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Wander & Wonder
Andrew Krueger

Then and now: Bemidji’s Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

Statues of 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.

Statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
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.