In the 1920s an Owatonna businessman’s invention enhanced his family’s business and rerouted automobile history in the region. Sylvie Zamboni, son of Carlo Zamboni, and owner of the Zamboni Garage created what became known as the Zamboni boot. This “boot” was a cover for the universal joint on automobiles, to keep rocks and debris out of the grease-laden joint. Zamboni created a boot that could be used on any vehicle, eliminating the need for lengthy delays waiting for parts. Road rallies even changed their routes to detour through Owatonna for a stop at the Zamboni Garage.

New episodes featuring Rice and Steele county history are posted to the KDHL YouTube channel and kdhlradio.com each Sunday at noon, with information courtesy of the Rice and Steele county historical societies. You also can find previous episodes of A Look Back and AM Minnesota and Will Jerry Eat It?, as well as other videos, on the KDHL YouTube channel. Subscribe and follow KDHL on YouTube to stay up-to-date on our newest shows!

If you have a topic you'd like to know more about, let us know! Email tamara.gruhot@townsquaremedia.com and we'll pass your requests to the historical societies to consider for presentation.

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