Sidney maxwell
Keywords: Lake Placid, 1930-50, Skiing, 1932 Olympics
Interviewed 02/21/2018 by Kayt Gochenaur at Will Rogers
Photo: Spring 1941. She was a freshman at UVM. It is at Scott’s Cobble House. She is holding Wrisley made skies.
Sidney begins interview by talking about a glass Olympic flame statue that she bought at the 1984 Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She then begins speaking about the photo (above).
Ann Sidney Morehouse Maxwell (nèe Leitch) was born November 10, 1921. Her parents were divorced and her mother lived with Ruth Weed in Lake Placid, before she passed away in 1926. Ruth Weed was made Sidney's legal guardian. Her father remarried, and Sidney lived with them for several years until her father divorced again and she was sent back to LP to live with her "Aunt Ruth". They lived in Laurel Cottage at the Lake Placid Club, where Ruth was the bookkeeper. She lived next to her best friend, Natalie Jubin. She refers to Natalie’s mother as Auntie Rita, and Natalie’s father as Pop. Natalie and Sidney spent many afternoons dogsledding with Natalies sled dog team. Sidney loved skiing and was later coached by Otto Schniebs. She said, "I had an absolutely wonderful childhood in the Village of Lake Placid." She remembers driving with her Aunt Ruth to see the Ice Palace in Saranac Lake every year.
Sidney graduated high school in 1939. She attended UVM where she was on the ski team. She transferred to University of Colorado, where she also skied. She met her husband John Maxwell during Christmas of 1942. Married 1943 at St. Eustice’s. Sidney and John raised their 4 kids in Connecticut. They founded the Outdoor Sports Center which is still run by the family. In 1945, Sidney and John bought a camp in Wilmington which they visited often. John worked at Borden Co. in the Plywood/Particle board division where he sold glue. He then transferred to Borden’s Chemical department, before it shut down in 1985. In 1985, John retired and they both moved back to Lake Placid.
Part 2 of the recording begins with Sidney remembering all the trucks bringing snow in for the 1932 Olympics.
Her husband, John Walter Maxwell II, passed away February, 2012.
Interview audio may be edited or redacted for clarity and/or privacy. Audio is part of the Oral History Collection at Historic Saranac Lake.
Interviewed 02/21/2018 by Kayt Gochenaur at Will Rogers
Photo: Spring 1941. She was a freshman at UVM. It is at Scott’s Cobble House. She is holding Wrisley made skies.
Sidney begins interview by talking about a glass Olympic flame statue that she bought at the 1984 Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She then begins speaking about the photo (above).
Ann Sidney Morehouse Maxwell (nèe Leitch) was born November 10, 1921. Her parents were divorced and her mother lived with Ruth Weed in Lake Placid, before she passed away in 1926. Ruth Weed was made Sidney's legal guardian. Her father remarried, and Sidney lived with them for several years until her father divorced again and she was sent back to LP to live with her "Aunt Ruth". They lived in Laurel Cottage at the Lake Placid Club, where Ruth was the bookkeeper. She lived next to her best friend, Natalie Jubin. She refers to Natalie’s mother as Auntie Rita, and Natalie’s father as Pop. Natalie and Sidney spent many afternoons dogsledding with Natalies sled dog team. Sidney loved skiing and was later coached by Otto Schniebs. She said, "I had an absolutely wonderful childhood in the Village of Lake Placid." She remembers driving with her Aunt Ruth to see the Ice Palace in Saranac Lake every year.
Sidney graduated high school in 1939. She attended UVM where she was on the ski team. She transferred to University of Colorado, where she also skied. She met her husband John Maxwell during Christmas of 1942. Married 1943 at St. Eustice’s. Sidney and John raised their 4 kids in Connecticut. They founded the Outdoor Sports Center which is still run by the family. In 1945, Sidney and John bought a camp in Wilmington which they visited often. John worked at Borden Co. in the Plywood/Particle board division where he sold glue. He then transferred to Borden’s Chemical department, before it shut down in 1985. In 1985, John retired and they both moved back to Lake Placid.
Part 2 of the recording begins with Sidney remembering all the trucks bringing snow in for the 1932 Olympics.
Her husband, John Walter Maxwell II, passed away February, 2012.
Interview audio may be edited or redacted for clarity and/or privacy. Audio is part of the Oral History Collection at Historic Saranac Lake.