winter-snowfall 2011 003.MP4

Central Square Mall this past week hosted the annual vintage snowmobile show.
Sleds are noisey, expensive to purchase & operate, and yet are a major manufacturing in the North Woods, creating thousands of jobs. Currently, most ride for leisure, but historically, trappers, ice fisherman, rescure workers, DNR workers needed them as primary method of getting thru the deep snow. In the 1960s, a number of small counties were operational up here. But profits failed to sustain these companies. The big three remaining now are Polaris, Arctic Cat, & Ski Doo. Companies such as Scorpion were forced to close by early 1970s. I remember well the many unemployed workers from Crosby-Ironton MN when the factory was forced to close. Economic depression hit that region very hard..much as the mines closing a decade or more before. dlb

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• vintage
• snowmobiles
• in
• northern
• Minnesota