Akeley’s claim as Paul Bunyan’s birthplace

The heyday of the Red River Lumber Company was from 1900-1915.

The largest sawmill in the state was located in Akeley, and town’s population surged between 3,000 and 4,000.

The Red River Lumber Company sat on the shores of 11th Crow Wing Lake.

While there are more than a dozen locations that claim to be Paul Bunyan’s birthplace, including Bemidji and Brainerd, Akeley has a giant cradle next to the statue.

Akeley historian Frank Lamb said the cradle was built after a group of people got together in 1949. As part of the first Paul Buyan Days celebration, they wanted something to show it was his birthplace.

“The reason Akeley is Paul Bunyan’s birthplace is because the first printed word about him happened when the Red River Lumber Company used Paul Bunyan in advertising with a picture of their version of Paul Bunyan telling how the Red River Lumber Company was his logging company,” he said. “Before, the stories about Paul Bunyan were just by word of mouth. So Akeley was the birthplace of the printed word about him. We claimed him because he had to be born somewhere, even though the stories had been going on for a long time. He must have been a big baby, so we built a big cradle.”

The Paul Bunyan statue was created in the mid-1980s by Akeley area resident Dean Krotzer, with help from his sons and one son-in-law.

Ever since, the area around the statue has been known as Paul’s Patio.

Lamb grew up in Akeley. Now retired, he often volunteers at Paul Bunyan Historical Museum, on the boardwalk behind the statue, that houses much of Akeley’s history.

He said his mother, Frances Lamb, was instrumental in getting the museum up and running.

Learn more about Paul Bunyan and Akeley’s logging history at the Paul Bunyan Historical Museum. Founded in 1984, admission is free.

Memorabilia about Paul Bunyan includes some of the early advertising featuring the famous lumberjack and a collection of Paul Bunyan Days buttons. The museum contains an interesting collection of pictures and artifacts portraying early Akeley history. When staffed by volunteers, the museum is open daily from 1-4 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Visit http://www.akeleymn.com/pbhs for more information.