History buff, Wayne Chamberlain, speaks at Bemidji's "Paul & Babe" 75th birthday celebration

Everybody knows that Paul Bunyan is claimed by more towns than a person can count.  But now, at least one Paul Bunyan impersonator is facing the same ‘calamity of fame’. Or, in his case, more likely the joy of it!

Paul Bunyan Fascinates Folks

Paul Bunyan has been parading through America’s folksy fascination with tall tales for years. While some say the Bunyan stories got their start in late 19th century Canada, folks from post card collectors to lumber yard owners to regular joes, thumb their noses at that notion and point to the fact that the first printed public record of Paul Bunyan came out of Detroit, Michigan, in 1910. Only a few years passed, and Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, even California and New York, had grabbed onto the Bunyan magic, with many cities claiming him as their home-town boy for one reason or another.

Explore the Lore When Lions Roar

Paul Bunyan recently spent quite a bit of time with Lions. It was a departure from hanging around with a Blue Ox, but both Paul and the Lions had a great time!

Sponsor the Paul Bunyan Costume

Your name in lights may be small potatoes compared to putting your name in plaid!  Sponsor the Paul Bunyan costume for the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway Association and see your name on the big plaid shirt every time Paul Bunyan appears in parades and community events or a picture is snapped of Paul Bunyan.

PBSB Around Town

  • PBSBA representatives, Linda Ulland and Lynn Scharenbroich, attended the National Scenic Byways Conference in Baltimore, MD on May 20-23, 2007. As a result of some contacts there, the PBSBA was contacted in July by America's Byways fam tour planners. A fall, 2007 fam tour is in the planning stages at this time.