Champion Cow Graves

The Humboldt County Fairgrounds in this small Californian town are home to the burial sites of three bonafide bovine winners. For much of the mid-20th century, Ferndale was primarily a farming community and its residents were particularly proud of their dairy cows—so proud, in fact, that the resting places of three prized specimens are honored with special headstones here. 

Silken Lady’s Ruby of F., Challengers Joyce VG, and Sunny King Berna were all butterfat champion cows that reigned from the 1950s through 1970s. Each cow was assessed by the quantity of butterfat they produced in a year (a whopping 10,936 pounds, in Sunny King Berna’s case), which is displayed on their gravestones.