This object may be seen at the front of the Esplanade at 401 1 St SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta.

(Click on either image to enlarge.)

This is a buffalo “rubbing” stone—bison would brush up against it to scratch an itch, help remove winter coats, etc., leaving it with the smooth, polished finish it now has.  In 1968 it was removed from a portion of the British Block that was known as “Little Holland” for having  been settled by Dutch immigrants; it was said that children used the rock as a stepping-stone to mount their ponies.  It was removed with the permission and assistance of the Suffield Research Station.  It was first located outside the Bomford Crescent location of the Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery, and moved with us to the Esplanade in 2005.

This document courtesy Esplanade Museum.