The Princeton Historical Society publishes a Then and Now series, with the November 2025 focus being the history of Wachusett Mountain as a ski area.
Here’s the intro, and a link to the Then and Now series:
“The Wachusett Mountain Reservation was created in 1899 with A. G. Bullock, Harold Parker, and Theodore L Harlow serving as the first commissioners with Guy Chase as superintendent. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts appropriated $50,000 for the acquisition of land with Worcester County agreeing to cover the ongoing expenses associated with the property. The features of the reservation included a summit observation tower, a summit hotel, a carriage road, and a “double boulder” on the northern slope. Tentative plans were developed for a railroad or “cable road” to the summit, but they were never implemented.
The origin of skiing on Wachusett Mountain dates back to at least the early 1930s, when the Lancaster Outing Club organized ski races on the carriage roads on the mountain. They used the Harrington Farm for their housing and ski lodge. In 1933 The first official ski trails on the mountain were laid out by Olympic champion Charles Proctor; they were named to the Balance Rock Trai, and Pine Hill Trail.” READ MORE
READ MORE RECOLLECTIONS IN THE PRINCETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY: THEN AND NOW SERIES
*Photo used from Princeton Historical Society
