There are “Tall Tales” about real people in U.S. history, such as Betsy Ross’ flag and George Washington’s cherry tree. Those stories were designed to make our origins as a nation more stirring, and easily taught and “sold” to the next generation. Explorers and frontiersmen added to the mix with humorous and bigger-than-life tales that spread as the West grew. How much do you remember reading about these fantastic folks?
1) Texas cowboys talked about this big man who had a snake for a whip, ate dynamite, rode a horse named Widow-Maker, and once lassoed a twister. Name him.
2) Believed to be based upon Mary Ludwig Hays, this woman brought water to men in the battlefield during the Revolutionary War.
3) A real person born in the late 1700s, he was a fighting keelboat riverman. Scout, hunter, and practical joker, he boasted to add to his feats. Name this “king” of the Mississippi River keelboaters.
4) You remember the larger-than-life lumberjack Paul Bunyan, but can you recall the name of his giant blue ox?
5) Johnny Appleseed was also based upon a real person, John Chapman. He’s been portrayed as goofily wandering, throwing apple seeds. Actually, he was kind, spread the Gospel, and was careful with his apple tree nurseries. But he supposedly really did wear something unusual on his head. Name it.
6) Whose prowess as a steel-driver was measured in a race against a steam-powered rock drilling machine, a race that he won, only to die in victory with hammer in hand as his heart gave out from stress?
Leave a Reply