Milwaukee Ski Club History



The Following is from the Milwaukee Ski Club's Fox Tales news-letter January/February, 1986

   Brief History of MSC
Our club was first organized as a ski jumping club, holding tournaments on a hill at Nagawicka Lake. Limited finances and uncertain weather troubled these early skiers.

In 1925 the ski club erected a scaffold on the Milwaukee River bluff in Gordon Park. Meets took place there for six years. Park rules prohibited charging admission to MSC meets, so the club had to scratch to make ends meet.

During one meet so many spectators gathered on the river ice to watch a record field of 125 jumpers that the club decided for safety�s sake to move its operations to Soldier�s home field.

The Milwaukee and Oconomowoc ski clubs merged from 1933 to 1942. Jumping meets were held at Devil�s Hollow until World War II. In 1937 the club maintained its record of never calling off a tournament by using artificially made snow.

Downhill skiing came to MSC in 1939. Prosperity arrived with the War and the club acquired Fox Hill. A Ski Patrol was formed. Women became active members. In 1949, the present Ski Chalet was erected.

In the years since 1949, members have graded and regraded the intermediate hill, defined trails and added additional rope tows. The club continues to grow and improve through the work and dedication of its current members.


A more detailed but still being added to, time line history of  the Milwaukee Ski Club is in the club's Memebership Directory.

See our very interesing pre Fox Hill Timeline by Lawrence Maurin

Nagawica Slide 1912-1937
Slide constructed in Fall 1912 sold to Plymouth Ski Club in 1937

Gordon park jump 1925-1936
An article from the "Remember When ..." series from the Milwaukee Journal's Green Sheet is in the Milwaukee Public Library's Digital Collection, about the February 8, 1925, first annual ski tournament in Milwaukee.
View of jumper mid flight looking toward the Milwaukee River from Milwaukee Magazine photo with John Gurda notes.

Soldier's Home Jump 1937- Not likely MSC but in Milwaukee county, look for the Wood Ski Club
Research still ongoing, the book Milwaukee Soldier home by Patricia A Lynch notes that the Gordon park jump was rebuilt here in 1937 demolished in the 1950s for the construction of County Stadium.

Fred Pabst
There are many articles on the web about Fred Pabst our fourth president of the Milwaukee Ski Club:
Sports Illustrated
Vermont Living
New England Ski Museum
A google search will likely show more.

Devil's Hollow Ski Jump 1926-1958
The Oconomowoc Ski Club Devil's Hollow Ski Jump, the Oconomowoc part of the M-O (Milwaukee-Oconomowoc) Ski Club




The Milwaukee Ski Club is honored to have the following members inducted in to the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, Michigan:
Fred Pabst club president 1926-1932
Arthur J. Barth club president 1933-1934 & 1939-1940
Anders Haugen Ski Jumper and America's first Winter Olympic Medal winner
Lawrence Maurin club president 1945-1947

The Milwaukee Ski Club members honored in the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame in Red Wing, Minnesota:
Anders Haugen
Lawrence Maurin

More on the Anders Haugen Bronze medal


Changes have come to Timmer's read the West Bend Daily News article from January 26, 2006.
March 5, 2006 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal article
Park considered: April 5, 2006 Journal-Sentinal article
Opposition to park April 13, 2006 Journal-Sentinal article
County won't buy property April 18, 2006 third item of Journal-Sentinal News brief

Timmer's Sold October 16, 2007 Journal-Sentinal article

Prescott buys Timmer's property October 18, 2007 Journal-Sentinal article

 Timmer's has reopened around June 2009 after extensive remodeling

Timmers sold in Spring of 2018 Washington County Insider article


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