In 1967 it all started when Walter Feutz bought the first Snomobile in the neighborhood.  It was a 1967 Evinrude Skeeter with a 14hp twin opposed engine and a 15″ track.  Wally rode pretty much by himself or with his wife Charlotte on back and most of the riding took place on farm fields nearby.  He also stopped over at our farm and introduced his brother Al to Snomobiling.  The following year Wally bought a new 16hp 1968 evinrude skeeter with reverse.  Al bought the 67 from Wally and they started riding together.  Around this time Snowmobiles were the talk of every one in the area.  Many farmers bought snowmobiles and as the number of machines grew trails started to develop between the farms.  Tom Beine bought a 1968 Massey Freguson Ski Whiz.  Ed Coffey bought a Scorpion.  Erv Skalstad a 68 evinrude.  Lee Weber bought a Wide Track(20″) Johnson 25hp.  Literally dozens of companies started producing Snowmobiles.  Wally, Al, Tom, and many others spent countless hours laying out trails across the area and obtaining permission from the landowners who at the time were mostly farmers who also wanted to ride.  Snowmobiles were showing up from everywhere and since the trails were not marked many became lost.  I remember getting out of bed at 4:30am to give gas and directions to a group that were trying to get home to Hartford.  Saturday night trail rides were started with a Trailmaster (Usually Wally or Al) leading the pack and one of the others familiar with the trail riding Tail to assist any stragglers that either broke down or just could not keep up.  The group started meeting informally and decided it would be a good idea to form a club.  To my recollection the first members were Wally and Charlotte Feutz, Betty and Al Feutz, Tom and Mary Beine, Bev and Erv Skalstaad, and Ed and Joan Coffey.  I am hoping some of you reading this can fill in the rest and let me know so I can get this correct.  There was also the gang from Hartford, including Joe Hauser, Rollie Weber, Vern Barnum, Neal Schlosser, and Leroy Lopas.  The numbers were increasing all the time and in October of 1975 the Club had an organizational meeting and decided to incorporate the Oberlanders as a non-profit organization.
The Organizational Meeting was held October 26th, 1975 at Lisko’s Hall in Huilsburg, with about 150 People attending.  The name Oberlanders was picked as Oberland is the high land in the old country, (Wally and Al were both Swiss) and an Oberlander is a person who lives in and travels through the high country.  Seeing that there are so many nice hills in the area it was unanimously approved.  Boundaries for the club were set with Hwy 60 to the North, Hwy 83 to the East, Hwy P to the West, and Roosevelt Road to the South.  Officers were elected with Robert Horst as president, Charles Walker Craibe as Vice President, and Carolyn Lepien as Secretary -Treasurer.  Walter Feutz was elected Head Trailmaster.  The president then stated that the aims of this club were to identify riders and have some control of order on the trails.  Joe Hauser was elected publicity chairman.  He designed and printed our club decals and provided artwork for the club patches.  Dues were set at $5 for members with 20 or more acres available for riding, $15 for members with less than 20 acres, and $25 for members with no land but all riding rights.  Club ride nights were set at Tuesday and Friday nights and Thursday afternoons meeting at Al Feutz’s yard.  These were guided rides with a trailmaster and usually made a pitstop at Alderly, Thompson, Neosho, or Huilsburg for some refreshments.  Volunteers were set up to mark trails.  The club was on its way and still exists 35 years later.
Please note that this is a work in progress and will be updated and expanded as information is researched and time allows.  Please forward corrections to [email protected].