Bessie the Holstein

Bessie is a milk cow. Holsteins began to appear in Livingston County in the 1880s, and the county became a leader in selling these black and white dairy cows throughout the Midwest. These cows can produce about 2900 gallons of milk. In the late 1800s, the Brighton Argus repeatedly advised property owners to be more responsible in caring for their cows and cattle and to help keep the streets clean. Animals were found in the cemetery eating the tall grass, and because cemeteries were not mowed at the time, such animals were taken to the impoundment pen at the northeast corner of St. Paul St. and Grand River Ave., where citizens had to pay to have them released.

Brighton, Michigan · United States