Alex Hood

Nov 414 min read

Paul Bunyan: America's Fave Giant

The Legend of Paul Bunyan + Babe the Big Blue Ox

This Monday we have a very interesting #MysteriousMichiganMondays and excerpt about “Saginaw Joe” of Saginaw Michigan! As well as some fun legends of Paul right here in Michigan!!!

Welcome back, FairyFindrs, to the enchanted land of Marvelous Magical Miniatures!

As you all know very well by now, I'm a huge lover of fairy tales and folklore, and one of my earliest memories of being captivated by a fairy tale, was the story of Paul Bunyan & Babe the Big Blue Ox! I hope you have some time to sit down and enjoy this one, because its a long one and we go on a super deep-dive into the Life and Legend of Paul Bunyan and Babe, his best friend and trusty giant blue Ox.

(Image Credit: Caleb Morris)

I remember going to see GIANT statues of Paul Bunyan + Babe, at Castle Rock in St. Ignace, Michigan with my family when me and my brother were little. We may have gone more than once, but I distinctly remember at least one time! I remember my brother and I were fighting the whole drive there, but once we got there, imaginations captivated by the magic and wonder of it all, any troubles we were having seemed to melt away.

(I’ll upload a picture of my family at the Paul Bunya statue at Castle Rock one of these days when I find it!)

Fun Facts About Paul:

Being a lumberjack, Paul loved to chop down trees so he and Babe make their way across North America traveling, chopping, and exploring, leaving behind some

of the most notable North American landmarks! Here's a few fun facts about our friend Paul:

He was so big as a baby, he used Saginaw Bay as a bathtub, and later enlarged it into Lake Huron
He was over 888lbs and taller than the tallest trees on Earth
Paul and Babe were responsible for the deforestation of the area that would become North and South Dakota, for farming purposes
Paul made Mount Hood by piling up stones to extinguish a campfire
By Dragging his axe across the ground as he and Babe walked to Arizona, Paul creates the Grand Canyon
Paul and Babe’s footprints in the wetlands of Minnesota filled with water and formed the 10,000 Lakes
Paul and Babe dug several waterways, including the Missouri River and the Puget Sound, to ship his lumber
With the heel of his boot, Paul dug Lake Michigan and Lake Superior as a watering hole for Babe the Ox
For a shower, Paul created the Yellowstone National Park’s waterfalls
Apparently the Mississippi River was created by accident when Babe fell over and dropped a bucket of water he was carrying
One day while rough housing together, babe and Paul created a mess as they crumbled the ground beneath them, forming what we know now as the Grand Teton Mountain Range
And when babe passed away, his burial mound became known as the Black Hills of South Dakota

Here are a few more fun facts about Paul and Babe

according to the Bemidji, MN tourist bureau.

Paul Bunyan was 63 axe handles tall (according to Disney's Paul Bunyan cartoon theme song as well as folklore accounts)
Paul Bunyan had a frying pan that covered an area of one acre, which was used to make pancakes. The cooks greased the pan by ice skating across the griddle with sides of bacon strapped to their skates.
Babe was 42 axe handles wide from the tip of one horn to the tip of the other horn.
It took a crow a day to fly from one Babe’s horn tips to the other.
Babe could eat 30 bales of hay, wires and all, in a day.
Paul Bunyan once trained giant 2,000 pound ants. Each ant could each do the work of 50 men.

History:

The folks of Bangor, Maine, claim the city as not only the birthplace of the lumber industry, but the birthplace of Paul Bunyan, as well. There, Paul Bunyan Day is celebrated on February 12th, the supposed date of his birth in 1834. However, the residents of Bemidji, Minnesota & Oscoda, Michigan also claim it was their town, that the larger-than-life lumberjack was born.

Legend has it that Paul already weighed over 156 pounds, at the time of his birth, and it took 5 giant storks to carry him to his parents!! If baby Paul didn't get enough to eat, his stomach would grumble and cause earthquakes! When he was a baby, he played with an axe and saw like any other baby would with normal toys. For his first birthday, his father gave him Babe as a gift, and together they grew giant and strong.

