As America gears up to celebrate its 250th birthday, plenty of presidential history is getting another look, but not every White House story involves speeches, scandals, or state dinners.
Some involve milk.
Believe It or Not!, one of the most famous residents of President William Howard Taft’s White House was not a politician, a diplomat, or even a dog. She was Pauline Wayne, a prized Holstein cow who grazed on the White House lawn, supplied the First Family with fresh dairy, and became one of the strangest celebrity animals in presidential history.
At the time Taft was elected, fresh milk was not always something families could easily grab from a grocery store. For many households, having a cow nearby was the most reliable way to keep milk on the table.
So, when Taft and his family moved into the White House, they brought along a cow named Mooly Wooly. She was soon replaced by a gifted cow named Pauline Wayne, a purebred Holstein-Friesian from Wisconsin.
The fate of Mooly Wooly is not known for certain, but she is believed to have died after being overfed oats. According to later accounts, a previous cow owned by the Tafts met a similar fate. Authorities on the matter note that oats are suitable feed for horses, but not cows.
Pauline Wayne took to the job well. In her prime, she produced around eight gallons of milk per day, providing the First Family with an ample supply of milk and butter.
Taft is often remembered for his larger-than-life presidency, including stories of the White House bathtub being enlarged during his time in office. But Pauline quickly became a White House celebrity in her own right.
Her supply was so bountiful that White House guests were even able to purchase small bottles of presidential milk for 50 cents each.
Pauline was more than just a source of dairy. She became a publicity draw.
The National Journal is said to have written 20 news stories about her in just two years. When Taft could not attend every dairy expo or cow show himself, Pauline sometimes went in his place, acting as an udderly unusual presidential envoy.
On one trip outside Washington, Pauline was traveling by private train car when the unthinkable happened: She went missing.
White House officials scrambled to send missing cow reports over telegram wires. Pauline was eventually found in a slaughterhouse holding pen and saved just in time “from the bludgeon of the slaughter,” according to The Times .
Pauline’s fame also attracted some bold visitors.
In one strange incident, a teacher reportedly snuck onto the White House lawn and stole some of Pauline’s milk for himself. Apparently, even presidential dairy was too tempting to resist.
Eventually, the weight of White House life began to take its toll on Pauline’s health. She was retired with fanfare to a Wisconsin farm, ending one of the strangest chapters in presidential pet history.
Her cowbell later became part of the Presidential Pet Museum’s collection.
Over the years, the White House has been home to dogs, cats, horses, birds, goats, and even more unusual animals. But to date, Pauline Wayne remains the last serving presidential cow.
As America celebrates 250 years of history, Pauline Wayne is a reminder that some of the country’s strangest stories did not happen in Congress, on battlefields, or behind closed doors.
Some of them grazed right on the White House lawn.
Looking to see more unbelievable animals? Step into a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! near you and discover more real, weird, and wonderfully impossible stories just like Pearl's.
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