Restored Michigan Department of Transportation 1947 Osh Kosh Sno Go in action

Indian in the Snow

by Pat Miller;  MDOT retired

The story of the sno-go, 040904, began in 1947 when the United States Government established a contract with the Oshkosh Motor Truck Company. The contract (N160-2605) was made to provide twenty-eight heavy duty four wheel drive trucks with rotary sno-blower attachments to help aide in snow removal and daily maintenance of the roads. The Sno-go was assigned to the Army Corp of Engineers at the time to help aide in daily maintenance of the Alcan Highway in Alaska. In late 1959 or early 60 the Sno-go was sold to a used equipment dealer in Midway, Washington, which was then purchased by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for $1,846.65. On February 11, 1960, the Sno-go, which arrived in the standard federal yellow color, along with two others arrived in Kalkaska, Michigan to update the state’s fleet of heavy snow-movers. Once the sno-go became property of MDOT, it was then painted highway orange the color it is today.

The sno-go now had a new roads and a new home in Kalkaska, it was now blowing the Northern part of District three, and these roads were from Elmira Hill on US131 between Antrim and Charlevoix County, US31 across from the Charlevoix airport and M72 east of Kalkaska. Major storms swept through Michigan in 1967 and in 1978 leaving the sno-go with new territory to plow. The sno-go was as far south as Lansing, Brighton and Niles, Michigan. During the 1967 storm, Max Campbell, was working near Kalamazoo when he was stopped by a sheriff deputy, the deputy asked Max to blow down a county road to help aid an ambulance with a heart attack victim. After Max received approval from the District Engineer, Max was able to plow the road saving the victims life.

The storm of 1978, the sno-go was gone for approximately five weeks, running twenty-four hours a day clearing and widening roads in the Southern part of the state. When the sno-go returned the 8’ cutter bar on the right side of the blower had the paint worn off right down to the metal indicating it had been working in snow drifts that exceeded eight feet tall. During that same storm while out blowing East of Honor, Michigan on US31, widening a section on the west bound shoulder the blower’s sheer pins gave way bringing the entire unit to a sudden stop. After some investigation the operator, Rocky Morrow, found an abandon compact car buried completely in the snow. Amazingly after hitting the car he quickly found that no damage was done to the sno-go and only minor damage to the abandoned car.

The winter of 1981 & 1982 was unusually brutal and the years of use began to show, so in the fall of 1982 the sno-go saw its next update. As the mechanic, Louie Hunt who was under the direction of Jerry Hodge, were preparing for winter, updates to the sno-go were performed, the rear engine was beginning to weaken and parts for the old Climax gas engine were becoming scarce and the amount of fuel it used was tremendous (100 gallons in 8 hours) so it was then decided to replace the old gas engine with a rebuilt diesel engine, this changeover was done in record time due to the winter season approaching.

After more than ten years of less than average snow fall, the sno-go rested comfortably in the MDOT storage barn in Kalkaska. In the spring of 2006, the sno-go was then called upon to perform a special project as a part of the celebration of MDOTs 100^th birthday. The sno-go was needed to escort the department director, Gloria Jeffs, in the National Cherry Festival’s, Heritage Parade which occurs the first weekend of July in Traverse City, the only problem was it looked as  though it had been setting for more than ten years. That May, Pat Miller began to restore the sno-go back to its original condition on his own time making sure it was spotless for its stroll in the parade. The sno-go was in need of a major facelift, painting began to restore the highway orange color, new stickers and graphics were placed on the freshly painted body and the engine was tuned up so it was running just like new. Since then it has been seen in many local events around the area, Pat Miller even received the directors award for his hard work restoring the sno-go.

The future of this grand old Indian is much in doubt, if sold at an auction it will no doubt be dismantled, having the rear engine removed to power a generator set or pump water. The axle and transfer case could be used to build a swamp buggy and/or monster truck. Not a very fitting end to a long and luxurious career that has saved a person’s life, kept roads clear and safe for drivers and has become such an icon for MDOT. This truck has played a major role in the transportation history of Michigan. My hope is that it can be put on display so that its rich history can be shared with everyone who has driven or drives Michigan roads…