High Street in California has been the path of a few animals over the years. However, on May 16, it paved the way for something not common to the area.
A black bear.
The short trip the taxidermied bear took was to the Moniteau County Historical Society, where it was donated by Kim Miranda.
In 1989, Jamestown native Kenneth Schulze took a trip to Alaska: specifically to hunt a bear. His daughter, Miranda, said this was nothing new for Schulze.
"He had all kinds of adventures hunting," Miranda said. "On that trip, they had flown him out there to the wilderness and just dropped him off. He was there for a few days in the middle of nowhere with no communication."
David Jungmeyer, of the Historical Society, said this is a typical practice with hunting certain game.
"One time, he got a Grizzly bear," Miranda said.
This catch was not mounted, however.
"It was so big though," she said. "I think it was like 7 feet tall."
On other hunting expeditions, Schulze hunted moose, Dall's ram and in later hunts, fish.
As for the black bear's journey to the Historical Society, two straps were strategically placed under the base of the mount. Five California men carefully scooted it half a block down to its next home.
The bear scooters were: David Jungmeyer, Clayton Winkler, Ethan and Paul Bloch, and Brian Hufendick. Once the bear reached the steps of the meeting room, Capt. Daniel Hurt and Officer Benton Fogelman, both of the California Police Department, escorted it in.
The placement of the bear was set for a specific reason, Jungmeyer said.
"The bear will not be placed next to the Heck horse," he said. "Horses and bears don't typically get along."
The afternoon was a unique one for downtown California, but a rather sentimental one for Miranda.
As she looked at the bear from the sidewalk, she said, "This is quite an honor."