Ossineke, Michigan: 1940s Paul Bunyan and Babe

Built out of concrete in the 1940s by a guy who also built a nearby dinosaur park. Paul stands 25.5 feet tall and weighs 11.5 tons.

Bunyan and Babe look good; maybe they received a fresh coat of paint recently. Pass them all the time on the way to Alpena. There is a memorial right next to them, and if you want to relax and have lunch, there is a picnic table.

Caught these guys just after a snow on November 1 in the new location.

Cheryl Jaworowski sent word that the concrete Paul Bunyan and Babe on Lookout Hill (technically in the town of Spruce, not Ossineke) will be moved to a public park under development in Ossineke. She notes that's where the statues originally stood when they were first built. Cheryl hoped we could verify the weight of the statues, but we're mainly trusting the claim of a postcard, circa 1960: Paul is 25 1/2 feet tall, and weighs 11 1/2 tons. Babe is 10 1/2 feet tall and weighs 4 1/2 tons. We heard the matching specs from a previous owner, who may have been quoting from the same postcard! Cheryl wrote: "How they moved 11.5 tons up this hill in the 1940s, we'll never know! Must have had a Paul Bunyan on the crew! The statues are still solid but need a paint job."

The photo shown here is from 1991. He's the only Bunyan with a loud speaker for a pocket. At the base of the statue we found this inscription: "It is a misdemeanor to deface or climb on Paul Bunyan or Babe."