Bemidji (Buh-mih-gee) is located in Beltrami county, Minnesota, near to lake Itasca where the Mississippi River starts. Because of this, it is considered the first settlement along the Mississippi River. It is built between Lake Irving and the eponymous Lake Bemidji. The name "Bemidji" itself comes from the Ojibwe word "Buh-mid-ji-ga-maug" (also rendered "Bemijigamaag") which means "a lake with crossing waters" after the Lake Bemidji/Irving narrows. Located here is a 1930 statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, the first of the pair to ever be created. Because of this, Bemidji has the honor of being a hometown of the legendary lumberjack. It is also interesting to note that in American folklore, specifically in Ojibwe retellings of Paul's exploits, he is also responsible for the creation of Lake Bemidji. In the specific story, the Ojibwe folk hero Nanabozho fought against Paul Bunyan over his exploitation of the forest. In the struggle, Paul's rear end created a crater, which would fill with water and become Lake Bemidji.