well.

As a final note and as a result of the cable of the Mt. Rowe single parting during the summer of 1954 with tourists riding, the first state tramway safety regulatory board was established in New Hampshire. Because the towers were so low fortunately there was only one fatality. Unlike today’s modern grips, the old chairs were attached with vulcanized, tapered rubber buffers on both sides and severe corrosion had occurred beneath them. The Safety Board required the covering be removed every summer, the cable inspected and the chair moved several feet down the cable. On some fixed grip lifts I have ridden lately I have noticed the progressively faded white paint marks applied to the cable during this procedure.

Also after this incident the safety bar and footrest had to be used year round (prior, Belknap had removed them during the winter) and ever since then I have always felt a bit uncomfortable riding without them as is still done on some of the older chairs in the West.