The Bizarre But True Tale of Michigan’s ‘Timber Tony’

Though some know him by another name, Michigan's Upper Peninsula was once home to an unlikely hero whom the locals affectionately referred to as 'Timber Tony'.

"Hero" might be a bit of a stretch, but Tony accomplished some pretty amazing things in his life.

The Legend of the Upper Peninsula's 'Timber Tony' Calery

Tony was just a normal guy working in the lumber industry in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It was that job that earned him the nickname Timber Tony. But he had bigger dreams and, strangely, they involved a canoe even though Tony couldn't swim.

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Rowing hadn't always been Tony's thing - it was something that he started doing in the late 1950s (when he was around 40 years old). And his interest in canoeing started as hobbies sometimes do - with a bet. Someone bet him that he couldn't canoe around Sugar Island 55 times - so he did it.

He didn't stop there. In 1962, Tony decided to take a longer trip, canoeing all the way down to Muskegon. That still wasn't enough.

READ MORE: The Secret Rock Formation Tourists Are Missing in the U.P. 

At this point, Tony had mostly dropped the "Timber" part of his nickname, as many folks had started calling him by a different moniker, "Seaway Tony". So, he decided that a longer trip was in order.

Michigan's Timber Tony Canoes to the 1964 World's Fair

In 1964, Tony took on his longest adventure yet. Perhaps inspired by the film adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, Tony decided that he would canoe to the World's Fair in New York City. And, he said he would do it in 80 days.

The trek from Sault Ste. Marie to New York Harbor was 2,000 miles, so it would be quite a feat to make it in time. Tony not only made it in time, he made it sooner than he expected, arriving in New York Harbor in just 75 days.

In a news report from the time that referred to him as a "husky lumberjack", they said that Tony rowed through three Great Lakes, two canals, and "some rivers".

According to an AP article in the Battle Creek Enquirer and News from Friday, August 28, 1964, Tony proclaimed upon his arrival in New York,

I'm the greatest boat rider in the world. I'm just the greatest in the world, that's all.

When asked why he made the journey, he said that he simply did it "for kicks."

Tony's story doesn't end with his epic canoe trip. According to this fantastic piece by Michigan Enjoyer, he drummed up additional antics in the following years. Tony passed away at age 75 and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Sault Ste. Marie. After his passing, a friend, Patrick K. Egan, wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Sault Evening News to honor him.

Craving more lore? Check out these hauntings, folklore, and legends surrounding the U.P.