Then and now: Squaw Valley’s evolution
Squaw Valley wasn’t always a world-class ski resort. Like most, it had humble beginnings.
Somewhat blurry frames from my ancient home movies (before Super-8) filmed about 1950-52 show what the resort was like back then. Also pictured, at left, are me and my sister getting off the chairlift.
In the early 1950s there was the single original chairlift based at the original Squaw Valley Lodge main building. That main building burned down in 1956.
According to the San Mateo Times dated Aug. 30, 1956, “The main building housed the dining room, lobby, bar and shops. … It was destroyed in less than an hour. A truck from the Tahoe City Fire Department, nine miles away, was the first to arrive at the scene. … Other fire trucks from nearby Truckee, Kings Beach and Forest Service firefighting stations arrived a short time later. They pumped water from the lodge’s swimming pool to prevent surrounding buildings from burning.”
Squaw Valley succeeded in hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics less than four years later.
The aerial tram was constructed in 1967.
The tram being built in the 1960s. Photo/Squaw Valley Ski Resort
Squaw Valley village looking toward the mountains. (The opposite view of photo 2.)
Photo/Bill Kingman
Squaw Village is looking to expand its current village.
— Bill Kingman
Squaw Valley should try to retain the beauty of that valley – looked so European.
Bill Kingman, Great photos of Squaw Valley and as always some good history.
In the summer of 73′ or 74′ I was told by one the big bosses at Heavenly Valley that Alex Cushing from Squaw was coming over to Heavenly to have dinner with Hugh Killebrew at the top of tram. I was told to make the base station and tram cars spotless as I was the swing shift operator back then. Man , I was runnin’ around like crazy! Sweeping, cleaning the inside and out of the cars and anything else I could think of.
Well, after all that, Alex Cushing and Hugh Killebrew never showed up. But at least the base station of the tram was clean!
Thanks Bill, for bringing back some memories. OLS
I skied there with my cousin Harry after he returned from flying over Germany during WW2. He was a good skier, I was floundering, he was patient. They hadn’t started grooming the runs yet. There was only one chair lift then. Maybe it was the year Old Long Skis cleaned the chairs, because I didn’t see anything to complain about.