Roadside Attractions

Whether you are a longtime resident of lakes country, or just stopping in for a week — there are a significant amount of sights to see. A common type of landmark throughout the area are statues, figures and sculptures based around a historical figure, military tribute or an animal. They mostly sit on the main stretch of their respective towns or at the entrance to signify something that stands out about their heritage. Here’s a rundown of a few of them:

LARGEST PELICAN

This towering pelican sits near Main Street in downtown Pelican Rapids, standing at the base of the Mill Pond dam on the Pelican River. The pelican stands at 15 1/2 feet tall and was built in 1957. The dam underneath the pelican has been approved funding for repairs and new bricks that are being installed this summer.

ASHBY COOT

Standing 10 feet tall, this large coot represents the largest Ashby area sportsmen club, Coot Unlimited. The coot statue is just outside of Ashby on State Highway 78.

FERGUS GOOSE

In addition to the otter, Fergus Falls is also home to the world’s largest Canada Goose. It’s located next to the Otter Tail County Historical museum along Lincoln Avenue.

OTTO THE OTTER

Staying with the oversized animal theme, you’ll find the world’s largest otter standing in Fergus Falls at Grotto Park, looking out over the lake. Named Otto the statue is 40 feet long and is made of concrete-covered metal.

Roadside Attractions

THE WAHPETON CATFISH

Just a hop across the Red River, you’ll find the world’s largest catfish statue in Wahpeton. Though not in Otter Tail County or even Minnesota, it still takes home a largest creature title, weighing in at 5,000 pounds. “Wahpper” is also 40 feet long and 12 feet tall, and made of fiberglass. It was built to call attention to the excellent catfishing there.

FRAZEE TURKEY

This massive statue Frazee, the “Turkey capital of the world,” is bronze, weighs more than 5,000 pounds and is more than 20 feet tall. Big Tom has between 3,000 and 4,000 fiberglass feathers, which took D.W.O. Fiberglass Co. more than 2,000 hours to complete. This new Big Tom statue first arrived in August 1998, after the older paper mache version burned down.

ORWELL DAM

Just southwest of Fergus Falls, the dam was made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1953. It stands at 60-feet high and 1,355 feet at its crest.

ROTHSAY VETERANS MEMORIAL

This commemorative plot at 101 Otter Tail County Highway 11 consists of a plaque on a stand, two benches and lights that will shine on the Minnesota state flag, American flag and POW/MIA flag. The idea for the plot started from 17-year-old Underwood Eagle Scout Austin Link who garnered support from the Rothsay City Council and other veteran organizations. They helped build the monument in August 2015.

PHELPS FLOUR MILL

The Phelps Mill County Park is open from May until the end of October. The mill joined the ranks on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Construction was completed on the mill in 1889. It was a symbol of old rural life and the history of milling in rural Minnesota.

VINING SCULPTURE GARDEN

This display exhibits the sculpture art of Ken Nyberg. His pieces include a cup of coffee, an elephant, Bigfoot and an astronaut, to honor Nyberg’s daughter, Karen, who is an astronaut.

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Roadside Attractions

ATTRACTIONS

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INSPIRATION PEAK

In the southern part of Otter Tail County is a collection of glacial features known as the Leaf Hills. The highest among them is Inspiration Peak, just west of Urbank. It rises 1,750 feet, about 400 feet above the surrounding countryside, making it the highest point in the county and one of the highest points in the state of Minnesota.

ROTHSAY’S PRAIRIE CHICKEN

The large chicken statue is fitting for Rothsay, which was dubbed the “Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota” in 1975. The statue is 13-feet-by-18-feet and weighs in at 9,000 pounds. It has been around since 1976.

VERGAS LOON

The world’s largest loon can be found in Vergas, overlooking Long Lake. It was built in the early 1960s, with money from the Vergas Fire Department. The 20-foot-tall loon was dedicated to a deceased town postmaster.

DALTON THRESHING GROUNDS

The threshing grounds are located along the Central Lakes Trail. The Dalton Threshing Show has been around since 1957, the weekend before Labor Day . Many steam engines operate throughout the grounds.

GRANT COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL

A four-year development process resulted in this monument opening on July 2, 2015. The memorial features about 600 engraved bricks making up two black granite display cases, seven benches, granite plaques remembering soldiers and flags from various veteran organizations in the area. The bricks are purchased to honor soldiers and the money is donated to the organization to recognize the work done by veterans and veterans support groups. Each brick commemorates a Grant County vet, VFW Posts or other organizations that donated a brick to the memorial. The monument is located in front of Prairie Ridge Hospital at 1411 State Highway 79 in Elbow Lake.

PROSPECT HOUSE

The Prospect House, located at 403 N. Lake Ave. in Battle Lake, was originally constructed in 1887 as a large wing for a hotel, it was renovated as a Georgian Revival style single-family home in 1929. The first house built on this site was constructed by James Allison “Cap” Colehour (1842-1938) and his wife Catherine (Kate) Augusta Catlin Colehour (c. 1951-1940) in 1882. Cap Colehour fought in the Civil War. His experience in the war, and the many letters, artifacts and mementoes are the basis for a museum now located in the house.

MINNESOTA WOMAN MONUMENT

Just 3 miles north of Pelican Rapids on U.S. Highway 59, this monument stands on the site of the discovery of “The Minnesota Woman.” The skeletal remains of a woman believed to be as much as 20,000 years old were found in the 1930s while the highway was under construction. There is now a group in Pelican Rapids called the Minnesota Glacial Women Organization that are actively trying to get more educational materials together in the town to teach people about the history of the woman.

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