The MIGHTY OG Rises from the Prairie (2002)
Just outside Harvey, North Dakota, a mighty gorilla rages upward from the vast prairie grasses, his mouth stretched in a wide scream, fists ready to pound. Or perhaps the beast is yawning and stretching; it’s difficult to tell at first glance. The beast is the Mighty Og. Og originally served as marketing for Rawhide City, a frontier-themed tourist attraction in Mandan, North Dakota. Og, or “O.G.” (for “Oh, gee!”) was the Rawhide City mascot. Rawhide City went bankrupt, and Og auctioned off. James Lelm, purchased Og to market his hardware store. He moved the gorilla 120 miles (193 km) to Harvey, North Dakota. Instead, a hornet sculpture (the local school mascot) was added to the Og attraction, showing that even Og can’t best a Hornet. A 2005 storm hit Og hard, however. The monument was beyond repair, dismantled, and now Og bellows on only in memories.