Getting to Know Paul Bunyan
One Man…Many Birthplaces
With a respectful nod to John Henry and Johnny Appleseed, I believe the most famous folk hero in American lore is Paul Bunyan. In “Getting to Know Paul Bunyan” we will explore the origins of this great American legend.
This giant lumberjack, along with Babe the Blue Ox, came into existence in the oral traditions of the lumber camps sometime in the mid 1800s. But, as with most oral traditions, the exact details on his place of origin can be argued. In my non-exhaustive research, it appears that Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, and even California all claim the legend of Paul Bunyan. So, to clarify the confusion, I will offer my highly non-scientific evaluation of the evidence on the origins of Paul Bunyan.
Narrowing It Down
First, let’s start by knocking out the easy ones. I think its reasonable to eliminate Maine and California from consideration. Those states are just not worth considering. Paul Bunyan is a midwestern Great Lakes legend. His tales of superhuman labor are not just about chopping trees. Rather, they include many tales of him digging out the earth to create the Great Lakes. Furthermore, there is a another tale of how Paul walked along, dragging his axe, thus creating the Mississippi River. Maine and California just do not geographically jive with the legend.
While I am comfortable with my arbitrary elimination of Maine, I must say that Maine had the best statue. The Bangor, ME, Paul Bunyan statue was the newest and best maintained tribute. But, the history just does not support Maine. As for California…that’s not even worth a visit.
By the way, Michigan is eliminated too. As we all know now, Michigan is full of cheaters. If they are willing to taint 3 seasons of college football, they are probably lying about Paul Bunyan too.
Its Down to Two
So, after eliminating the three pretenders, I think the birthplace of this legend really comes down to Minnesota or Wisconsin. Many posts ago, I had a similar conundrum deciding Johnny Appleseed’s city of origin. The winner was Fort Wayne, Indiana, because that city has the best Johnny Appleseed stuff…e.g. statues, museum, minor league baseball team, and ultimately his grave surrounded by apple trees. So, taking the same experimental design, I traveled off to upper Minnesota to evaluate Paul Bunyan stuff in the area. To provide more legitimacy to the process, I recruited a Minor Public Official to hit the road with me.
In Minnesota, the center of the Paul Bunyan culture is the small town of Bemidji. Bemidji is the very first town along the Mississippi river. So, it only makes sense that the city pays homage to the man that created the river. The Bemidji Paul Bunyan statue has stood since 1937. The Eastman Kodak Co. once declared this the second most photographed roadside attraction in the nation.
My favorite story from our travels was the battle with Nanaboohzoo. As the legend goes, Paul showed up in Bemidji to cut down all the trees in a environmentally responsible manner. However, the mean Nanaboozhoo stepped forward to protect the trees. The two battled for three days before Nana knocked out Paul with a giant walleye. When Paul fell, his butt print is said to have created the nearby Red Lake. Also, in the same park, you can also stop by the visitor center where you can view precious artifacts…most notably…Paul Bunyan’s ax.
Even Legends are Mortal
After celebrating the life and legend of Paul Bunyan in Bemidji, we hopped over to the adjacent town of Kelliher, MN. In Kelliher, the legend comes to an end. In yet another Paul Bunyan Park, you can visit the final resting place of Paul Bunyan. The grave is a large, landscaped mound next to the kids playground. At the head of the mound is Paul’s tombstone. It was there that we learned that Paul’s lifespan was from 1794 to 1893. It was a touching tribute. For the record, I do not know where Babe is buried.
So…is it Minnesota or Wisconsin
Minnesota certainly has a compelling argument for claiming Paul Bunyan. Furthermore, my research indicates that Minnesota has more Paul Bunyan statues than any other state. However, its only fair that we consider Wisconsin…or not. Truth be told, it was fun researching Paul once. I really doubt that I will want to repeat this research in Wisconsin. So, let’s just declare Minnesota the Paul Bunyan winner since its possible that I may not get back to Wisconsin.
Wrap It Up
So, with that lame ass ending, its time to wrap up this post. Congratulations to Minnesota for being unofficially declared the state with the best claim to Paul Bunyan. My apologies to Wisconsin. But, my beloved wife, Carol, only lets me travel so much. Thanks to a Minor Public Official for his assistance in getting to know Paul Bunyan. Have a wonderful day. PT
I hope you have enjoyed reading “Getting to Know Paul Bunyan” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.
Here is a similar post where we got to know Johnny Appleseed https://travelingwithpt.com/is-johnny-appleseed-a-big-deal/
If you to rush off to Bemidji, MN, here’s the PB tourist info https://www.visitbemidji.com/things-to-do/history-culture/paul-bunyan-babe/