Oral Tradition- North American & Canadian Loggers:

The legend of Paul and Babe go back in both American and Canadian folklore history, to a time where white British men were coming over to the Americas and settling on the land. Paul Bunyan may as well be the God of the Lumberjacks, and was most likely originated as a folk tale told among North American loggers as early as the 1880's in Wisconsin, Michigan, and the midwest, as well as spreading north to Canada too.

In The Media:

Literature:

According to Wikipedia, the first known written mention of Paul Bunyan "was in March 17, 1893, issue of Gladwin County Record. Under the local news section for the area of Beaverton, it reads, "Paul Bunion [sic] is getting ready while the water is high to take his drive out."[11] This line was presumably an inside joke, as it appeared over fifteen years before any commercial use of the Paul Bunyan name. At the time, few of the general public would have known who Paul Bunyan was."

A few years later in 1904, an uncredited 1904 editorial in the Duluth News Tribune which recounts the first Paul Bunyan story to be written down, the following is a quote from that newspaper:

His pet joke and the one with which the green horn at the camp is sure to be tried, consists of a series of imaginative tales about the year Paul Bunyan lumbered in North Dakota. The great Paul is represented as getting out countless millions of timber in the year of the "blue snow". The men's shanty in his camp covered a half section, and the mess camp was a stupendous affair. The range on which an army of cookees prepared the beans and "red horse" was so long that when the cook wanted to grease it up for the purpose of baking the wheat cakes in the morning, they strapped two large hams to his feet and started him running up and down a half mile of black glistening stove top.[12]

In 1906, the earliest printed and credited mention to Paul Bunyan was in a Michigan-based publication. “Round River” by James MacGillivray was published in “The Press” in Oscoda, Michigan, and goes on to tell several popular Paul Bunyan myths, legends, and stories.

A few years later, James MacGillivray collaborated with a poet, Douglas Malloch, to expand on these folk tales and publish them in the American Lumberman magazine in 1914, presenting it to a much larger audience and helping to spread the Bunyan legend.

(Please be forewarned if you go looking for these stories, some of them have extremely racist elements, referring to black folks both as "negros" and "coons" at times)

Believe it or not, MacGillivray doesn't mention Babe, the giant Ox, at all. In fact, Babe wasn't a part of the Paul Bunyan story at all until later iterations of the story popularized by William B. Laughead in 1914. Fun fact: the earliest adaptations with Babe the Giant Ox shows him as Pink, not Blue.

It wasn't until Laughead's stories of Paul Bunyan, that Paul, Babe, and all of the other animals that Paul cares for became literal giants. In all the previous stories and folklore about Paul Bunyan, he wasn't towering above the trees; but standing around 7 feet tall, he was much taller and stronger than all of the other lumberjacks in camp. A face was never put to the name until 1914 when Red River Lumber Co. trademarked Paul's face as a logo because they were "doing jobs so big that they would need to call for Paul Bunyan" so the story goes.

(Paul Bunyan walking with an axe over his shoulder and whistling. He is accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox who is carrying several people on his back. Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images)

In 1912, a university student in Wisconsin, Miss Stewart, started collecting and writing down stories of Paul Bunyan from loggers in Wisconsin and Michigan. Her father was a logger, so she grew up around them and hearing stories and folklore about Paul her whole childhood, kind of like me. She became fascinated and wanted to prove his existence was more than just a taller than life folktale.

Cartoons & Movies:

In 1958, Disney released a 17 minute long short film by the name "Paul Bunyan" you can watch the full thing here on YouTube.

Paul Bunyan's Family:

Paul was found to have an estranged younger brother who went by "Cordwood Pete". He didn't like living in his brother's shadow, (metaphorically and physically) therefore, he left home and never returned, so he could make a name for himself without living up to the expectations and standards of his brother and what everyone else expected of him.

