Paul Bunyan turns 50, but what does his future hold?
1/24/09 | 34 comments

Paul Bunyan turns 50, but what does his future hold?


After 50 years, Bangor’s iconic Paul Bunyan has seen his neighborhood change. Does he need a new home?
By Eric Russell
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS FILE PHOTO

BANGOR, Maine — He looms 37 feet over Main Street, inanimate yet full of life: a smiling, bearded, flannel shirt-wearing behemoth with a peavey in his left hand and an ax slung over his right shoulder.

Part city guardian, part tourist trap, the statue of Paul Bunyan is as indelible an image as Bangor has, a constant reminder of the Queen City’s history as the one-time lumber capital of the world.

“Some people say he’s schmaltzy and he doesn’t belong,” Bangor Mayor Gerry Palmer said recently. “But he’s still the most photographed site in the entire city. And you know what? He’s ours.”

For Bunyan, though, who has been immortalized in painted fiberglass for 50 years, times are changing.

Not long ago, the famous lumberjack boasted unobstructed views of the Penobscot River, where timber logs once floated in bunches to their final destination.

Now, directly in his line of sight, sits Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway, a modern symbol of consumerism and perhaps the antithesis of Bunyan’s frontier heritage.

The view behind him is soon to change as well. City leaders have long sought to replace the aging Bangor Auditorium with a new civic center and arena that would attract more commerce and visitors to the city. Those plans are inching closer to reality.

As Bunyan approaches his 50th birthday next month (the statue, not the legend), the inevitable question emerges: Is it time for Bangor’s most famous citizen (sorry, Mr. King) to find a new home?

“They talked about [moving him] when the casino came in. It seems like they’re always talking about it,” said J. Normand Martin, the local artist who designed Bangor’s famous statue a half-century ago. “But he’s lasted all these years. This is his home.”

True birthplace

The myth of Paul Bunyan, a lumberjack of unprecedented size and strength who put the “tall” in tall tales, reportedly has been around since the late-1800s.

He first lived in folklore told by woodsmen around campfires, but authors later took up the torch to spread his stories. To this day, Bunyan and his bestial companion, Babe the Blue Ox, are featured in many books and compilations that detail their heroic feats.

While the legend’s exact origins remain mysterious, dozens of communities across the country have laid claim as his birthplace, including Bangor.

In 2005, a Michigan state representative passed a resolution that recognizes the city of Oscada as “the true birthplace of the legend of Paul Bunyan as first set in ink by James MacGillivray based on the life of logger Fabian Fournier.”

MacGillivray published the first known tale of Bunyan in the Oscada Press in 1906, according to a 2005 story in that same paper. The Oscada Press still features a likeness of Bunyan on its masthead. (Alas, the Bangor Daily News does not.)

Another Midwest city, Bemidji, Minn., claims Bunyan was born there and has a statue of both Bunyan and Babe to mark the birthplace. The city’s Web site devotes an extended page to the legend’s exploits.

Many more cities across the country boast statues of Bunyan, Babe and sometimes both. Brainerd, Minn., has a Paul Bunyan-themed amusement park. Large woodcarvings of Bunyan and Babe are on display along Highway 101 in Klamath, Calif. Muncie, Ind.; Eau Claire, Wis.; and Portland, Ore., are just a few of the many more communities that pay some tribute to Bunyan.

The western Maine town of Rumford has a Bunyan statue too, though it’s much smaller than the one in Bangor.

Dick Shaw, a local historian, said Bangor certainly is the most logical origin for Bunyan simply because American loggers traditionally started in the East and moved west.

Palmer, Bangor’s mayor and an avid historian in his own right, insists there is no debate over Bunyan’s true home.

“We have his birth certificate,” he said. “It’s hanging up in the clerk’s office.”

Of course, Palmer is right. And, like Bunyan himself, the certificate is considerably larger than average.

