The Community That the World’s Largest Buffalo Calls Home

How do you catch one’s attention? With the ever-expanding volume of advertisements, commercials, and billboards, finding a way to catch the eyes of your audience can feel almost impossible.

In Jamestown, North Dakota in 1959, art teacher Elmer P. Peterson took a slightly different approach. After being commissioned by Harold Newman - a local billboard advertiser who wanted to “create something big” - Peterson crafted a 26 ft. by 46 ft. concrete buffalo sculpture.

While it wasn't the most conventional approach, this massive creation certainly achieved its desired goal of drawing in sightseers who happened to be passing through the city. Peterson’s buffalo - referred to fondly as “Dakota Thunder” - still attracts visitors from far and wide to our community.

Learn a bit more about the world’s largest buffalo.