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“World’s Largest Man-Made Turtle”

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1982, George Gottbreht. S. Main St. at U.S. 281, Reservation of the Turtle Mountain Ojibwe (Anishinabe) Band

The Giant Wheel Turtle was created by Gottbreht, who owned a nearby store, and is said to hold the title as the “World’s Largest Man-Made Turtle.” The turtle is composed of more than two thousand steel wheel rims stacked and welded together on top of each other. The turtle’s head and neck are built on a pivot that allows visitors to pull down on it, making its huge head bobble up and down.

Writing Credits



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Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay, "“World’s Largest Man-Made Turtle”", [Dunseith, North Dakota], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—,

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of North Dakota

Buildings of North Dakota, Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, 118-118.



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