"Big Ed" Pulaski

"Big Ed" Pulaski. The hardened but humble hero of “The Big Blowup”. Strong and mature Edward C. Pulaski was just the type of experienced man the fledgling Forest Service was looking for in 1908 when he was hired. , Pulaski left school in Green Springs, Ohio at age 15 seeking fortune and adventure out west. Before becoming a Forest Ranger he learned many trades including mining, ranching and logging. , During his Forest Service career he demonstrated his abilities as packer, surveyor, forester, firefighter, and blacksmith. , Ed married Emma Dickinson in 1900, and they adopted a daughter named Elsie. Years later Elsie recalled her father as “a six-foot-three, handsome fellow with blue eyes and brown hair.” , Mr. Pulaski, who is about forty years of age, is a man of most excellent judgment, conservative, thoroughly acquainted with the region, having prospected throughout the burned area during the last twenty-five years, and is considered by the old timers in the region as one of the best and safest men that could have been placed in charge of a crew of men in the hills. , Forest Supervisor, Coeur d’ Alene Nat. Forest , MEN WANTED , A Ranger must be able to take care of himself and his horses under very trying conditions; build trails and cabins; ride all day and all night; park, shoot, and fight fire without losing his head. , All this requires a very vigorous constitution. It means the hardest kind of physical work from beginning to end. It is not a job for those seeking health or light outdoor work… , INVALIDS NEED NOT APPLY , Another Pulaski You Could Count On , There is a myth that Edward Pulaski was the great-grandson of Polish Count Kazimierz (Casimir) Pulaski, an American Revolutionary War hero. The Count was mortally wounded in 1779 while leading his mounted legion against the British. He is regarded as the father of the American cavalry. Edward Pulaski was not a direct descendent of Count Pulaski.