By Danielle LeBlanc,Special to the Sun Journal

FARMINGTON – Megan Roberts, a member of the Farmington Historical Society and former manager of the Titcomb Ski Slope, presented a wide variety of sporting memorabilia and ski stories in her presentation to the Farmington Historical Society recently.

Relying on her personal collection and the donations of others, Roberts assembled a detailed archive of Titcomb Ski Lodge’s commencement and history stretching back over 60 years.

The presentation began with a brief overview of Roberts’ own family involvement with Titcomb Ski Slope through her father, Will Roberts, the namesake of UMF’s Roberts Learning Center.

Roberts exhibited a collection of ski uniforms, photos, signs, banners, ski equipment, trophies, badges and documents and letters she has accrued. Two brief documentary videos were played in a small makeshift viewing area for groups of society members to watch at their leisure.

“This place has made such a difference in my life,” said Roberts, “and when you know the history, it bridges generations and everyone experiences a deeper sense of appreciation.”

The ski lodge itself was built in 1949 and dedicated to John “Jack” Titcomb, who had been killed in World War II. The ski lift was constructed in 1942.

“My children greatly profited from the exercise and the friends they made there,” said member Kay Mills, “It is a wonderful enterprise, and it was fun to see it grow from the beginning.”

Farmington resident and former Mt. Blue High School teacher Richard Gould recalled his interaction with the mountain as the coach of the first ski team in the area. The four-event team commenced in 1952 and competed in cross country, downhill, slalom and ski jumping.

Gould built the ski jumping ramps and is responsible for the cross country trail that runs around the mountain, later dedicated and named after him.

“I got the skiing started, and it has snowballed ever since,” said Gould. Under his coaching, the Mt. Blue ski team won the state championships in 1955 and 1957. “I had some very good teams, and some very good results.”

Because of the volume of memorabilia and interest in the slope’s history, Roberts hopes to one day open a small ski history museum next to the lodge. For now, she is content with working toward an improved archival system to preserve the artifacts, beginning with the dedication of a trophy case at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in honor of her father and his commitment to the sport.

The historical society, established in 1971, meets the second Monday of the month in the basement of the Baptist church, taking a short hiatus during the winter. Their evening begins with a potluck meal at 6 p.m., followed by a short meeting, led by President Bob Flick, and a presentation at 7.

Throughout the evening, members and attendees are invited to peruse old letters and photographs, in hopes to identify nameless faces. Member Alan Smith explained the importance of “identifying the town’s treasures. We need to preserve the history of our community,” he said. “And it is a nice social event.”

Their next endeavor, led by Vice President Taffy Davis, will be the ongoing restoration of the Old North Church. Donations to the cause are being accepted and the Christmas wreath fund-raiser will be held in December.