lumberman, resort operator, humorist, b. Green Bay. He spent his childhood in the area around New London, and moved to Rhinelander in 1885, where he worked as a surveyor and timber cruiser for various lumber companies and drew up a plat book for Oneida and Vilas counties. Famed as a humorist and practical joker, Shepard recounted many of the Paul Bunyan stories, and his "Hodag" monster hoax did much to popularize Oneida County as a tourist attraction. His humorous sketches illustrating the Paul Bunyan legend were widely circulated. In the later years of his life, Shepard operated a resort near Rhinelander. F. L. Holmes, Badger Saints and Sinners (Milwaukee [1939]); Rhinelander New North, Mar. 29, 1923.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Eugene Simeon Shepard Papers for details. View more information on Shepard and his famous hoax in the Proceedigns of the Wisconsin Forest History Association, at Turning Points in Wisconsin History.

Learn More

Dictionary of Wisconsin History

Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.

[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]