Traverse City, Michigan: Grave: Cow of the Insane

The grave of world champion cow, Calantha, is now a part of a 26-acre botanic garden, which is located inside a 56-acre new park - the Historic Barns Park. The botanic garden -- and the larger park -- will protect not only Calantha's grave, but the meadows, hills and wetlands of this lovely area.

Calantha doesn't have to roll over in her grave - her barn and farmland and woodlands are now protected for the future.

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.