Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan is a 19th century American tall tale about a logger with unbelievable strength and size. He uses his power and his massive ox, Babe, to cut down and deliver large stretches of timberland to the sawmills.

In this tale we see the American values of Strength, Courage, Friendship, Hard Work, Creativity & Invention. We also see several stories of the creation of natural phenomena: Formation of the Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone Falls, the land of 10,000 lakes & the Northern Lights.

Stories about Paul Bunyan were known to lumbermen in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and the Northwest even before the first written mention of him appeared in 1910. In 1914, and continuing for about 30 years, he was included in the advertising pamphlets of the Red River Lumber Company.

His strength and size were legendary, and he became a symbol of the nation. He was the subject of poems by Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg. He was even the subject of an operetta.

Use the handout to read

• “Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox”

• “Paul Bunyan & the Winter of the Blue Snow”