Loving these History Chats! At our museum in Marquette, Michigan we've got one of the first snow mobiles - a snow machine. This contraption was built in someone's garage in the 1940s. Father and son duo built the several snow machines, the first to have two seats, a steering "wheel" and motorized by a motorcycle engine. They made the vehicle out at their camp where they hunted, fished, and rode through the trees on their homemade machines.
It really was an interesting era, when your average person could just decide to build their own automobile, airplane, or snowmobile on their own. Awesome to know that such a cool part of that history is being preserved at your museum. I'd say I was jealous, but then I don't know where we would store something like that in our collections. Glad to hear you are enjoying the programs!
I'm loving this history on snowmobiles. It was such part of our lives as young boys in Wisconsin in the mid 1970s. I can remember running along back roads on the west side, catching a trail down onto Lake Wausau. So much more right away and access in those days.
Very cool video, Our family started snowmobiling in 1966. We had SO MUCH FUN! Both with just running around the farm and trail riding as well as racing all around Wausau, Athens, Mosinee etc. We even had a Rupp dealership during 1970-72. We ran Polaris prior to the Rupp's and family members ran Polaris and Ski-Doo's. Many of us were successful at it and brought home our share of first place trophies. Such great memories. Thank you for the trip down memory lane, snowmobile style!
