In 1959 the World’s Largest Bison was built in Jamestown, ND. On July 24, 2010, it was named "Dakota Thunder".
The sculpture is 26 feet (7.9 m) tall and 46 feet (14 m) long and weighs 60 short tons (54 t). It was constructed with stucco and cement around a steel beam frame shaped with wire mesh.
The sculpture was commissioned in 1959 by local businessman Harold Newman, designed by Elmer Petersen, Art Professor and sculptor, and constructed under Peterson's supervision by professional construction workers and community members.
The final construction cost was approximately $8,500 in 1969; a significant overrun from initial estimates closer to $4,600.
In June 2007, the city of Jamestown received a grant of $16,500 from the Save-A-Landmark program to refurbish the bison. The money was used to repaint the bison to look more lifelike and to enlarge the horns. Original designer Elmer Petersen directly oversaw the renovation.
To log this cache please complete the following tasks:
1. Read the informational signs and send me the two words missing from the following sentence via the message this owner link near the top of the cache page - He watches _____ and _____ on the James River.
2. Post a picture of yourself (don't need to include your face) with Dakota Thunder in the background.
If you do not send the answers and post a picture within a week of logging this virtual your log will be deleted.
Congratulations jsho on the first to find!
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.