Grady the Cow ( – July 24, 1961) became famous for being the cow stuck inside a storage silo on a farm in Yukon, Oklahoma, in 1949.

Silo incident

On February 22, 1949, Bill and Alyene Mach's six-year-old Hereford cow, Grady, gave birth to a her third calf in a small shed next to a silo. The calf did not survive, and Grady was so jittery that veterinarian D.L. Crump tied her to a post. The moment she was eventually freed, Grady whirled around and chased Bill, who jumped on a pile of cottonseed sacks to escape.

Grady dove for the only light in the shed, which was from the small opening to the silo; the opening was only 17 inches wide and 25 and a half inches high. Visitors appeared at the Mach farm with suggested solutions, the most common of which were a tunnel, grease, and a derrick. More unique suggestions included rigging a pole to swing her out the top of the silo, An Air Force officer said he knew of a helicopter that would lift but it was in San Marcos, Texas.

Three days after Grady's leap, The Denver Post announced it would fly farming expert Ralph Partridge to the Oklahoma to rescue Grady. He slathered 10 pounds of the grease on Grady herself. She was outfitted with two heavy halters, milked by an agriculture teacher who went into the silo, and when she was close to the opening, she was injected with tranquilizers. Many men pulled and pushed and a still-awake Grady wriggled until she finally slid to freedom through the small opening.

Following her escape, Grady had swelling on her shoulder and a bruised milk sack, and she rested with army blankets for several days until Bill Mach noticed her gain energy, saying, "When a cow like Grady starts getting peppy, you can figure she's better."

Later life and legacy

Grady was a local celebrity for the rest of her life. In the aftermath of the incident, thousands of visitors flocked to the farm, which was just one mile from Route 66. The Machs announced they would sent thank-you notes on customized stationery with Grady's picture because "Grady would want us to do that."

On April 21, she marched in the Capitol Hill '89ers Parade in Oklahoma City escorted by 75 mounted horsemen but reportedly "appeared bored by the parade". Later that year, she was exhibited at the Oklahoma State Fair.

Ralph Patridge died in 1990 and his obituary mentioned his heroic cow rescue. Two children's books have been written describing and illustrating the story of Grady the Cow. The first, The Cow in the Silo, was published in 1950 by Wonder Book Company. The story of Grady has also been featured in a school curriculum for kindergarten through second grade published by the Oklahoma State University Extension Service.

References

  • "The Press: Grady & the Postman". Time. March 7, 1949.
  • Townsend, Una Belle (2003). Grady's in the Silo.