Carl Eliason was like many people born with a disability; dedicated to not letting it interfere with his fun. Born with a club foot, Eliason's medical issue essentially made it impossible for him to follow his friends and family out into the Wisconsin woods during the winter to hunt, fish, and trap. He was stuck indoors, then. Stuck to see everyone go out and not be able to follow along.
But that wasn't the life he wanted to lead.
So after purchasing a hardware store in Sayner, Wisconsin, Eliason got to tinkering. His concept was simple; stick an engine atop some skis to help him get from point A to point B when the trails, roads, and lakes were covered in snow and ice. His concept was the very first snowmobile. And he made that first snowmobile all the way back in 1924.
