US EditionHow 'sky pilot' missionaries tamed Great North Woods lumberjacks
- In the early 1900s, Bemidji, Minnesota, had about 5,000 residents and many saloons and gambling dens catering to local lumberjacks, as reported by the Evening Journal.
- Leonard Portano, a lumberjack and murderer, killed several people in 1923 and received a life sentence at Stillwater State Penitentiary, reported by the Minneapolis Star.
- Higgins, known as the first 'lumberjack sky pilot,' worked to convert lumberjacks, including Sornberger, who later became a rural missionary, according to the Evening Journal.
- Sornberger's unique background and strong speaking presence allowed him to connect with lumberjacks, eventually earning him the title 'John the Baptist of the North Woods,' stated by the Duluth News Tribune.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Duluth News Tribune
How 'sky pilot' missionaries tamed Great North Woods lumberjacks
BEMIDJI, Minn. — Western outlaw legends like Jesse James or Butch Cassidy fueled novels known as "penny dreadfuls" and blockbuster Hollywood movies, but their stories pale in comparison to the real lives of lumberjack sky pilots and roughnecks of the Great North Woods in Minnesota. In the early 1900s, the town of Bemidji, Minnesota, had about 5,000 residents. Tucked into pine forests along the north bank of the Mississippi River, it also boasted…
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