Cementing his roots

Bangorians — and Midwesterners, too — will concede that it’s likely Bunyan roamed the U.S. during his lifetime. Many believe that Bunyan’s footprints formed the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota and that Bunyan created the Great Lakes to have an adequate drinking supply for his ox. Some even claim that the Grand Canyon was created when Bunyan mistakenly dragged his peavey for a stretch.

But in the Northeast, Bangor will always be his home, and Bunyan’s statue, which soon will turn 50, only helped to cement those roots.

Rick Bronson, a longtime resident and current city councilor, has a personal attachment to the creation he calls “tall Paul.” Both of Bronson’s parents served on the committee that planned the city’s 125th birthday in the late 1950s, and a handful of those meetings were held in the family’s living room.

“They were looking for something that would stay behind after the celebration was over,” he said.

After much discussion, Bronson’s mother, Connie Bronson said, “What about Paul Bunyan?”

“The rest is history,” her son said. “So she gets the credit or blame.”

Martin, who at the time was a budding artist working for a local advertising agency in Bangor, told his boss at the time that he would “take a crack” at designing a model for a statue. It took him a week to sculpt a 22-inch statue out of clay. He was paid $137.

“They were looking for something realistic, something handsome,” Martin said.

The city enlisted a New York-based company, Messmoor & Damon, to construct the statue from Martin’s model. The designer recalls flying to the Big Apple with the Bunyan statue on his lap because he feared it might break otherwise.

When it was delivered to Bangor in early 1959, the statue came in massive pieces that were assembled before the 125th birthday celebration.

Palmer said it was deliberately set back from the road to allow tourists and others to take photographs without wading into the Main Street traffic.

And there Bunyan has stood for 50 years, a historic landmark or a kitschy eyesore, depending on the viewer.

“I’ve seen a lot of the other statues,” Bronson said. “The Bangor one is by far the best.”

What does his future hold?

In recent weeks, Palmer and other city leaders have been busy making plans for Bangor’s 175th birthday party on Feb. 12, which also coincides with Bunyan’s 50th.

The mayor said the statue will be featured prominently in any festivities, but his long-term status on Main Street remains a mystery, much like the man himself.

“He needs a little TLC,” Palmer said. “But he’s still smiling.”

Martin said the statue probably can’t last forever, although he’s amazed it has held up this long.

“It was strictly a gimmick,” he said. “It was never intended to be a work of art.”

The artist said he’s even a little embarrassed that Bunyan is what he’s known for. “It’s certainly not the work I’m most proud of,” Martin said.

And yet it’s as much a part of Bangor’s cultural fabric as any other landmark. Several years ago, when a large Shriners convention was held in Bangor, someone put a fez atop the statue. When country musician Willie Nelson staged a concert at the nearby auditorium, Bunyan briefly donned a bandana.

“I think every city has a love-hate relationship with its public art,” Shaw said. “This is certainly something that people love to poke fun at. But if the statue was too artistic, people probably wouldn’t have liked that, either.”

For now, all indications are that Bunyan will remain overlooking Main Street, but city leaders seem open to possibilities.

“Without a good reason it will stay where it is, but if a compelling reason emerges, I could see him being moved,” Bronson said.

“To me, it would be a bitch to move,” Martin said, laughing.

Shaw said the riverfront would be the most logical place for Bunyan to relocate because of its connection to the city’s historic logging past.

He agreed with Martin, though, that moving the man would be a logistical nightmare.

“If it did ever move, I’m sure it would be some kind of parade.”

erussell@bangordailynews.net

990-8167

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Comments
34 comments on this item
On 1/24/09 at 4:25 AM, MarinaCosgrove wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Memo: To the Bangor City Council

From: Your Dear Citizens

Re: Paul Bunyan's Future

I've always thought that Gerry Palmer's ego was a bit larger than average, too. Eric Russelll must have run out of things to write about and needs to curry some favor with the Mayor. I'm not sure this is the best way to build a portfolio for a job at the Press Herald.

Personally, I've been thinking that since we have the Baldacci Gambling Parlor dominating the area directly in front of the statue (and funneling money out of state) it's high time our Dear City got into the sex trade, too. And why not--Maine's shattered economy--a product of 30 years of unilateral rule by the Maine Taxocrats--could use some innovative help. A new position, so to speak.

