Pauline Wayne facts for kids
Pauline Wayne was a Holstein cow who belonged to William Howard Taft. He was the 27th President of the United States, serving from 1909 to 1913. Pauline Wayne lived at the White House and provided milk for the President's family.
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A New Cow for the President
Pauline Wayne was not President Taft's first cow. Before her, there was another cow named "Mooly Wooly." Mooly Wooly gave milk to the Taft family for about a year and a half. Sadly, she died in 1910.
President Taft and his wife, Helen Herron Taft, had children who were growing up. The President also enjoyed eating a lot. So, they needed a new cow to provide plenty of milk.
How Pauline Joined the Family
A senator from Wisconsin, Isaac Stephenson, bought Pauline Wayne for Mrs. Taft. Pauline was four years old when she arrived. She was also pregnant at the time.
Soon after, Pauline gave birth to a male calf. They named him "Big Bill," after President Taft. Later, Big Bill was sent to a farm in Maryland.
Pauline's Big Adventure
In 1911, Pauline Wayne became very famous. She was chosen to be a special guest at the International Dairymen’s Exposition in Milwaukee. This was a big show where people displayed their best dairy animals.
The Missing Cow Mystery
Pauline Wayne traveled to the show in her own private train car. This car was attached to a long train full of other cattle. These cattle were going to the stockyards in Chicago, where animals are bought and sold.
But something went wrong! A train crew accidentally switched Pauline's car onto the wrong track. For two days, Pauline Wayne was missing! Her attendants searched everywhere for her.
Finally, they found Pauline at the Chicago stockyards. They had to convince the workers there that this was the President's special cow. Luckily, they saved her just in time.
Life at the White House
From 1910 to 1913, Pauline Wayne lived a happy life. She freely grazed, or ate grass, on the famous White House lawn. She was like a family pet to the Tafts, not just a farm animal.
Pauline Wayne was the very last cow to live at the White House. After President Taft left office in 1913, Pauline was sent to live in Wisconsin. She had a special number, 115,580, in a book that tracks Holstein cows. No one knows for sure how she got the name "Pauline Wayne." However, a newspaper once said she was part of a famous group of Holstein cows called the "great Wayne family."
