Presidential Bovine

Her name was Pauline Wayne. She weighed 1,500 pounds. She was black and white. She produced a remarkable 8 gallons of milk a day—25 percent more than usual. And President William Howard Taft loved her. Pauline became the subject of a nationwide search in September of 1911 when her private cattle car—meant for a dairy expo in her home state of Wisconsin—disappeared. Pictures of Taft prove he was a large man, and his tastes were voracious for milk, butter, cream and cheese. It was just sensible that Taft’s family needed a cow, and here came Pauline, a gift from Wisconsin senator and dairy farmer Issac Stephenson. She grazed on the White House lawn and became a nationwide hit. A Celebrity Cow! Many begged for her to visit fairs and expos around the country and President Taft always refused, until he lent her out in honor of Sen. Stephenson. But then she disappeared. The search went on for two days. Finally, it was discovered she’d been sent to a slaughterhouse in Chicago! But they found her in time and saved her and sent her back to the White House where she produced copious amounts of milk throughout the Taft Administration!