Glens Falls in 1938 — ‘New Deal’ on West Mountain and Murray Street

Decades before there was a private ski center on West Mountain, the city of Glens Falls, in collaboration with the Glens Falls Ski Club, managed ski trails there.

“The only thing now needed to put the Recreation Commission’s West Mt. Ski trails in fine shape is snow,” The Post-Star reported on Dec. 9, 1938. “Burt Keene tells us that underbrush has been cleared away and the trails improved generally.”

Keene supervised about a dozen National Youth Administration workers on a two-week project to clear brush and improve the city-managed ski trails.

The NYA was an FDR New Deal employment program for youth ages 16 to 25.

The city planned to renovate a barn on West Mountain into a ski club house.

Once there was sufficient snow, the city would operate buses between downtown and West Mountain on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also in December 1938, Keene and Public Works Superintendent Harold Slade prepared plans to develop the Murray Street playground on five acres of city-owned land, contingent on federal Works Progress Administration funding.

“The project, should it be realized, will give the children ‘below the hill’ and on Pruyn’s Island a long-needed recreation facility,” The Post-Star reported on Dec. 15, 1938. “Although the city has five other playgrounds, none is easily accessible to youngsters from this quarter.”

Keene was hired in October 1938 as the city’s first full-time recreation superintendent.

The Maine native had ten years of experience, including three years as a summer playground supervisor while a student at the University of Maine.

Most recently he had been the state Education Department supervisor of adult education and recreation for Washington County.

Keene was president of the Adirondack Association of Officials and Coaches, a commissioner of Adirondack Amateur Athletic Union, and president of the Adirondack Tennis Association.

In April 1938, Keene stopped by The Post-Star to talk tennis with Managing Editor Ralph Knight, a former local doubles champion.

The conversation worked its way to baseball.

“Burt says all the Red Sox need is a couple of pitchers,” The Post-Star reported.

Keene was recreation superintendent until 1942, when he left city employment to work for Glens Falls Portland Cement Co., eventually serving as the company’s vice president and as president of Glens Falls Chamber of Commerce.

He was a volunteer member of the city Recreation Commission from 1945 to 1970.

Colleagues in 1970 said Keene was “the right arm” of the commission.

Sources: The Post-Star, April 21, July 27, Oct. 22, 28, Nov. 3, Dec. 2,5, 9, 1938; March 27, 1970.