In December of 1879 a settler by the name of Glass, in town to buy supplies, reported to the editor of the newspaper that a large bear had called at his home early one morning and he was very surprised, as he understood that bears hibernated during the winter.
Col. L. D. Marsh, reading of the incident in the newspaper, noted that the temperature had hovered around 30 degrees below zero for several days and ventured the opinion that the bear had come up to the house of Mr. Glass to look at the thermometer!
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 317