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Last Buffalo Shot in Iowa Marker

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44793-44999 270th Ave, Rolfe, IA 50581

Located just north of county road C26 on 270th Ave (2 miles west and 1 mile north of Rolfe).

Once abundant with deer, elk, buffalo, and fish, Pocahontas County was prime hunting ground for tribes and settlers. In a short time, a great many buffalo were hunted, reducing populations to very few. A marker northwest of Rolfe designates the site where the last buffalo in Iowa was killed. The buffalo was shot by three men from Old Rolfe who headed west from Old Rolfe into the tall grass prairie area to hunt. After successfully spotting and downing the buffalo, two of the men returned to Old Rolfe to get a wagon to transport the meat. One man stayed with the buffalo while the other two retrieved the wagon; however, after waiting quite a while, the man left the buffalo to find his hunting companions. When the three men went back out to find the buffalo, they couldn’t seem to find it because of the very tall grass in the prairie. In an effort to find him, they walked in circles moving outward from the spot they thought the buffalo should be until they found the animal.

For even more history, visit this post from our blog.

Last Buffalo Shot in Iowa Marker on the map