Stand Here in Bangor to Have Paul Bunyan ‘Flip You the Bird’

At a certain angle, the Paul Bunyan statue in Bangor will appear to give you a not-so-nice "hello." Here's where to stand for one of Bangor's best inside jokes.

Some who walk the sidewalks near the Paul Bunyan statue on Main St. in Bangor have noticed an interesting optical illusion. At the perfect angle, it will appear that ol' Paul is giving you the "one-finger salute," or "the Bunyan Bird." What's actually happening is his fist clenching the ax, lines-up with the handle of his cant hook.

From the sidewalk of Bass Park Blvd., near Circle K, you can line up the shot. Now you have a stellar pic of Paul Bunyan, smiling, as he "flips you the bird." Greetings from Bangor.

While we're on the subject of Bangor's famous lumberjack, will there ever be a statue for his trusty companion? The idea has popped up from time to time but never moved forward. Back in 2015, a proposal to have the original designer of the Paul Bunyan statue, J. Normand Martin, create a clay model of Babe the Blue Ox. However, allocating grant money for the project failed a City Council’s Government Operations Committee vote.

J. Normand Martin passed away in May of this year, at the age of 95.