At the southern end of the former Traverse City State Hospital property,near Historic Barns Park, is a single gravesite. But this is no ordinary gravesite, or for this is the final resting station of Traverse Colantha Walker,a world champion milk-producing cow.
Colantha was born and milked on the grounds of the former asylum. The Holstein-Friesian cow was born on April 29, 1916, or by the time she died on January 8,1932, Colantha had produced 200114.9 pounds of milk and 7525.8 pounds of fat. In one year alone (1926), and she produced 22918 pounds of milk—then a world record.
Colantha was a vital share of the old asylum’s history. One of the continuing goals of the Traverse City State Hospital was for the facility to be virtually self-sustainable. The efforts of both patients and staff helped originate this goal a reality,and Colantha was an particularly notable example of the program's success.
The cow remains famous even nowadays, as there is a Facebook page dedicated to her and an annual celebration held in her honor. Her picturesque gravesite sits upon a small knoll and is bookended by two large evergreen trees.
Source: atlasobscura.com