Paul could be converted to a giant gigilo, enticing people into a giant brothel to be erected on the site of the former Bangor Auditorium. It would also be a tribute to our native son and Dear Leader, Governor Baldacci, to celebrate his 7 years of overseeing the legislative screwing of what is left of Maine's business community.

Think of the revenue such a facility would bring in to the City! What a great way to celebrate the City's birthday! We can have more bread and circuses with the 175th to draw attention from the never-ending waterfront project, the perenial new civic center project, the fleeing businesses and sorry management failure at the city's other staggering white elephant, the former Bangor International Airport, now known locally as the "Bangor Bumbling Parking Lot".

But I digress. Gerry is a fine and creative fellow, whom I admire greatly. I'm sure he'll figure something out. In the interim it will take up Council and City Staff time while Bangor burns (figuratively of course) for the second time in it's storied career.....

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On 1/24/09 at 5:50 AM, piscataquis_riot wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

you stated it all wrong marina

i'd convert the statue into a giant baldacci with a swinging hammer and in his back a scythe

And look at the glory that his hollywood slots hotel & raceway. don't forget to blast away the hairline!

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On 1/24/09 at 5:52 AM, piscataquis_riot wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Bangor's 175th...lol, more like a day to celerbrate at Paddy's and travel up harlow

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On 1/24/09 at 7:01 AM, Mainesurvivor wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I grew up on Buck Street and witnessed a few memorable events, one being the assembly of the Paul Bunyan statue. I was only 6 years old at the time when it went up, but I remember distinctly that there is a time capsule in place under it. There were instructions that the capsule NOT be opened for a hundred years. If the statue is moved, will the capsule be opened prematurely?

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On 1/24/09 at 8:26 AM, Maurice_Fleckman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

A 40 foot statue of someone who never existied on main street is indeed a little odd.

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On 1/24/09 at 9:06 AM, Bangorian wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Let me speak for many Bangorians and be the first to say that it's time for this tacky relic of the 50's to come down. It adds nothing to our community and keeps Bangor stuck in the days of beehive hairdos (which I'm embarassed to say, some people in town still have). Oh, and for those who don't get around, half the states that border Canada also claim to be the home of Paul Bunyan. As far as I can tell, Paul Bunyan has become a bit of a faux tourists icon for communities that have nothing better to offer.

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On 1/24/09 at 9:18 AM, Mainecommenter wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

No matter how freakishly large the head is or how cheesy its concept, I like it. Perhaps it's time for Bangor to put the fiberglass statue out to pasture and replace it with something a little more contemporary and permanent (like granite).

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On 1/24/09 at 10:41 AM, BobByn wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Paul Bunyan was real and he was from Bangor, the truth lies in the time capsule between his legs.

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On 1/24/09 at 11:26 AM, GeorgeCrossman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I enjoyed the article on Paul Bunyan very much but was surprised at the age of the statue. You see, I was living in Bangor at the time and was stationed at Dow Air Force Base. Oh, how time does fly. That was my second tour at Dow, the first being in 1948 and 1949. Bangor will always have a soft place in my heart. I was born and raised in Bangor and miss it a lot. I have lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia for over 38 years but still consider Bangor a top notch place to live.

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On 1/24/09 at 11:27 AM, paulmarin wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I've met Paul Bunyan in downtown Bangor and I've met his 'designer', J Norman Martin. Countless stories have been attributed to 'legendairian' Paul but hardly anyone can be as interesting to meet as Norman. BDN staffer, Eric Russell, honors both.

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On 1/24/09 at 11:37 AM, markko wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

ROT IN HELL TREE CHOPPING CHOPPER!

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On 1/24/09 at 11:47 AM, wspahn wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Paul was there first; if the gin palace is in the way, fairness dictates that it be moved. Of course, before we can do that, we'll have to work out where to move it to.

I suggest Nevada.

