Around the turn of the 20th century, Topsham residents found a new winter activity that allowed them to take advantage of the frozen Androscoggin River. A ski jump/toboggan slide was built in Topsham where individuals could ski and slide straight onto the ice. The photograph above was taken on Jan. 13, 1904, but the earliest photograph of the ski jump in the Pejepscot History Center Collection dates to 1902. A variation of the ski jump was later used at the first Bowdoin College Intercollegiate Winter Carnival in 1926. Years later, local residents had the opportunity to ski without landing on the frozen river at Sky-Hy, which opened in the 1960s and introduced a new generation to the sport.

In commemoration of Maine’s bicentennial this year, The Forecaster is featuring historical highlights from our communities’ past 200 years, in print and online every other week.