Mike Bosak invented the Bosak Power Toboggan for winter travel. Back in those years, the roads were not as wide or high, and usually blocked with snow. Many of Mike's friends made a living trapping, so they needed to get through the woods too. The power toboggan was a way to make transporation easier.

As a child, Mike had always been interested in mechanical things. He was born in 1912, and went to school to the third grade. After that he left, as English was his second language, so it was difficult to learn. But Mike was always discovering and learning, especially with things that moved.

Mike did many different things as a young man. He joined threshing teams, farmed, worked on power station construction, and on building houses. Finally, Mike started a farm of his own.

One of the most important things on Mike's farm was his big shop, where he built things. It was hard to earn a living on the farm, so Mike wanted to make a snow machine he could sell to his neighbors to earn more money.

Jessie, Mike's wife, rode on the first test ride of the Bosak motor toboggan. However, the snow machine only went 150 feet before the snow machine broke down! But Mike was still happy--his machine was going to work.

Mike's snow machine was ready to sell in 1950. However, he continued to work on it to make it better. By 1955 he had a great snowmobile! It even had a reverse gear, since Mike felt working people needed to be able to back up.

The Bosak Motor Toboggan in the photo is a 1958 model. Advertisments at that time described the snowmobile this way:

• Used a 9 horse power Clinton air-cooled motor.


• Carries two persons over any snow conditions, loose, wet or rough snow banks, plus hills or valleys.


• Works in up to 10 inches of slush.


• Will tow another sled behind carrying up to 1000 pounds.


• Top speed 20 miles per hour.


• Gets 18 miles per gallon of gas.


• Machine total weight is 495 pounds.


• Toboggan body made of hard white oak. It is 30 inches wide and 9 feet long.


• Track is steel heat treated lugs connected to two high-speed steel 3/4 pitch roller chains, and steel case-hardened sprockets are mounted on sealed self-aliggning Dodge pillow block ball bearings to stand up in cold weather.


• Electric welded steel frame.


• Three speed transmission including reverse.


• Cost -- $695.00 [reduced from $745.00]

Mike Bosak produced between 20 and 30 motor toboggans each year on the shop on his farm into the 1960s. His hard work had made his farm profitable, and produced valuable snow machines for winter travelers.

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