James Stevens wrote a book called Paul Bunyan in 1925 . This book said that French Canadians people made up the Paul Bunyan stories during the Papineau Rebellion of 1837 , when they were fighting against England . According to writer James Stevens in his 1925 book Paul Bunyan , French Canadians gave birth to the tales during the Papineau Rebellion of 1837 , when they revolted against the young English Queen .