Found: World's Record Black Bear, Glidden, WI

Found: World's Record Black Bear. 665 lbs. dressed. Shot 5 miles east of Glidden, Wis.
by 2 Milwaukee hunters: Otto Hedbany and Donal Streable. Now on display in
Glidden, Wis., for the public to see.
Photo and Published by G R Brown Co. 2329 Kane Rd. Eu Claire, Wisconsin 54703. Circa 1963.

Putting a stuffed bear on display on main street in mid-century small town Wisconsin helped spread the word that Glidden was the best place in Wisconsin to hunt the animals. Black bear open hunting season is usually in September in this region famous for its black bear population. When this large bear was shot dead and dragged from the woods by seven men near Glidden, Wisconsin, the town began calling itself the "Black Bear Capital of the World." The high school made the black bear its mascot and the Chamber of Commerce bought the stuffed bear in 1964 and kept it on permanent display ever since. Though logging and the railroad brought people to Glidden, changing times made snowmobiling, an annual toilet seat race, hiking and other recreational activities the big draw these days. A north woodsy company called Winter Woods markets wreaths, pine cones, birch bark, mosses, and twigs to craft stores and florists and today is among the largest employers in the town.