In honor of Cow Appreciation Day, I have two calves for you.
Actually it would be four calves because the baby bovines are both conjoined twins.
The first conjoined calf comes from Honesdale.
On the back of the card it states that the calf was from Honesdale and was recently purchased for $1,500. A little more digging around the library I found that the calf was born on Julius Martin’s farm in Honesdale. The conjoined calves only lived a short time after birth in late April 1912. Following their death, it was taken to a taxidermist to be preserved. Times-Tribune Archives
The second conjoined calf comes to us from Montrose.
This calf was born on a farm near Montrose in September 1955.
Mrs. John Peterson, owner of a farm two miles south of Montrose, is shown feeding a two-headed calf that was born on the farm on September 23, 1955. Times-Tribune Archives
According to the report, the calf was born on Mrs. Peterson’s Farm, which is two miles outside of Montrose, on September 23, 1955. Eleanor Peterson found that one of their Holstein cow’s gave birth to a set of twins. The calf was fine – one head. The other twin had two heads, four eyes, two mouths but only two ears and one brain. A veterinarian said that both calf have a good chance of making into maturity.
Sindey Button, right, holds the two-headed twin calf born on September 23, 1955 at the farm of Mrs. John Peterson near Brewster’s Pond, two miles south of Montrose. Mrs. Peterson’s daughter, Eleanor, hold the calf’s twin. She found the calves in a field on the farm. Calves’ mother is five-year old Holstein. Times-Tribune Archives
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
