A Laughead Christmas postcard.

One of the interesting characters in the Red River Lumber Company’s family was William Barlow “Bill” Laughead, a cousin to T.B. Walker the founder of the company. Laughead contributed to
Red River’s public image, all by accident.

In 1900, Bill, a high school drop out, left his native Ohio and went to Akeley, Minnesota to work in the woods. His first job was that as a logging camp chore-boy, slowly working his way up the ladder as an assistant bull cook, timekeeper, timber cruiser, surveyor and his last position being a construction engineer. After eight years in the woods, Bill moved to Minneapolis where he worked odd jobs and during the interim tried his skill in free-lance advertising work. In 1914 his cousin Archie Walker, hired him to work on an advertising campaign for the California operations. Laughead conceived the first drawings of the Paul Bunyan character. In 1916, a promotional pamphlet “Introducing Paul Bunyan” failed. The general public never heard of Paul Bunyan, he was just part of logging camp folklore. However, Archie liked the idea. By the mid-1920s the Paul Bunyan campaign flourished and became Red River’s logo.

In 1922, Laughead moved to Westwood and became the company’s  advertising director. He filled in when necessary in other positions, such as the first manager of the Westwood Theater. When Red River sold in 1944, Laughead retired to Susanville. He would do illustrations for various trade publications related to the lumber industry. He also did whimsical Christmas cards for his friends, which is presented today.

Tim