Before Paul Bunyan became America’s most famous lumberjack legend, Michigan may have had a real-life giant of its own. On this episode of F-Bomb Friday, Tracy and Todd dig into the strange, violent, and larger-than-life story of Saginaw Joe, also known as Fabian Fournier.

In the rough lumber camps and saloons of 1800s Michigan, Saginaw Joe became famous for his incredible size, brutal strength, barroom brawls, and bizarre stories about his teeth. His legend grew along the Saginaw River, through Bay City’s notorious Hell’s Half Mile, and into the campfire tales of Great Lakes logging country.

#FBombFriday #SaginawJoe #MichiganFolklore #PaulBunyan #MaliceInTheMitten

Hosted and produced by Tracy Preston, Featuring Todd Preston

Story researched and written by Todd Preston

Original music created exclusively for F-Bomb by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Sources:

“Fabian Fournier.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Fournier. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Paul Bunyan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Fabian Fournier.” Sindeuse Museum, www.sindeusemuseum.org/blog/fabian-fournier. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Celebrate National Lumberjack Day in the Straits of Mackinac.” Michigan Digital, michigandigital.com/celebrate-national-lumberjack-day-in-the-straits-of-mackinac/. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“The Legend Lives On.” Mackinac Views, mackinacviews.com/vintage-views/the-legend-lives-on/. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Was Paul Bunyan a Real Person?” History, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/articles/was-paul-bunyan-a-real-person. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Paul Bunyan Folklore.” Hektoen International: A Journal of Medical Humanities, hekint.org/2021/01/29/paul-bunyan-folklore/. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Making Legend Medium.” Reading Is Fundamental, www.rif.org/literacy-central/reading-experience/making-legend-medium. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Lumbering: A Brief History.” Michigan History, www.michigan-history.org/lumbering/LumberingBriefHistory.html. Accessed 17 June 2026.

“Upper Peninsula Lumber History.” Stormy Kromer, 21 Aug. 2023, blog.stormykromer.com/2023/08/21/upper-peninsula-lumber-history/. Accessed 17 June 2026.