Back in late 1800s, lumberjacks came to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to cut down trees
and float them down rivers to over 30 different saw mills. Lumberjacks were respected for bravery and were known to be very strong men. This is one possibility of how the legend of Paul Bunyan may have been started.

The lumberjacks traveled through Wisconsin and made money by cutting down trees and selling them to furniture and wood companies all around North America. To be a lumberjack meant that you were a brave man with a sharp mind and the strength of many. Many children of ages 10-14 also volunteered to take up this job in hopes of being respected and for travel. But as this photo shows there were many disasters in logging. One of the main problems was when lumberjacks rode the logs down the rivers sometimes they would run into rapids or a log would get stuck causing the whole ride to jam and break up. This was a time when many people died on the log run.
 

Sources:
In the Lives of the Early Lumberjacks,