Old Ben didn’t grow up to become the world’s largest steer—he was born that way. From the moment his hooves hit the ground in 1902, Ben was an “object of wonder,” according to a sign in front of his now-stuffed carcass. Weighing 125 pounds at birth (the normal range is 60 to 80 pounds) Old Ben tipped the scales at between 4,585 and 4,720 pounds upon his death in 1910. Born on a farm near Kokomo, Indiana, local legend states that Old Ben had to rest on his knees to…
