The original snowmobile Eliason created in 1924 on display at Eliason Hardware in Sayner. According to Jona Eliason, this was the design “built from the ground-up.” She said it was built to be nothing but a snowmobile. “None of the other single-tracked snow machine patents prior to this used a ‘working prototype,’ they just submitted drawings with no working machine to prove the design worked.” (Photo by Kate Reichl/Lakeland Times)

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The snowmobile turns 100

Jona Eliason of Sayner reflects on what her grandfather invented all those years ago

Sayner is home to the snowmobile and that’s due to Carl Eliason, who in 1924, invented the first one during his spare time in a garage behind his general store, according to Eliason Snowmobiles’ website.

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• By Trevor Greene
• February 6, 2024