Great Barrington Sports Center and Dude Ranch

   
 
   As many know, Butternut was originally  the G Bar S Ranch, that was originally called the Great Barrington Sports Center and Dude Ranch?  G Bar S Ranch was a shortened name for the Great Barrington Sports Center and Dude Ranch.   The  Ad I have for G Bar S Ranch is from the 1944 American Ski Annual is very similar to the map posted below, it is just from a different perspective.  This makes the history of Butternut  a little more interesting. 
 

 On 8/20/05 at 11:30 AM the connection between Great Barrington Sports Center, the G Bar S Ranch and Butternut Ski Area  was CONFIRMED by  Bernard Drew in Great Barrington (Historical Society)- "One and the same. Route 23. BD"
 
Henry Cairns (1891-1964) purchased old Pixley-Day farm in 1936. About same time, CCC cut ski trails on Warner Mountain, on East Mountain State Forest. Commonwealth leased these trails to Cairns, who linked them with trails on his property, installed ski tow. Skiers discovered the slopes 1937-38. G(reat)-Bar(rington)-S(ports Center) opened summer 1938, Western theme/dude ranch. Cairns sold to Jug End Resort (South Egremont 1950), same activities continued. Property sold to Francis Maher 1954, old main building burned next year. Jumping ahead, Channing & Jane Murdock purchased 1964, by which time summer camp had ended. Their son runs it today. In nutshell. BD
 

Have a look for yourself.
 

 
OK, so it's time to bury my head in the sand again!  "Woody" Bousquet just pointed out something that I missed.  I don't know how I missed it, it's so obvious!  Look at the Great Barrington Sports Center logo, the blue circle at the bottom  is the G bar S Ranch medallion.  Might have helped me if I had my glasses!
 

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