Winter in New England
Dec 8th, 2016 by bachmann
Invigorated by the crisp, bracing air, you skate, ski, snowshoe, toboggan, sleigh ride, tramp – whatever your fancy may dictate.
The 1920s is considered the dawn of winter sports tourism, driven in-part, or at least complemented by the first Winter Olympics in 1924. The Boston & Maine Railroad identified a new commercial opportunity and led the charge for the development of winter tourism in New England. B&M advertising in magazines and newspapers would highlight destinations like Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains, seacoast resorts, and New England’s historic places. Their campaign would try to capture, or to some extent even invent, an alluring and romantic New England winter landscape. In 1929, the first organized ski school in the United States was established in New Hampshire. It was one of the earliest resorts to promote winter vacationing and ushered in ski-mania in America.
By the 1930s and 1940s, railroads across America would offer “snow trains”, catered to the blossoming winter sport business. Some of the railroads invested in building resorts along their route, provided instructors and coaches, and offered on-board outfitting shops to further encourage vacationers. While the targeted audience was sporting types, particularly skiers, the railroads also catered to non-sporting types who might want to relax at a resort or delve into healthy spa activities.
In this early publication, the B&M declares:
Winter days mean wonderful air; air that is a better tonic than is champagne; air that means vigor and strength and an appetite, stimulated by simple pleasures, for healthy, simple food. And when the day is over there is no luxury greater than sitting before an open fire and munching popcorn and apples.
Moreover, in the enjoyment of Winter pleasures there is no limit of age or sex. The little people are perfectly sate on the specially constructed equipment provided for them. Both men and women find the outdoor activities attractive and beneficial. In short, New England in Winter has come into its own as a great health resort. The present is always a good time to consider your plans for the coming season.
- Description:
- Winter in New England : Where to Go & Where to Stay : Winter Season 1923-1924 / Issued by Passenger Traffic Department. Boston : Boston and Maine Railroad, [1923].
- Persistent Link:
- http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:27129065
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University