Traverse City, Michigan - World Champion Cow of the Insane

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Address:: Silver Drive, Traverse City, MI
Directions:: US 31 north into town. Left at the rock pyramid onto 11th St. Cross Elmwood Ave. onto the former Asylum grounds, then keep bearing left. The road (Silver Drive) turns into a dirt road, then bends to the right. The grave is at the intersection of this dirt road and another dirt road, near the two dairy barns, under a tree.

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Traverse City, Michigan - World Champion Cow of the Insane

You can visit the grave of a superior milk-producing cow who was the property of the local insane asylum. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

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Traverse City, Michigan - Insane Asylum, Champion Milk Cow

Growing up in Traverse City, we found it very exciting and spooky to bicycle through the grounds of what used to the the state's largest insane asylum. It was built around the turn of the century on roughly 200 acres. All the buildings are connected by a web of underground tunnels. Near one of the farm buildings was a plaque attached to a rock that read:

Home of Cowlantha Walker
World Champion Milk Producer

The plaque listed the amount of gallons of milk and cream she produced in her lifetime. Most of the buildings are still standing, but slowly falling to development of the neighboring medical facility. The grounds are still public. It's worth the trip to see all the old majestic buildings with their high spires and chained-in porches and windows. [Vince Opper, 08/07/1998]

Nearby Offbeat Places

World's Largest Cherry Pie Pan, Traverse City, MI - 1 mi.
Big Swan Statue, Elk Rapids, MI - 15 mi.
45th Parallel Marker, Traverse City, MI - 19 mi.
In the region: Bottle House, Kaleva, MI - 31 mi.

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November 24, 2009