Mighty Og facts for kids
Mighty Og was a very tall statue of a gorilla, standing about 36 feet (11 meters) high from its waist up. It was once a famous sight in North Dakota, USA. This giant gorilla was first used to advertise a tourist spot called Rawhide City in Mandan, North Dakota.
After Rawhide City closed down, the statue was sold at an auction. A person named James Lelm bought it. He hired a special house mover to transport the huge gorilla about 120 miles (193 kilometers) to Harvey, North Dakota. Mr. Lelm first thought about putting the gorilla near his hardware store to attract customers. However, he decided not to because he was worried about how strong the statue was. Eventually, a good spot was found for Mighty Og along Highway 52. The gorilla statue was made to look like it was shaking its fist at a large hornet above its head. This was a fun way to show that "even a gorilla can't beat the Hornets," which was a joke about the local school's sports team.
Sadly, a very strong windstorm hit the area sometime before June 2005. The storm was so powerful that it destroyed the Mighty Og statue.
Giant Statues in North Dakota
North Dakota is known for having many large statues along its roads. These giant figures help make each community special. People think these big statues help towns stand out in a landscape that might otherwise look similar.
Famous North Dakota Statues
Besides Mighty Og, there are other impressive giant statues you can find in North Dakota. These include:
- A 40-foot (12-meter) tall sandhill crane.
- A 38-foot (11.6-meter) high Holstein cow.
- A 40-foot (12-meter) tall grasshopper.
- A huge 60-foot (18-meter) buffalo.
These roadside attractions are fun to see and give each town a unique landmark.
