Vive La France Monument - Salem, Oregon
Posted by: 
ddtfamily
N 44° 57.647 W 123° 00.497
10T E 499346 N 4978593
Historic Monument for a record-producing Jersey cow
Waymark Code: WMM003
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 06/24/2014
Views: 1
This marker describes the record producing Jersey cow "Vive La France," owned by the Pickard Brothers Farm in Marion, Oregon, about 100 years ago. Not only is the event significant, as the cow produced an incredible output of milk and butter, but the marker itself is now historic. The marker was carved at Capital Monumental Works in Salem in 1925. The same firm is responsible for many of the gravestones found in local cemeteries.
The marker was moved from about 15 miles north of it's original location. The American Guide Series book "Oregon: End of the Trail," published in 1940, describes the marker in the Tour 2 section as being located along the roadway between the towns of Jefferson and Marion. Based on the description in the guide, I determined this location to be at approximately the intersection of the Jefferson-Marion Road and Parrish Gap Road (44.736675, -122.985375). So at some point after 1940, the marker was moved to the state fairgrounds. It is located near the NE corner of the Poultry Barn (by the Livestock Barn). Moving the marker to the state fairgrounds made a lot of sense as many thousands of people with an interest in agriculture have had a chance to see it, rather than the occasional passerby that would have seen the marker at it's original location in rural Marion County only by chance.
An article about the famous dairy cow was printed in The Oregon Countryman, a publication of the Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University).
The text of the marker reads:
Vive La France No. 31916
THE WONDER COW
Held 3 World Records
at one time.
Produced in 6 years
Test 5332 Lbs. Fat
Grand Champion P.I.
Portland, Ore. 1919
Pickard Bros. Marion Ore. |
Note: the "P.I." described on the marker refers to the Pacific International Livestock Exposition at Portland
Click a photo to enlarge
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