Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Minnesota News
MPR News Staff

Bemidji police release video of Paul Bunyan statue's arm being broken

An image of the Paul Bunyan statue with damage to one arm
Bemidji's iconic statue of Paul Bunyan suffered a major separation in his right arm. The damage was reported on Monday.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Prince

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Bemidji police on Friday released surveillance video footage showing the moment that someone climbing on the city's iconic Paul Bunyan statue caused one of its arms to break.

The damage apparently happened last weekend, and was first reported Monday. The video released Friday shows a person — part of a group gathered on the statue plaza — hanging from the concrete statue's right arm before it snaps and the person falls to the ground. The group then is seen leaving the plaza.

While the concrete separated, the arm remains attached to the 84-year-old, 18-foot-tall statue by embedded rebar. The adjacent Babe the Blue Ox statue was not damaged. Both statues are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Police are asking the public for help in identifying the vandals. Meanwhile, the statue site is closed to visitors for safety reasons.

“Our priority remains to repair Paul as quickly as possible,” Bemidji Parks and Recreation Director Marcia Larson said in a news release. “This spring the city hired Jensen Conservation to complete conservation work on Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Jensen Conservation has changed their schedule and plans be to on-site by next week to assess and fix the damage to Paul and conduct the additional conservation work planned for Paul and Babe.”