Paul Bunyan and Babe salt and pepper shakers

Paul Bunyan and Babe salt-and-pepper shakers

A Paul Bunyan and Babe salt-and-pepper-shaker set, ca. 1970s.

Paul Bunyan Center, Brainerd

Paul Bunyan Center, Brainerd

Paul Bunyan Center (later known as Paul Bunyan Land), Brainerd, ca. 1955.

Lighting the Paul Bunyan statue’s pipe

Lighting the Paul Bunyan statue’s pipe

Edith Ebringer of Bemidji and Dorothy Blanchard of Thief River Falls light the pipe of the Paul Bunyan statue in Bemidji, 1940.

Illustration of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

Illustration of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

Illustration of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox featuring events and characters from his adventures, 1939.

Paul Bunyan postcard

Tinted postcard depicting Paul Bunyan, ca. 1930.

Paul Bunyan artwork by William B. Laughead

Paul Bunyan artwork by William B. Laughead

Paul Bunyan artwork by William B. Laughead, 1922. From the title page of The Marvelous Exploits of Paul Bunyan (Minneapolis: Red River Lumber Company, 1922).

Red River Lumber Company logo

Red River Lumber Company logo

The earliest known visual representation of Paul Bunyan: the logo of the Red River Lumber Company, designed in 1914 by William B. Laughead. From The Marvelous Exploits of Paul Bunyan (Minneapolis: Red River Lumber Company, 1922), 3.

MN90: Supersize Me: The Legend of Paul Bunyan

The legend of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox is a tall one, literally, in Minnesota. This famous lumberjack first appeared as part of an advertising campaign. From there on out, he became known as the veritable mascot of the land of ten thousand lakes. Allison Herrera tells us about this supersized hero.

Paul Bunyan (folklore character)

The giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan—bearded, ax in hand, clad in red flannel and work boots—has come to represent Minnesota’s Northwoods. Folklore credits him and his sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox, with creating the Mississippi River and the Grand Canyon. But his legacy is complicated. While Paul Bunyan myths celebrate Minnesota, they also leave out the facts of the state’s logging history, which led to deforestation and the displacement of Native American histories, places, and people.

MN90: Prince: The "Hipster Paul Bunyan" From Minneapolis

Minneapolis native Prince Rogers Nelson became mega-musical-star Prince. Along the way, he created the Minneapolis Sound and won Grammys and an Oscar for his semi-autobiographical album and film Purple Rain. He also wrote, performed, and produced numerous hit records. In 2010, he received BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award. MN90 producer Marisa Helms tells us that despite his success, Prince remained rooted in Minneapolis, and became one of the state’s cultural icons.

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