Then and now: Bemidji’s Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues in Bemidji, as seen in September 1939
Library of Congress / Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection
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Bemidji’s iconic Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues are 87 years old this year.
These photos show the landmarks in 1939, two years after they were built — note that Babe is perched atop a truck — and then just last summer.
The landmark Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues in Bemidji, as seen in July 2023.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News
The statues been moved and faced challenges over the years, including Paul losing an arm in 2021.
But they’ve also been well-loved and restored — including a 2022 project — but they’re still standing tall and drawing crowds along the shore of Lake Bemidji.
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