Date in History: 20th Century
Though you might not think of Fort Atkinson as a ski destination, we once did boast our very own ski hill. When Karl and Marilla Fuge moved to Fort in 1946 they bought some hilly land about 1 mile north off of Hwy 89. The Fuges soon met others interested in skiing, including Pat Abendroth, Marion Robinson and Evelyn Tracy, and together they incorporated as the North Hills Ski Club and set out to transform the Fuge’s land into a ski hill.
This creative group managed to fashion a truck engine, and tire rims into a tow rope and began offering downhill, slalom and even a jumping ramp, all for the membership price of $2 a year. Members took care of all the maintenance and improvements on the hill, including adding electricity in 1973 for nighttime skiing. The club remained active until the 1999 winter season when declining membership and a lack of snow finally did them in.
This historic document aired on the radio as an Historic Minute on 02/23/2004.