It’s common knowledge that Bullwinkle the Moose and his friend Rocky lived in the fictional town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. But did you know that the city that Rocky and Bullwinkle lived in was based on the actual Minnesotan city of International Falls?

International Falls is at the very top of Minnesota, on the border of Canada and Minnesota (hence International being in the name). It gets some of the coldest winters of any city in the United States, earning the nickname of the Icebox of the United States.

Speaking of the Icebox of the United States, let’s cover some interesting history on how our friend Bullwinkle the Moose came to be.

Bullwinkle J. Moose is a wealthy moose who lives in Frostbite Falls. A man named Jay Ward, hence the J in Bullwinkle’s name, created him. Jay, a native of Berkeley, California (a far cry from Minnesota), found an interest in the land of 10,000 lakes after hearing about Minnesota’s own Golden Gophers on the radio. He became a fan of the Gophers and would listen to the reports of their football games on the radio. He heard one player came from International Falls, the Icebox of the US; this is something he kept in mind for years.

Years later, Jay used the knowledge he had of International Falls and Minnesota to create the homeland of Rocky and Bullwinkle as they dealt with the political implications of the Cold War in the US. After creating ideas for setting and some characters, Ward began working with many other people, specifically, Alex Anderson to name the characters and Bill Scott to write the show.

Bullwinkle the Moose attended Wossamatta U on a football scholarship, which was perhaps an homage to the Golden Gopher Football players that Ward appreciated so much. Bullwinkle is also known for his continuous resilience and determination, much like the people of the Northland that the characters represented. This kind-hearted moose is also an advocate for wildlife conservation, which is something we love.

Here at Duluth Pack, we appreciate Bullwinkle because he is the same animal as the friend on our logo. Moose are an important part of our brand, so much so that we have featured them on our logo for decades. Bullwinkle lived in Minnesota, which we especially appreciate because Minnesota is one of the few states where you can see a moose in real life. Plus, we just love Minnesota. Do you want to rep the moose? Try out the Logo Sweatshirt, or our Moose Hat. You can also request a free sticker, which is another fun and easy way to rep the Duluth Pack moose.

Happy Moose Monday, friends!