Vilas Historical Museum is situated in Sayner, Wisconsin, just a few miles from Eagle River and St. Germain. Situated on the edge of town, the museum’s personality shines through starting with the statues of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe.
Of course, Paul Bunyan and Babe also serve as location markers making the museum easy to find on Highway 155.
What’s in the Vilas Historical Museum?
The Vilas County Museum is small, but delivers big on its tagline: The Northwoods the Way It Was.
Since the museum opened in in 1959, much of the collection is decades old.
Indeed, the Vilas Historical Museum has about 40,000 artifacts, displayed in the original area as well as the two additions. Artifacts have been contributed by various families in Vilas County, so the museum is often referred to as the Vilas County Historical Museum.
Eliason Snowmobiles at the Vilas Historical Museum
Our main reason for adding the museum to our itinerary was to see the first Eliason snowmobile (patented as a motor toboggan) as they have it on display.
Carl Eliason had built it, back in 1924, to get around the bush in the winter.
Did you know that snowmobiles are typically called motor toboggans, not snowmobiles, on provincial and state vehicle registration forms?
What do you think Eliason used to build the original motor toboggan (above)?
According to the museum collection information, the 1924 first snowmobile was built using: a 2 and 1/2 HP Johnson Outboard motor, one quarter of a Model T Ford radiator, two bicycle chains, and two pairs of downhill skis.
The museum also displays one of every “Motor Toboggan” models built by Eliason/FWD. Eliason built and sold 40 snow machines before selling his patent to theFWD Company of Clintonvile after receiving an order from Finland for 200 machines.
More Snow Machines
However, Eliason wasn’t the first Wisconsinite to experiment with over-snow vehicles. In 1926, when the first snow machine races were held in Three Lakes, there were 104 “snowbuggies” entered. These first experiments included:
- Bicycles on runners with gripping fins
- Steam-propelled sleighs
- Model T Fords convered with rear tractor treads and skis in front
The Hus-Ski snowmobile also stood out in those years, due to its twin track tractor and the sled it pulled for the operator and passengers. The handle bars were on the back of the tractor.
The museum also has various older snowmobiles including brands from Ski-Doo to Polaris (quite a few vintage models) to Evinrude to Fox Trac (“For fun where the road ends!”) to Starcraft.
More Exhibits
There’s lots to see and learn about Vilas County in this museum, besides snowmobiles. As you might expect, there are various fishing and hunting artifacts such a fishnets and chainsaws, along with some unexpected ones like a still for making homebrew and a wooden saddle.
Back in the 1920s to 1940s Plum Lake was the softball capital of the North. In the early 1940s the team won 23 games in a row, playing three games a week.
The museum has lots of artifacts to do with lumbering, which was significant to the area economy.
The first State Experimental Reforestation Plantation began in the village of Star Lake in 1911.
Toy and Doll Collection
One thing I didn’t expect here was the size of the doll collection.
The dolls were in various sizes, from small to tall. Some stood on shelves while others were in cradles or on chairs.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
There are lots of surprises hiding between the trees in the Wisconsin Northwoods.
In fact, one of my favorite heroes of traditional tall tales, Paul Bunyan, and his blue ox, were the first things I saw through the pines while driving into Sayner, Wisconsin.
Paul Bunyan, of course, is the legendary folk hero and logger, who, along with his blue ox, Babe, stands outside the museum.
If you’ve read and enjoyed these tall tales, you may know a lot about the adventures of Paul Bunyan and his ox, but do you know why Babe was blue?
Why is Babe blue?
Paul Bunyan’s ox was named Babe–but why was Babe blue? Well, because legend has it (tall tale legend anyway!) that one winter in Wisconsin it was so cold the snow turned blue–including the baby ox that was too small to see over the snowdrifts. They say it was so cold even the fish had moved south for the winter!
So, the question is, can snow actually be blue? The answer is yes — very pure snow can appear to be blue. If you’ve played around in photography you may have already seen what’s called blue coloration, caused by light wavelengths. Blue light goes through ice the easiest, and snow is made up of ice crystals. Read more from the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
But back to Babe. Just like Paul Bunyan, the little ox, Babe, grew to enormous proportions. Some even say Babe was so big that 42 axe handles plus a plug of tobacco could fit between his eyes.
And why would you find Paul Bunyan in Wisconsin? Well, there’s a tall tale about that too. One spring, no doubt after a winter with tons of snow, there was a mile long log jam as they tried to float out the logs in the spring. Not only was it long–the jam was also high–200 trees high in fact!
In came Babe and Paul to save the day. Paul took out his rifle, spraying Babe with pepper shot, so she swished her tail around thinking it was a swarm of pesky flies. Pretty soon the logs split apart, floating upriver, breaking up the jam.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
We visited the Vilas Museum on a road trip that took us to Michigan to see the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum, as well as Wisconsin’s Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum (St. Germain) and the World Snowmobile Headquarters Museum (Eagle River).
We stayed in Eagle River, which is known as Snowmobile Capital of the World®. Our favorite hotel there is the Best Western Derby Inn. After leaving, we headed north to take U.S. Route 2 back to Portal, North Dakota, border crossing.
Who Should Visit the Vilas County Museum?
The Vilas Museum does a great job of curating the high points of the county’s history. So, it’s of particular interest to anyone with ties to the area.
However, for us, the key draw was its collection of Eliason snowmobiles. These first machines created the foundations for the machines we ride today. Anyone interested in snowmobile history will likely spend a few hours examining them along with the other vintage sleds.
Families and those interested in folk tales will find the lifesize statue of Paul Bunyan fun. And in case you didn’t know, the folk tale also includes a son, Pluto Bunyan! You’ll learn more about this story at the museum.
Visit the Vilas County Museum and Historical Society
The Vilas Historical Museum is located at 2889, Wisconsin Highway 155, Sayner, Wisconsin.
Visit the museum online: https://www.vilasmuseum.com/
Take a virtual tour of the Vilas Historical Museum on YouTube.
Check out the latest happenings at the museum on the Vilas Historical Museum-Vilas County Facebook page.
Plan your visit with Google maps.
Discover More Snowmobile Museums
- Snowmobiles to Paul Bunyan: Wisconsin Museum
The Vilas Historical Museum curates the history and artifacts of Vilas County, including the original first Eliason snowmobile. The collection also includes everything from dolls to lumberjack tools. - Thrilling Speeds on Snowmobiles: WI Museum
Eagle River, WI, is snowmobile central, whether you’re hitting the snowmobile trails or racetrack. This snowmobile museum has a great display of sleds and tons of information about every aspect of the industry. - Surprising Story of Polaris Snowmobiles: MN Museum
The Polaris Experience Center is a must-see for snowmobile enthusiasts. From the Midnight Blue Express to the Polaris Thrill Team, it’s a fascinating museum. - Ski-Doo Snowmobiles Jaw-Dropping History: QC Museum
Valcourt, Quebec’s Museum of Ingenuity celebrates the innovations of J. Armand Bombardier and the company that was his legacy. See his original shop, tracked vehicles, and snowmobiles. - Notable Snowmobile Museum in Michigan’s UP
The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum is in the small Michigan town of Naubinway. It’s collection has many unique machines with lots of information provided. - Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum: St. Germain, WI
The Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum is in St. Germain, Wisconsin. Displays include winning race sleds, vintage snowmobiles, gear, & memorabilia.
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