M15 Heritage Route: Who We Are

M-15’s Legend of Paul Bunyan

The legend is that Paul Bunyan, through his journeys to log the great trees in northern Minnesota, cleared the first trail through the great state of Michigan that has come to be known as M-15. Paul cleared the trail in record time with the assistance of his ox Babe. Babe also worked relentlessly to set the logs for the first bridge to cross the Cass River in Vassar. This wore him out, so he saved the residents from their first major flood by drinking the Cass river dry.

The marshal of Podunk, John Gleason, met Paul for breakfast while he was teaching some of the finest bread making skills to our local residents. Bread was a staple in the logging camps and, thanks to Paul, the best bread was baked in the village’s logging camps. Paul needed flour to continue teaching the art of bread making, so a mill was constructed to grind the flour at a rate unknown to man at that time. From that time on the town of Podunk was known as Millington.

On one of his many stops, Paul Bunyan opened one of the first logging camps in Otisville. Located here are some of the hardest oaks and softest firs east of the Mississippi. This wood was ideal for many wood products such as furniture, buildings, wagons, wheels, etc. Dave Tatrow’s (Otisville’s Manager) grandfather has an original axe left behind from Paul’s visit.

Paul Bunyan worked to help bend the steel to bring the railroad to Davison. It was a hot august, so he removed the bandanna he wore around his neck and hung it from the tallest tree he could find to dry it out. This was noticed by all residents and they began to do the same. With the help of Paul, the city gained the nickname, City of Flags.

Paul came to Goodrich on an early Monday morning with Babe towing a load of logs freshly cut from local forests. The village was in the process of constructing their first grist mill. Paul took several days off from lumbering and assisted Levi Goodrich in the completion of the grist mill that would service all from far and wide. The grateful citizens decided to show their appreciation with a community picnic. Everyone came with dishes to pass and games to be played. A good time was had by all and even today, once a year Good Times in Goodrich is still celebrated. (Levi Day's was taken.)