Carol Skelly of Skiers.com, first informed NELSAP of this ski area which operated in Becket. Now, thanks to Bob Klein whose father-in-law owned the area, we know significantly more. Here are his details:
"Happyland
Ski Area in Becket, Massachusetts at the intersection of Routes 20 & 8 was
built by John E. Young in 1959. He ran it through the winter of 1963 in
conjunction with Happyland--a Disneyland--inspired theme park across the street.
The area featured two rope tows. The longest run was 1800 feet with a 225
foot drop. It featured a skating pond, ski shop, night skiing and snack bar. Skiers
could stay overnight at the Bonny Rigg Motel across the highway and the area had
weekend skiers from New York City, New Haven and Boston. Walter Cronkite was a
frequent patron.
In 1961
Happyland installed a "polypropylene rope that does not absorb water and is
half the weight of manila".
In 1963
the lift price was $2.00 weekdays and $2.50 on weekends.
I believe
that the area was operated by someone else after the 1963 season.
John Young was my father-in-law. He died in 1998."
Eric Klein: My Grandfather (John "Jack" E. Young) was a part-owner of the area, but I don't know much about it. He and his wife passed away in 1998. They added a storybook area in the '60s that included buildings modeled after nursery rhymes such as, Humpty Dumpty and Three Blind Mice.