Larven Snowmobile

While Nilsson had seen existing snowmobile designs, he just thought they were too complicated. He agreed to the concept of using a single track for propulsion, a two-stroke motor for power and raised grab bar. Since he already had his own skis, why add them to the powered chassis? By sitting on the powered vehicle, he could lean side to side and direct his concept vehicle with his own foot-mounted skis. Since he would first use a very modestly powered chainsaw motor for his prototype, the idea should work. He simply wanted to travel back into the snowy areas to reach his cottage. His invention exuded simplicity. A single track virtually ran the length of the powered device, creating very good traction and flotation in a vehicle that weighed less than 150 pounds. Of course, once his caterpillar-like device became known and he started to produce the Larven commercially, he needed more power. Eventually he opted for a larger Husqvarna motor. Lenko, a manufacturer of machinery used in forestry, eventually produced the Larven snow machine, with an estimated production of 4,500 units. With its lightweight, easy maneuverability and compact size, the Larven was used by various armed forces. Today, production has ceased but you can still find some parts available. Story by: Jerry Bassett

Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum News Release-2023 On September 22, 2023 the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced it would be generously awarding the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum in Naubinway an $8750 grant for operational support during 2024. MACC uses a peer review process to award grants. More than 700 organizations across the state applied for funding. Each grant application is competitively judged; awardees are chosen to ensure Michigan residents and visitors have access to the most authentic aspects of local arts and culture. Organizations receiving a grant award from MACC/NEA are required to match those funds with other public or private dollars. The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum receives a great deal of donated monetary support through its memberships and visitors and plans to use these funds to match the MACC grant award. There are 141 active museum members not including lifetime members and more than 7000 visitors just last year.

The museum has plans to bring more local art-related activities to our conference room and develop a program for groups with special needs. This support will go toward the cost of wages and advertising for these activities. On Sept 20, 2019, The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum was awarded a grant of $12,500 for Operational Support from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA – ART WORKS). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 561 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2019 funding. The grant requires a 1:1 match and helped the museum leverage the $12,500 of support from its annual income and the many donations from supporters. In particular the museum has received grants from the Graymont Community Economic Development Fund and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. It has also received significant donations from the Antique Snowmobile Club of America, The Midwest Vintage Snowmobile Shows, Inc., many snowmobile clubs, several recreational and snowmobile shows, the museum’s internal $1,000.00 Challenge, and many museum members. The grant funds will be applied to museum operating costs. Applicable costs include internal operations, marketing, travel to shows within the State of Michigan and cost of employees. The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant applicant to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences. A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at (517) 241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts