The man never told Obenchain what he stories of railroads that ran special ski trains, transporting pas- had in mind, but he found out later that the sengers from the English Channel to Austria’s ski towns. Harri- THE LAST 75 THE tree marked the location of the foundations man was intrigued enough to have Union Pacifi c commission a of Sun Valley Lodge. The man was Count report on the viability of such an industry in the United States. Felix Schaffgotsch. Tales of his fi rst visit to Through an analysis of the increased sales in ski merchandise ne winter morning in 1936, Ketchum vary wildly, depending on the age from department stores, the report determined that there was Marvin Obenchain strapped and perspective of the teller, but one thing a clear appetite for skiing among Americans. However, people o on a pair of large wooden is certain: the count arrived in Ketchum on weren’t skiing in America. In the 1934-35 winter the report skis and made his way from his home January 16, 1936, and changed the sleepy found 8,600 Americans had traveled to Europe to ski, in part on the corner of Sixth and Main in little town forever. because “snow conditions, weather conditions, terrain, and Ketchum, Idaho to the town’s post Born in Enns, Austria, on February 16, hotel accommodations are generally unsatisfactory at practi- OF SUN VALLEY offi ce. There the 21-year-old helped 1904, Schaffgotsch was descended from cally all existing American resorts.” It went on to conclude that the mail carrier load his heavy parcels the 17th-century Bohemian Count John “it is practically impossible to fi nd fi rst class skiing conditions and drive them to the depot to wait Ernest Schaffgotsche. He was part of the last at any existing winter resort in the U.S.” for the train. Winter was a quiet time generation of the Bohemian Schaffgotsche Harriman was sold. His fi rst big venture as chairman of in Ketchum, employment was scarce family, one of the oldest noble Silesian America’s largest rail company was to be building the country and Obenchain hoped the train, arriv- families, Silesia was a historical region of a world-class ski resort. But fi rst he had to determine where to ing after an eight day hiatus, would Central Europe, located mainly in Poland. put it. Logically, he turned to the man who had told him of the bring with it some opportunity. As the Schaffgotsch’s parents, Franz de Paula and wonders of the ski industry in Austria. engine pulled into town, disrupting Aglae Witt gt von Dorring, were part of the By all accounts, Schaffgotsch was a dashing, handsome and the silent white landscape, Obenchain Lower Austrian line of the family, the sec- charming man. Fashion photographer Toni Frissell wrote in watched a tall young man step down ond wealthiest in the region before World her memoirs of a chance encounter with the count while ski- into the deep snow. While he didn’t War I. After World War II, ing in the Alps. “‘Good know it then, opportunity had indeed most members of the ethnic mmorning,’ the young arrived—both for him and the small German Schaffgotsch fam- AAustrian said from his mining town he called home. ily were expelled from their pprone position on top of “He asked the depot agent if he homes in Austria. mme,” she wrote. “‘I was could call a taxi,” recalled Obenchain Schaffgotsch grew up in sso fascinated watching in a three-page memoir he wrote before Altmünster, a small market yyour skiing gyrations his death in 2005. “The agent said town in Upper Austria. It tthat I forgot to get out there’s no such thing but the mail was here, probably in the oof your way. You could carrier would probably give him a 1920s, he fi rst encountered hhave killed us both. My ride to town.” Obenchain loaded the Averell Harriman. The mil- nname is Count Felix man’s luggage, which he noted included lionaire playboy from Amer- SSchaffgotsch.’” some very unusual-looking skis. “As ica rented a hunting cottage U.S. Forest Service we drove toward town he was really from the Schaffgotschs to RRecreational Supervisor looking at the surroundings,” he said. shoot chamois—a goat- AAlf Engen, who toured Leaving the stranger and his bags antelope species native to SSchaffgotsch through at the town’s only hotel, the Bald mountains in Europe. tthe Wasatch Mountains Mountain Inn & Hot Springs, Oben- By 1930, the Schaff- iin Utah, recalled him as chain went home wondering why he DEPARTMENT REGIONAL HISTORY THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY, PHOTOS COURTESY gotschs were either in need ““very personable. Arro- had come here. The next day the of some distraction for their exuberantb sec- Felix Schaffgotsch and gant, or very, I would ld say, brilliant, b illi yes. And he was a count. ... man asked if anyone could go with Averell Harriman stand ond son or he had determined to strike out in front of Sun Valley He wore his title well.” him on skis to tour the area. Oben- on his own. Either way, they called upon Lodge in 1936. That he was an impressive man is clear, but his talents as a skier chain obliged. “The fi rst morning we their