The folk hero Paul Bunyan, burly, bearded, wielding his big ax, stands astride the story of the upper Midwest - a manly symbol of the labor that cleared vast north woods for the march of industrialization while somehow maintaining an aura of pristine nature.
Now recalled as heroes of wilderness and masculinity, lumberjacks in their own time were despised as amoral transients. In this program, Dr. Willa Hammitt Brown [a EBMS resident] shows that nineteenth-century lumberjacks defined their communities of itinerant workers by metrics of manhood that were abhorrent to the residents of the nearby Northwoods boomtowns, valuing risk-taking and skill rather than restraint and control. Reviewing songs, stories, and firsthand accounts from loggers, Brown’s presentation brings to life the activities and experiences of the lumberjacks as they moved from camp to camp. Anchored in thorough and thoughtful research, this lively talk offers a new way to understand a myth and history that have long captured our collective imagination.
The free event will include a talk, Q&A session, and book signing. Books will be available for purchase. Registration is recommended, but not required. If you're unable to attend, the event is also accessible virtually via Zoom: https://mnhs-org.zoom.us/j/83044151814.
Dr. Willa Hammitt Brown first had her picture taken with Paul Bunyan when she was four years old in Akeley, Minnesota, and she grew up spending summers on Deer Lake in Itasca County in the heart of the Northwoods Vacationland. She is a writer and historian specializing in American cultural, gender, and environmental history and holds a PhD in history from the University of Virginia.
This program is made possible by the Maurice Stans Fund.