He was found to be Paul Bunyan's younger brother one day, and the story goes that he confessed being related once others found out, and proceeded to say that he never got the chance to grow as a boy since Paul ate most of the food they both needed to grow, leaving Pete at only 4' 9" and under 100 pounds. He didn't let his size stop him though, he became known as one of the strongest and quickest lumberjacks around.

Paul had a wife, Mrs. Bunyan, who was said to be one of the cooks at the logging camp run by Paul. They had a son named Jean.

Paul's Pets:

Babe the Blue Ox
Benny The Little Blue Ox
Lucy the Cow - not related to Babe or Benny, she didn't join the family until long after Babe and Benny.

The Possible Real-Life Paul Bunyan: "Saginaw Joe"

On Nov. 6, 2006, Michigan officially designated Oscoda as the “true birthplace of the legend of Paul Bunyan as first set in ink by James MacGillivray.” There were several folks who could have possibly been the OG Paul, but there is one man, Fabian "Saginaw Joe" Fournier, who many folklorists and historians have coined the "real Paul Bunyan".

(Image: Fabian "Saginaw Joe" Fournier)

Saginaw Joe was a super tall and strong French Canadian lumberjack, who was rumored to have two sets of teeth (which is consistent with what we know about the history of giants and how they usually contain two sets of teeth as well as 6 fingers and toes, and tower considerably taller than most other homo-sapiens), and stood over 7 feet tall. Joe was raised in Quebec, and after the Civil War, he moved right here to Michigan, Saginaw to be exact, to work in the huge logging operations that were here in the 1880's.

After moving to Michigan, Joe quickly made a name for himself in Saginaw County, (which extended from Saginaw all the way up to Mackinac at that time) as an incredible, strong, and efficient logger! He continuously impressed his fellow lumberjacks with the humongous size of his hands, and his thumbs were said to be as long as his other fingers! It was rumored that he could cut down trees with just one swing of the axe! In the late 1800's, lumberjacks were beginning to clear out much of the old growth and ancient Michigan forests, and Joe was said to be one of the men on the crews working hard to cut down and produce lumber with Michigan's ancient trees!

(Two loggers sit atop a massive eight-foot-wide stump in Falk Woods,

in the Upper Peninsula, in 1907- Photo Courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

There have been others who have contested this theory, however, such as Michael Edmunds in his 2009 book, Out of the Northwoods: The Many Lives of Paul Bunyan, in which he argues that the legend and stories of Paul Bunyan are far more likely to predate the life of Saginaw Joe completely.

The book recounts several first person accounts of meeting Paul Bunyan, along with the folklore stories, and telling the reader how the legend has changed and grown bigger and more magical with each passing year.

So, what do you think, FairyFindrs, was Saginaw Joe the "Real Paul Bunyan"?

Paul Bunyan Attractions + Tourist Destinations:

Maine:

Bangor:

Bangor, Maine was the first place to claim that they were the rightful birthplace of Paul Bunyan, and it is the home of a 31 foot, 3,700 lb statue with a fiberglass and metal frame which has been hurricane-proofed to withstand 110 mph winds.

According to RoadsideAmerica "The Chamber of Commerce sells copies of Bangor's official Bunyan song, "The Ballad of Paul Bunyan," by Joe Pickering, which garnered the 1997 Country Music Association's "Comedy Song of the Year" award."

Michigan:

Being a Michigan native, I grew up hearing about Paul Bunyan all the time! My parents were also born in Michigan, so the folklore history was something they both grew up hearing too, and they passed these North American folklore legends down to me and my brother, even taking us to see the GIANT statues of Paul and Babe at Castle Rock in St. Ignace, Michigan! There are several Paul Bunyan-themed tour destinations, many of them being in Michigan alone! There are 5 Paul Bunyan statues in Michigan alone, and I've only ever seen one of them... guess I have some road tripping to do!