wealthy American acquaintance to were less so. Contemporary newspaper reports described him as climbed the back side of what became fi nd the 26-year-old count some gainful a “famed international sportsman,” “an expert skier” and “one Dollar Mountain,” he wrote. “He employment. On December 3, Schaffgotsch of the greatest known ski riders among his people.” None of that looked the area over, and we skied sailed into New York on the S.S. Majestic was true. Harriman spelled it out in an oral history recorded by down across Elk Horn and up the from Southampton, England. The passenger The Community Library in Ketchum in 1983. “I employed Count mountain toward East Fork. ... The list from that voyage lists his occupation as Felix Schaffgotsch, who was an Austrian, not so expert in skiing, next morning we hiked on the hot “nil,” but he quickly became ensconced as but he’d had a lot to do with development of resorts in Austria.” water line to Guyer Hot Springs and a clerk at the private banking fi rm of Brown Friedl Pfeifer, who took over the ski school at Sun Valley in skied the area below Dollar Lake. Brothers Harriman in Manhattan. 1938, posited in his autobiography Nice Goin’, that Harriman “Then it was back to the top of Dol- It’s easy to picture Harriman in the gen- got Felix confused with his younger brother, Count Friedrich, an lar Mountain before sun up [to] watch The cross-continental friendship between an tlemanly confi nes of a private bank relaxing experienced ski instructor at St. Anton (the famous Austrian ski where the fi rst rays hit the valley or with a brandy and cigar in hand, listening school where Pfeifer trained). “Somehow the wires got crossed,” Austrian Nazi nobleman and a millionaire fi eld below. After a few mornings of to the enthusiastic count tell tales of the he wrote. “Instead of the very qualifi ed Count Friedrich, Har- New Yorker brought Sun Valley to life, but a mere doing that we skied down and as we fantastic sport of skiing that was sweeping riman acquired the very sociable Count Felix.” However, Har- six years later their alliance crumbled crossed Trail Creek he asked me to the Alps. Harriman, who never set foot on riman knew Felix from his time at Brown Brothers Harriman, on the muddy battlefields of World War II. fi nd a good sized piece of tree, which I skis until he built Sun Valley, was fi rst and and it is probable he got the brother he wanted. Harriman’s carried out into the fi eld. It was placed foremost a businessman. Newly installed oft-repeated reasoning behind the idea for Sun Valley was that Jennifer Tuohy reveals the untold story of Count Felix where he thought was where the fi rst as chairman of Union Pacifi c Railroad, his “I found my banker-friends went off skiing in the wintertime to Schaffgotsch, the man who discovered Sun Valley. rays of sun hit each morning.” interest was piqued by the dashing count’s places like St. Moritz, and in Austria in the mountains.” Felix www.sunvalleyguide.com 13 Schaffgotsch was certainly one of those San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California, spending “Place perfect,” he ran into Miss Brass once again. banker-friends. Christmas in Los Angeles. Next it was north to Lake Tahoe on Sitting on a corral fence between her family’s ranch However it came about, the now 31-year- the California-Nevada border, where he determined the non- and the town of Ketchum, she watched the count old count—who had returned to Austria stop blizzards would keep skiers indoors. Then over to Reno, ski up to her on his fancy, skinny skis. “I found FRIEDMAN following his spell in private banking—left Nevada, across the desert to Utah’s Zion National Park and up just the place to put the Lodge,” he said. “This is his home in Altmünster for Harriman once to Cedar City (not enough snow). From southern Utah, he jour- the most beautiful valley I’ve been in and I’ve been MEMORIAL again, arriving in New York on November neyed to central Colorado where he explored Rocky Mountain to Canada, I’ve been to Colorado. This is it, this is 23, 1935. From New York he journeyed National Park near Denver, Berthoud Pass (too cold and windy), where Union Pacifi c is going to put in a ski resort.” AIRPORT to Union Pacifi c Headquarters in Omaha, Steamboat Springs (too high) and Aspen (too many trees). “A handsome and The valley he referred to was her family’s ranch. Nebraska, where he began a six-week, So, Schaffgotsch returned to Utah empty-handed, and set out The look on Brass’s face was likely priceless, espe- 7,000-mile odyssey, zigzagging across the hopefully to investigate the mountain towns around Salt Lake affable Graf, he cially when the count continued on, “Next year at mountains of the western United States. He City, including Brighton and Alta (too close to Salt Lake City), was also a dyed- this time there will be a thousand people here.” carried with him a mandate from Harri- Ogden Canyon, the Caho Region and the Uinta Mountains on in-the-wool Nazi.” Eleven months later, on December 21, 1936, Sun man to fi nd “A place close to Union Pacifi