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On 1/24/09 at 12:21 PM, JudySherman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What is wrong with keeping Paul right where he is? If you move him closer to the river, he will be subjected to a lot more dampness. He is not meant to be a perch for seagulls. He is an icon of the logging era of which our family is still involved in. If you don't like the industry, may I ask what your house is made out of, what is that paper you use every day made out of, the magazines/newspapers you read every day? Think about it!! I bet a lot of you are using wood or pellet stoves too. Guess where pellets come from. It is a sustainable resource..you plant, grow, and cut over and over. It makes me think of folks commenting about cutting down Christmas trees. Every year we plant, grow, and cut. It takes about 10 years to grow a nice 5-6' tree. In the meantime, we are making oxygen for you to breath and cleaning the air at the same time. The logging industry is in dire straights right now too. You would rather purchase composite lumber imported from overseas. That cuts into the jobs available in this country. If Paul is moved...he must have a park to go with him and a museum of the logging history. How about up on top of the hill behind Cascade Park? He could watch over the river in high style there along with the historical building across the street. You could make that into a museum and charge admission. Look to the North for history and go South for the new now! You would be surprised how many folks really do care about history...not just glitz and gambling!!

What is wrong with people...don't they realize that they are all part of it..they just didn't appear out of a capsule...not yet anyway!! Bring Paul up here and we will find a nice home for him.

I worked in Bangor during Urban Renewal...a lot of beautiful buildings were leveled. It was sad to see the historical beauty of some of the buildings in a heap of rubble.

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On 1/24/09 at 12:41 PM, palamouch wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Some people like looking at Paul Bunyan when they come to Bangor even after 50 years. He looks great right where he is so why don't some of you do gooders find something else to do like work at the Homeless Shelter where you can be useful!!!!

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On 1/24/09 at 12:58 PM, mainejeff wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The statue is kinda neat and HAS become part of Bangor. I suggest to move it once they decide where the new arena will be......put it someplace where people can enjoy it.

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On 1/24/09 at 1:02 PM, commonsensepeople wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Give the Statue to Eastport so they have something to go with the Fisherman!

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On 1/24/09 at 1:16 PM, MarketMom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I love the statue. Mr. Martin is a wonderful man, very kind and very talented & when I see Paul standing there I think of the Bangor residents who have been here for the long haul and worked to make it a better place for all of us to live. As for the casino, I'd like to see Paul come alive a la Ghost Busters and with a few swings of his mighty axe, drop that eyesore to the ground.

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On 1/24/09 at 4:10 PM, fredrogers wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Mr. Martin, he has always been a brilliant marketer!

50 years later Bangor is still known for the very statue that graces Main St. that has not been butchered or torn down by the, “need to update Bangor crowd”. And most likely the only single positive story this year.

Gee, why isn't he doing the marketing for BIA or the Civic Center and others too? Crazy. Look, have Mr. Martin head a committee to hire the next advertising group for Bangor BIA at least and maybe put together a combo of the local folks like himself who are still around, making things happen, like the Wellman group, the Bronson’s, and the new guys with the Weston kid! Why go to FL when it always been right here?

Hopefully we will not tear down 'ole Paul like we did Union Station during Urban Renewal.

My friends who also read this story, just told me about how over the past 20 years they have had about 35 college students from various counties all over the World, stay with them via a program in their countries’ colleges to come to Bangor to learn about the US, and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, had their pictures taken at Paul's statue and asked to go there themselves, hearing it from the previous group! Also a retired Marine friend of Maine, now living in Germany, said he was talking this fall with a couple at dinner in Germany and they heard he lived near Bangor and said they still have on their wall a picture of themselves and their whole group of travel buddies standing next to Paul, 30 years ago after a night of dancing at the Bounty ! And almost every single International flight crew, in years past, would always make it sure to eat at Millers, Cap Morrills, or Pilots and eventual get a picture taken at Paul’s Statue.

See we have the tools we just need to trust they can still work for us!

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On 1/24/09 at 6:17 PM, markko wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

BEST COMMENT EVER on BDN, MarketMom!