Castle Rock- St. Ignace- Paul Bunyan & Babe Statues:

Handcrafted by Calvin Tamlyn around 1958, Paul Bunyan and Babe statues were erected at the foot of Castle Rock (an ancient lookout of the Ojibway tribe, who called it “Pontiac’s Lookout”), becoming a tourist destination spot seen by Michiganders and others from out of state who came to see the Large Lumberjack for themselves. Sitting at 15 feet high, and 8 feet high, Paul and Babe at Castle Rock is arguably the most famous Michigan Paul Bunyan statue.

Alpena, MI- "Kaiser Paul" Bunyan - Scrap Metal Art Sculpture

There's a really cool (the best one in my opinion) 30 foot tall scrap metal "junk art" sculpture of Paul Bunyan aka Kaiser Paul, at Alpena Community College (Address: 666 Johnson St., Alpena, MI), made out of old Kaiser car parts after the company shut down. The parts were salvaged from junkyards around Detroit (see below). The sculpture was first used as a roadside attraction to lure guests from I-75 to the Paul Bunyan's Gas & Eat, but after it closed down in the 70's, the Statue was moved to a museum in Gaylord, MI. After the museum closed in the 1980's, the statue was then almost scrapped, but ended up being saved and refurbished by a realtor and moved to Grayling, MI. In 1999, the statue took its final resting place at Alpena Community College, where the school repainted him in the school's team colors of maroon and silver and become the mascot for The Lumberjacks.

(Screenshots from RoadsideAmerica.com)

Oscoda, Michigan: Paul Bunyan Statue:

Oscoda claims to be the rightful birthplace of Paul Bunyan, stating that the "world's first Paul Bunyan story" came from an Oscoda Newspaper publication in 1906. They even have a 13' 4" tall Paul Bunyan statue erected at Furtaw Field, which is where they hold the an annual Paul Bunyan festival called Paul Bunyan Days Annual Festival. He was originally made out of papier-mâché for J.L. Hudson of Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day parade in 1971. After the parade, he was purchased for $50 and moved to Oscoda, MI, where he now stands tall. He was restored, reinforced with fiberglass, and repainted in 1983.

(2023 Paul Bunyan Days Flier)

Last year it was September 15 - 17, 2023 @ Furtaw Field that included a chainsaw carving competition & auction, a beard contest, food trucks, vendor booths, and a Carnival by Native Amusements! This sounds amazing and I'll definitely try to make it out next year, probably even have a vendor booth since its so affordable (WOW $40!!!) I've already been brainstorming some Paul Bunyan and Babe Custom Dolls as I write this blog post... hmmm

🧐 🤔

Ossineke:

Located on U.S. 23, was the original site of the 1940's Paul and Babe statues, built by Paul N. Domke (also known for his Prehistoric Gardens Dinosaur Zoo with Jesus themes), that were built as a roadside attraction for Paul Bunyan’s Lookout.

Manistique:

Standing at 15 feet tall, the Manistieque Paul Bunyan was originally built in 1960 to commemorate the Manistique Centennial. The 43' tall plywood cutout was blown down in a storm and suffered irreparable damage in the early 1970s. It was later replaced with a 15-foot fiberglass statue, standing proudly in front of the Schoolcraft County Chamber of Commerce on U.S. 2.

Minnesota:

Akeley:

Paul Bunyan legends state that the 10,000 Lakes in Minnesota were created by the footprints of Paul and Babe, and they ended up filling with water after the footprints were left behind. So, naturally, Minnesota will have tons of Paul Bunyan Tourist Attractions for you to check out. You can visit the World's Largest Paul Bunyan statue (pictured below), unveiled in 1985 during Paul Bunyan Days, in Akeley, MN, where folks can climb up into his giant hand for a photo op! You can also go visit the Akeley Paul Bunyan Historical Museum in the same town.