c the Utah-Wyoming border. On New Year’s Day 1936, he wrote Valley Lodge opened its doors. —David Niven tracks but far enough from a city to prevent to Harriman from Salt Lake’s Hotel Utah, “After I have seen all He may have succeeded at Harriman’s request, it being overrun by weekend skiers arriving the developed resorts, as Rainier, Hood, Yosemite, and Lake but Schaffgotsch’s journeying days were far from in their automobiles. … A valley with sun Arrowhead, I was a bit nervous that I would not be able to fi nd over. Harriman immediately sent him back to pouring in, a dry climate with not too much the right place, because all these resorts are not offering much Austria to recruit for Sun Valley’s fi rst ski school. snow, and yet enough for skiing. …” Of in the way of skiing. But I certainly am confi dent now, since I There he hand-picked Joseph “Sepp” Benediktor, course it had to be powder snow and “not have seen this country here, to fi nd you a perfect spot, which Hans Hauser, Alfred Dingl, Roland Cossman, too wet or too much of it.” will compare very favorably to all the resorts we have in Swit- Franz Epp and Joe Schwenighofer. On the return zerland and Austria.” journey Schaffgotsch met the British actor David But by January the perfect spot still eluded him, and he Niven,N who recalled the meeting in his autobi- headed dispiritedly to the last state on his list, Idaho. William ographyo The Moon’s a Balloon. “He was on his Hynes, a Union Pacifi c freight agent (who said later he hadn’t wayw to Sun Valley, Idaho, where, at the request known “a damn thing about what the hell a ski resort was”), ofo Averell Harriman, he had designed and built a met the count in Pocatello. They traveled to Victor and took newn ski resort. A handsome and affable Graf, he a sleigh through Teton Pass to see Jackson Hole in Wyoming. wasw also a dyed-in-the-wool Nazi. He spent hours Good Neighbor The count was thrilled with what he saw. “Up there are the extollinge the virtues of Hitler, sympathising with best snow conditions I have seen in all my life,” he said to hish problems and enthusing over his plans.” Despite Flying Program Harriman. Sadly for Wyoming, the state refused to keep the theirt political differences, Schaffgotsch and Niven pass open in winter, and any other approach was too far from strucks up a close friendship. Niven promised to ...Is in effect. a Union Pacifi c railroad. comec visit the count at his new resort and meet the After a brief trip to Spence, Idaho, the count parted ways fabledf ski instructors, whom Schaffgotsch assured with Hynes and prepared to return East, failed in his quest. NivenN were “all Nazis too.” Preferred hours of operation But his parting words to Hynes—“If you fi nd anything, let me Harriman put this affi nity with celebrities to 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. know”—stayed with the weary railroad man. Retreating to the goodg use, dispatching the affable count on a Locker Club in Boise for a drink with his friend Joe Stemmer, recruitingr trip to Hollywood. This telegram, sent Arrival and departure director of Idaho’s Highways Department, Hynes told the tale tot Gary Cooper, went out to many a member of paths, aircraft warm-up of his adventures with the Austrian. Stemmer considered for a Hollywood’sH royalty: “I have asked Count Schaff- locations and time frames Schaffgotsch, fourth from right, stands with the moment and then said, “Did you look in the Hailey and Ket- gotsch,g the boy who discovered ‘Sun Valley,’ to get ski school he created, including Hans Hauser, chum area?” Hynes, who, according to Maury Klein’s Union Schaffgotsch, who was adept ini touch with you while he is in Hollywood and tell are all addressed Alfred Dingl, Franz Epp, Roland Cossman, Pacifi c: Volume II, 1894-1969, had only been to the area once, at charming Hollywood’s elite, you about recent developments at our new Idaho Joseph Schwenighofer and Sepp Benediktor. in the summertime, exclaimed, “By God no, I forgot.” escorts actress Madeleine Carol winter resort,” Harriman wrote. in the Voluntary Noise into the lodge, January 1936. He immediately wired Schaffgotsch, who was at the Brown Niven made good on his promise to Schaff- Abatement Brochure. The fi rst stop was Tacoma, Washington. Palace in Denver, telling him to meet him in Shoshone. From gotsch, visiting Sun Valley the following winter. Please make certain that Arriving at Mount Rainier’s Paradise there the district engineer of highways Matt Johnson attempted “The skiing was perfect and I had a wonderful six PHOTOS COURTESY THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY, REGIONAL HISTORY DEPARTMENT (THIS PAGE), SUN VALLEY RESORT ARCHIVES (OPPOSITE PAGE) RESORT SUN VALLEY (THIS PAGE), DEPARTMENT REGIONAL HISTORY THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY, PHOTOS COURTESY Lodge on December 2, Schaffgotsch spent to get the travelers up to Ketchum by road. According to Dorice weeks. Felix had made a huge success of it,” wrote your pilot has a copy of two days skiing before traveling south to Taylor’s Sun