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On 1/24/09 at 9:32 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Say what you want about the casino, but it has had a positive effect on some of my business ventures, and has enabled me to employ 10 people with health benefits. Thats 10 jobs that did not exist 1 year ago. Much more productive than Baldacci's dream welfare state.

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On 1/24/09 at 10:18 PM, MarketMom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Wow, fredrogers, you're absolutely right, I totally forgot about Union Station. I love looking at the old black and white photos of Bangor in it's early days and so many of those gorgeous landmarks are gone in the name of progress. What a shame.

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On 1/25/09 at 12:23 AM, allium300 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I donno - despite the warm fuzzy childhood memories... it's kind of a cheap looking talisman. Not tremendously inspiring. (Do people take pictures there any more?)

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On 1/25/09 at 4:38 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

you know I love Paul when even I travel out of state I've always been happy to see him....and have him welcome me home...not every thing must be beautiful to have meaning and worth...just a warm place is ones heart is enough

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On 1/25/09 at 9:50 AM, Beelzebubba wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Back in college, I ate a handful of magic mushrooms and spent 4 hours talikng to Paul Bunyan.

He's a very complex individual.

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On 1/25/09 at 10:17 AM, pcme2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I say leave it were it stands!

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On 1/25/09 at 10:37 AM, BobByn wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Gerry Palmer is cool, he looks like Paul Bunyan!

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On 1/25/09 at 11:50 AM, Rick32 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

tear it down ... stupid looking statute

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On 1/25/09 at 3:03 PM, ydnar723 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Is Paul paying his rent for that space?

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On 1/25/09 at 7:24 PM, Mainelyme wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I included an escapade in front of the Pual Bunyan Statue in the first yet unproduced screenplay I wrote

I was 17 when he came to town, and he's still a good looking guy who represents the Bangor scene as much as the Standpipe does,.

You have to admit that Bangor does need something colorful going for it and Paul fills the bill at least until I get a chance to return there, myself!

Perley J. Thibodeau

Mainelyme

New York, New York

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On 1/25/09 at 8:43 PM, sldunton51 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I agree, I think Paul Bunyan looks great where he is.palamouch is 100% right! I grew up in Hampden always liked seeing Paul Bunyan. Market Mom is also right. I too would like to see Paul Bunyan come alive and become a la Ghost Busters and deffinately take a few swings with his mighty axe and bring the casino to the ground. The casino is a BIG EYE SORE! Yes! markko, MartketMom's comment is THE BEST COMMENT EVER! WE NEED TO KEEP PAUL BUNYAN RIGHT WHERE HE IS!!

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On 1/25/09 at 8:46 PM, treeking55 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

When I was in the Navy stationed out in Port Hueneme, Calif. I saw one of these statues like Paul Bunyan.Same beard and clothing, Only difference, he was parked outside a Muffler shop and had a tailpipe over his shoulder

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On 1/25/09 at 9:08 PM, cthibodeau wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I am an old friend of Mr. Normand Martin. When I was Pastor at St. Mary's Church in Bangor, he and his first wife aften invited me to their home for dinner, and meet their sons and their friends. Very good times at their home. He is a very dear friend to me. I appreciate the tribute given him in the recent issue of the HBangor Daily News. May "Paul Bunyon" remain wher it ihas been for the past 50 years!

Rev. Clement Thibodeau (Retired)

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On 1/26/09 at 1:23 PM, linda00 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Paul has been there a long time leave him alone, if newcomers and the younger generation don't like him, don't look, or move. Why can't the older buildings and attractions continue to stay. Look how many historical building was lost when irburn renewal took over in the 70's what a loss. Am I sentimental yes I am.

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On 2/4/09 at 11:43 AM, GeorgeCrossman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This comment is on the subject of same sex marriage. I cannot believe that I read all the previous comments. It appears that many people were just posting against one other person. Let me begiin, I have been married for close to 50 years to the woman of my life. I have no interest whether 2 people of same sex want to get married. It does not affect me in any form, shape or manner. Not being well versed in the Bible I can not use it to take any position. Peace for all is my main interest.

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