Whitefish To Pay Tribute To Its Heritage By Honoring Resort Founders On The 70th Anniversary Of Its Opening
In celebration of its 70th Anniversary Season and to commemorate its first opening day—December 14, 1947—Whitefish Mountain Resort will recognize Lloyd “Mully” Muldown, Ed Schenck and George Prentice by unveiling a plaque in their honor. The public is invited to attend a brief ceremony at 10 a.m. this Thursday in the Lift Plaza adjacent to Chair 1 – Big Mountain Express.
“We have the pleasure of honoring three remarkable men that have been the genesis of this community’s strong skiing tradition that spans over eight decades. This Thursday we celebrate the date they officially started this ski area,” Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves said. “Mully Muldown, Ed Schenck and George Prentice each played a major role in the promotion of skiing in Whitefish and the establishment of this ski area and we are pleased to invite their families and the public to share in recognizing them for their vision, hard work and persistence.”
Families of the founders will be in attendance at the ceremony along with other special guests. After brief remarks by Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves the plaque will be unveiled and photos will be taken with the families. An opportunity to interview family members and other guests will made available immediately following the ceremony at Ed & Mully’s.
Lloyd “Mully” Muldown was one of the first to ski the slopes of Big Mountain in the early 1930s and early on was named “The Father of Whitefish Skiing.” Mully arrived in Whitefish in 1928 with a keen interest in the sport of skiing. He experimented with styles and techniques on Big Mountain and passed on what he learned to others. Mully was also one of the first to recognize the mountain’s potential to become a ski area and was the first to record snowfall in the area. In 1947 Mully was a member of the ski area’s first ski patrol and in the 1970s, after retiring as Superintendent of Whitefish Schools, became a ski instructor.
In 1947 Carl E. “Ed” Schenck was searching the western United States for a location to build a ski area when he came across Whitefish, Montana—a small town with a big passion for skiing. In the early years, Ed along with partner and co-founder George Prentice, put in long days and nights to open the ski area and keep it going. Ed enticed world famous ski instructor Toni Matt to open a ski school and developed a partnership with the Great Northern Railway. As General Manager for more than 30 years Ed was fully committed to pursuing his dream, doing whatever it took from driving snow plows to tending bar and everything in between to offer guests quality skiing and a friendly atmosphere.
George Prentice joined Ed Schenck in a venture to locate a mountain on which to build a ski area. After discovering Whitefish, he and Ed invested $20,000 of their own money into the company. Married with two young children, the hard work and long hours were tough on George and his young family, yet he continued to put in the time to keep the mountain going. To help buoy the business and better support his family George vacated his post in 1953 for a better paying career. In 1973 after George and his wife Phyllis retired, they moved back to Whitefish and took jobs at The Big Mountain so they could be a part of the ski area he helped establish and ski through their retirement.
On December 14, 1947 The Big Mountain Ski Area opened with a T-Bar, a main slope and a lodge. Approximately 350 skiers and spectators came to witness the first opening day. A lift ticket was $2, a burger was $.25 and beers were a few nickels. A total of 6,900 skiers visited that winter and Winter Sports Incorporated netted a loss of $3,600.
