Monday, March 15, 2021:  “Elsie the Cow: A Mooving Tale”

Monday, March 15, 2021:  “Elsie the Cow: A Mooving Tale”

William Hart is a Project Manager by vocation and a writer/local historian by avocation. The former president of the Plainsboro Historical Society, he now serves as the President of the Friends of the Historic Wicoff House Museum in Plainsboro.  Mr. Hart is the author of three Arcadia local history books, including one called “Images of America: Plainsboro”. The writing of this book is what led to his particular interest in Elsie the Cow.  The original Elsie lived and is buried in Plainsboro.  Mr. Hart has spent many hours with local inhabitants who recall the various Elsie’s who lived in Plainsboro, and even more time with a woman who traveled across the country with Elsie. He is also the author of “The Lenape of Plainsboro” and lectures on local historical topics of interest.  Mr. Hart and his wife live in Plainsboro. Elsie the Cow was one of the ten most popular trademarks of the 20th century.  Bill Hart will describe how Elsie came to be “born” at the 1939-1940 New York City’s World’s Fair and how she evolved out of one of many Borden advertising caricatures of the 1930s into the spoke-cow of the Borden Dairy Company. When not at the World’s Fair, Elsie lived at the Walker Gordon Dairy in Plainsboro, NJ. After her untimely demise in 1941, Elsie was buried on the Walker Gordon farm and her replacement continued living there. Mr. Hart will tell how the new Elsie traveled around the country with two local farm teenagers and earned $10,000,000 in War Bonds.  We will learn about Elsie’s marriage to Elmer the Bull, the birth of Baby Beulah, and Elsie’s appearance in an MGM film.  This presentation about Elsie the Cow was organized by Barbara Johnson. Photos by Nora Ananos.