Pleasant Mountain

Pleasant Mountain's official opening under that name took place on January 23, 1938, per the resort's own "Our History" page. According to New England Ski History, a 1,100-foot rope tow "reportedly opened" the same day, serving the mountain's lower slopes, and the Town of Bridgton acquired the land in 1941. Sumner T. Bernstein, Virginia W. Libby, and Viola E. Smith formed the Pleasant Mountain Corporation on April 3, 1969, purchasing the existing ski operation that June 30, per New England Ski History. In 1988 the ski area was sold to Shawnee Mountain Corp., per New England Ski History, and, per the resort's own site, "Pleasant Mountain was renamed Shawnee Peak." The locally owned and operated Homer Family purchased the ski area in 1994, per the resort's own site; new owner Chet Homer considered restoring the original name but, per New England Ski History, "opted to keep the Shawnee Peak identity due to the brand that had been established." On October 22, 2021, per the resort's own press-releases page, Homer sold Shawnee Peak to Boyne Resorts, announced in a release headlined "Boyne Resorts Expands Portfolio With Purchase Of Shawnee Peak"; Homer said the buyer had agreed to "provide enhanced employee opportunities, continue with capital improvements each year and continue the family friendly atmosphere that I think we have established," per New England Ski Industry's report that day. Under Boyne's ownership, the name was restored from Shawnee Peak back to Pleasant Mountain on September 14, 2022, per the resort's own press-releases page, in a release headlined "Pleasant Mountain Name Restored At Shawnee Peak." The restoration followed a spring survey the operator's own "Our Name Change" page describes as "overwhelmingly in support of bringing back the original name"; General Manager Ralph Lewis said, "With the tremendous amount of history associated with this ski area, plus having new ownership and your support, I strongly feel that now is the right time to make this change."