MEAGHER CO., Mont. — For generations of Montanans, Showdown Ski Area has been more than a place to ski or snowboard. It has been a gathering place, a family tradition and, for many, a second home.
As Showdown prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary, two of the mountain’s historians are working to make sure those memories are preserved for generations to come.
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Charley and Allyson Willett began working on an extensive history book for Showdown over the summer. The book will document the ski area’s history through photographs, stories, videos and personal memories submitted by people who have been connected to the mountain over the years.
“We are commemorating the 90th anniversary with a history book,” Charley Willett said. “It is going to be very extensive and so our main objective is to have everybody send in your memories, either photos, stories, videos, whatever you have, send it in to us.”
The Willetts are encouraging anyone with a connection to Showdown to contribute. They hope to have the book completed and available by December 12, which is Showdown’s opening day for its 90th season.
For Charley Willett, the project is especially personal. His family has owned and cared for Showdown for decades, and he grew up on the property and inside the lodge.
While walking through the lodge, Willett pointed out an old wooden post covered with names and markings left behind by generations of visitors.
“This is definitely, as you can tell, a very old post,” Willett said. “When I was a kid somewhere, I scratched my name on here.”
Willett said his own history with the mountain comes from spending nearly his entire life there.
“My family has had this place in their hands and taken care of it for, I think we're going on like 56 years now.”
The history project is also expanding beyond the printed book. The Willetts have created a living history database, allowing people to search through historical information, vintage photographs and stories about the mountain.
The database is designed to continue growing as more people contribute.
“You can go search anytime, anyplace from Showdown, and it will just keep growing,” Willett said. “And that's the beauty of it.”
Contributors can create a free account to submit their material, allowing the Willetts to organize the information and properly credit the people who provide it.
Willett said the project has already brought in stories and photographs he did not expect to see, but there is still room for more.
“With Showdown turning 90 this year and us still having a connection to a lot of the people who started this mountain, that was really the perfect story,” Allyson said.
“That's the beauty of Showdown,” Charley explained. “It's been a group effort since the beginning.”
The presale for the 90th anniversary history book begins Sunday, September 20th. People who want to contribute photographs, stories, videos or other pieces of Showdown history have roughly 30 days to submit their material for possible inclusion in the book.
For a mountain that has been part of so many families’ lives, the project is an effort to make sure those memories do not disappear.
“I think it's really important to our society to really hold those memories that are sacred so they don't get lost,” Charley said.
Visit the website here.