(World's Largest Paul Bunyan Statue in Akeley, Minnesota - Photo by Galavant Girl)

Bemidji:

In 1937, Paul and his Giant blue Ox made a debut at the winter carnival in Bemidji, Minnesota. Towering at 18 feet tall, Paul and Babe are settled in right in front of Lake Bemidji for a picturesque backdrop view!

(A statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in Bemidji - Photo by Lisa Crayford)

Brainerd:

Since 1954, Paul has been gracing the town of Brainerd with his presence, but in 2002, he moved from the Paul Bunyan Center to Paul Bunyan Land, which is a 23 acre amusement park featuring 40 rides + attractions!

Attractions include a 26 foot tall animatronic talking Paul Bunyan, a petting barn, and a Pioneer Village, along with amusement park rides! There's even a statue of Babe the giant blue Ox standing right outside the entrance to Paul Bunyan Land!

(A larger-than-life Babe the Blue Ox statue greets visitors at Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd)

Pequot Lakes:

At just shy of 13 feet tall, short by Paul Bunyan standards, but expertly sculpted, nonetheless, stands a remarkable Bunyan statue in Pequot Lakes, MN. He was created by Josh Porter (Avalon Studios) commissioned by Rick and Leah Beyer (owners of the A-pine Restaurant). The statue is made of a steel frame, with a foam and fiberglass exterior.

(Paul Bunyan statue outside of A-Pine Restaurant in Jenkins, MN)

Ten Top Bunyans

Trees Of Mystery: Bunyan and Babe - Klamath, CA
Exhausted Paul Bunyan - University Park, IL
25-Foot-Tall Paul Bunyan - Muncie, IN
31-Foot-Tall Paul Bunyan - Bangor, ME
Paul Bunyan and Babe - Ossineke, MI
Sitting Bunyan and Babe - St. Ignace, MI
World's Largest Paul Bunyan - Akeley, MN
World's First Bunyan and Babe - Bemidji, MN
Giant Sitting, Talking Paul Bunyan - Brainerd, MN
31-Foot-Tall Paul Bunyan - Portland, OR

Other Noble Bunyans

Paul Bunyan, Formerly a Giant Tree - Three Rivers, CA
Paul Bunyan and Babe - Westwood, CA
Burger-Hoisting Bunyan Sign - Coeur d'Alene, ID
Big Friend Bunyan with No Feet - St. Maries, ID
Muffler Man Bunyan and Babe - Rumford, ME
Kaiser Paul: Bunyan Made of Car Parts - Alpena, MI
Paul Bunyan Statue - Manistique, MI
Barrel Chested Bunyan - Oscoda, MI
Big Sitting Bunyan - West Branch, MI
Enchanted Forest Paul Bunyan - Old Forge, NY
Paul Bunyan and Babe - Eau Claire, WI
Paul Bunyan and Babe - Sayner, WI
Paul Bunyan and Babe - Nitro, WV

Paul Bunyan Day: The Holiday

February 12th has been coined Paul Bunyan Day by the citizens of Bangor, Maine. Legend has it that Paul Bunyan was born in the forest just outside of Bangor, Maine on February 12, 1834. Gifted to the city by New York-based model-making company Messmore & Damon, a 31-foot statue of Paul Bunyan (pictured below) stands in front of the Cross Insurance Center, across the street from the Hollywood Casino, on Main Street. He was gifted to the city on the occasion of the 125th birthday of Bunyan.

Conclusion:

Paul Bunyan has been a figure well known throughout North American history and folklore, bringing a sense of wonder and imagination to all!

Some folks throughout history have claimed stories like Paul Bunyan to be "fakelore" instead of American folklore, created by the industry to sell us on the whole "American Dream" and popularize the idea of deforestation and colonization of the Americas, and I really don't think they're wrong. What do you think?

(Image: This huge statue of Paul Bunyan is one example of the way the stories once told in logging camps became part of tourist attractions in the mid-20th century, starting a debate among folklorists over whether Paul Bunyan was authentic "folklore" or really commercialized "fakelore." -FHS collection)

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