Valley, as the trio descended Timmerman Hill into Niven. “Given half a chance he was still liable to this brochure on board. Portland to inspect Mount Hood. In typical the Wood River Valley they skidded off the road into a snowdrift. lay down the law about Lebensraum, but he was Thank you! Portland style, it rained. A lot. So much so An hour later, as they followed the plow that pulled them out a most agreeable companion.” This was late 1938, that the Count never even left his car. “It into the southern Wood River Valley, the count’s disappointment “You can’t take and as the world hurtled toward World War II, was beautiful,” he said of Portland. “But was palpable. “This valley is too wide. Too wide,” he said. the mountain Schaffgotsch’s political propensities and that of nowhere was there any snow except slush.” Arriving in Hailey they were forced to wait out the storm for from the people.” his friend and boss, Averell Harriman, were on a Next he traveled inland to Yosemite the night. A young girl, Roberta Brass, also waited in town, hop- —Felix Schaffgotsch collision course. 24-hour Airport Noise National Park in California, where his ing to get back to her family’s ranch just east of Ketchum. The Having successfully launched America’s fi rst des- Abatement Center friend Hannes Schroll was in charge of the next morning, January 16, 1936, Roberta boarded a northbound tination ski resort, Harriman now turned his abun- (208) 788-4956 ski school. But the weekend crowds pour- bus. “There was a very good-looking gentleman sitting next to dant energies and unlimited resources to pulling ing in from the nearby cities, which had me,” Brass later recalled. He “had quite a foreign accent.” America into the war, despite the established view Airport Manager's Office blighted Mount Rainier for the count, were Whether Schaffgotsch arrived by bus, as Roberta remem- in Washington that any venture into Europe’s war www.flysunairport.com equally prevalent in Yosemite. “You can’t bers, or train, as Obenchain recalls, the fact is he arrived and could be disastrous and fi nancially crippling. Har- take the mountain from the people,” he said found what he was looking for. On his last day in Ketchum, riman quickly insinuated himself into Roosevelt’s to Schroll. And off he went to explore the returning from his explorations to wire Harriman the words Continued on page 28
14 winter 2011/12 • sun valley guide www.sunvalleyguide.com 15 THE wheeling and darting and miraculously missing each other in the darker-blue sky. Suddenly, Felix slammed his glass down 3OD\+DUG5HVW(DV\ OF SUN VALLEY on the table and jumped to his feet. ‘Let’s CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 say goodbye now,’ he said almost angrily. I stood up. I think we both wept anyway. administration and landed a position that We embraced and parted quickly. A few would lead to becoming ambassador to hours later, Felix headed northeast for Great Britain in 1941. Winston Churchill the Brenner Pass to join the S.S. and I said of him, “I believe he was the one most headed northwest for the French border $LUSRUW:D\HAILEY responsible for getting the Americans to at Modane to join God knew what.” 208-788-9343 support us during the war.” The friendship Niven assumes Schaffgotsch headed between a U.S. ambassador and a Nazi /RFDODQG/RQJ'LVWDQFH0RYLQJ3URIHVVLRQDO3DFNLQJ$YDLODEOH straight to fi ght for his country, but Austrian count was destined to crumble. Averell Harriman’s papers, housed at the )XUQLWXUH6WRUDJH5HFHLYLQJ'HOLYHU\3DFNLQJ6XSSOLHV$YDLODEOH Schaffgotsch worked at the resort for Library of Congress in Washington D.C., one more winter, 1938-39. His main duty reveal a different story. A few weeks after 1041 Airport Way 214 W. Spruce St. was to manage the ski school. Wendolyn he left Niven, the count sent entreaties HAILEY BELLEVUE Holland wrote in Sun Valley: An Extraor- from Italy to his boss hoping for a place dinary History that his management style 208-788-9343 208-788-9343 at the resort that winter—perhaps prefer- was somewhat abrasive, and he received ring a ski school uniform to that of an SS a gentle reprimand from Harriman for offi cer. But he was no longer welcome. A grumbling that Proctor lift was misplaced telegram dated October 23, 1939, from and Marjorie Duchin had stolen the ski Harriman to Schaffgotsch stated: “This room from him for her clothing store. winter’s organization completed includ- /X[XULRXVWULSOHVKHHWLQJRQDOOEHGV “Working with an organization is a new ing [Don] Fraser and [Dick] Durrance experience for you,” Harriman wrote. “A therefore no position open. However, if +$,/(<:RRG5LYHU,QQ²1RUWK0DLQ6WUHHW²² certain subservience of individual ideas is you are coming over at your own expense ZZZZRRGULYHULQQFRP essential for each in order to make a team glad [to] have you as our guest for a month +RXVHKROG6WRUDJH&RQWUDFWRU6WRUDJH $XWR6WRUDJH(DV\7UXFN$FFHVV win a football game.” at Sun Valley.” That is the last record of .(7&+807DPDUDFN/RGJH6XQ9DOOH\5RDG :DOQXW²² )XOO
28 winter 2011/12 • sun valley guide www.sunvalleyguide.com 29