National Register of Historic Places

Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox

Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minnesota
Listed
March 10, 1988
Type
Object
Period
Listed
Ref No.
88000204

About this property

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are the names of a pair of large statues of the American folk hero Paul Bunyan and his ox, located in Bemidji, Minnesota. This roadside attraction has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988. Built in 1937 to attract attention of passing motorists, these are similar to such structures as the Benewah Milk Bottle, the Teapot Dome Service Station, or the comparably colossal Dinosaur Park sculptures in South Dakota. These were all built in a period of time when automobile travel became increasingly affordable and common. This pair of statues are said by the Kodak Company to be the "second most photographed statues in the United States", behind Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

Location

Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minnesota
47.47029, -94.87867

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox

This page lists Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bemidji Carnegie Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Nymore Bridge
Industrial
0.2 mi
Great Northern Depot
Industrial
0.3 mi
Beltrami County Courthouse
Industrial
0.8 mi
Park, David, House
Industrial
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox listed on the National Register?

Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 10, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox?

Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox?

The period of significance for Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Beltrami County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Beltrami County.

Explore BeltramiCounty ›

More historic places in Minnesota

Browse all historic places in Minnesota.

View Minnesotahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Minnesota history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Minnesotahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Bunyan, Paul, and Babe the Blue Ox will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report