It’s Paul Bunyan Day: Why does Michigan lay claim to the legend of the giant lumberjack?

(WWJ) -- In case you didn’t already know, today (June 28) is a HUGE holiday.

We’re talking, of course, about Paul Bunyan Day, which celebrates the larger-than-life lumberjack and the many tall tales surrounding him.

But though the story of Paul Bunyan is known throughout the country, Michigan tends to lay claim to the legend, and several monuments depicting Bunyan and his sizable companion, Babe the Blue Ox, can be found across the state.

Indeed, the hand-carved statue that in-state college football rivals, Michigan and Michigan State, battle over every fall is that of Paul Bunyan. There are stories that the Upper Peninsula is actually the likeness of Babe the Blue Ox, and that Lake Huron is Paul Bunyan’s footprint.

So where exactly did the tale of Paul Bunyan begin, and how did he become so connected to Michigan?

The origins of Paul Bunyan's story are thought to have been formed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among lumberjacks in North America and Eastern Canada, who would sit around campfires at the end of their long days of logging and tell tales of the mythical man and his grand adventures.

During that time period, Michigan had one of the most prominent logging industries in the country, and therefore, the legend of Paul Bunyan became woven into the state’s history just by the sheer number of lumberjacks who were around to spread his stories within their camps.

Paul Bunyan was imagined to have incredible strength and an endless love of cutting down trees with his giant ax, while Babe the Blue Ox was said to have been able to clear fields and paths for Bunyan with ease.

Folklore says the the larger-than-life pair are responsible for creating Michigan’s landscape through their escapades, with Paul Bunyan even forming the Great Lakes so Babe the Blue Ox could enjoy a few watering holes.

But tall tales aside, there is an actual historical reason why Michigan became known as an official home of Paul Bunyan.

In 1906, Michigan journalist James MacGillivray became the first person to print stories about Paul Bunyan in a piece he wrote called “Round River.”

Several years later, the mythical man’s place in history was solidified when Minnesota advertising manager William Laughead used those stories of Paul Bunyan in an ad campaign for the Red River Lumber Company, and soon the legend had spread far and wide.

Within the state of Michigan, large-scale statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox can be found in cities such as St. Ignace, Alpena, West Branch, Brooklyn and Ossineke.

But it’s Oscoda that claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan, having embraced the fact that journalist James MacGillivray printed that first official story about Bunyan in the Oscoda Press.

Beginning the early 1970s, the Oscoda Au-Sable Chamber of Commerce  began hosting an annual festival in September called Paul Bunyan Days, which celebrates the logging legend with activities like chainsaw carving and “best beard” contests.

In the end, Paul Bunyan serves as an enduring reminder of the the rich logging history of Michigan, and a time where the landscape and culture of communities across the Great Lakes State looked quite different.

The next time you’re looking to take a unique road trip “Up North” in Michigan, maybe consider visiting one (or all) of our Paul Bunyan statues. It’s guaranteed to be BIG fun for the whole family.