In 1938, one of the first of many Midwest ski areas arose in Wilmot, Wis. Walter Stopa, an architect in the Chicagoland area and a passionate skier, set off on a mission to create a ski area close to Chicago, Ill.
In the 1930’s, the times were rough due to the poor economy, but Stopa still continued to build Wilmot Mountain. Stopa created a tow rope system out of a Ford engine that had an attached rope to the wheel to simply pull skiers back up the hill for their next run.
On opening day, at least 300 skiers from across the Chicagoland area received word about a new ski area and gathered at Wilmot Mountain to ski. This day sparked the beginning of Wilmot Mountain.
“Walter Stopa saw something that no one else saw in the hills of Wilmot,” said Dennis Jeffers, a Wilmot Mountain employee that has been working at the mountain for over 30 years, the longest out of the entire staff.
Jeffers started working for Stopa in elementary school, by just picking up lost items off the hills. But soon enough, in his grade school days, Jeffers started working in the retail shop and still works there today.
“I’ve seen the evolution of Wilmot. It all started with one tow rope and evolved into an eight chair lift area,” said Jeffers. “Every year, a lift was put in more, and more people came.”
With Jeffers’ 30+ years of experience in ski retail sales and repair, he was also a Class A Elite skier in the Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council in the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s. His expertise in skiing also sparked the creation of the Wilmot High School ski team. Jeffers coached the team that competed against other high schools for a number of years.
Since the beginning, Wilmot Mountain has been passed down through the generations, but ultimately has stayed in the family. The current owner is Diane Stopa Reese, daughter of Stopa. Since the beginning of Wilmot Mountain, it has been a very successful skiing area for professionals and families.
To find out how to get to Wilmot Mountain, follow this link for printable directions.
