Cobweb Express
Strange But True: Town Herd
by Mel McFarland
When I heard this story I really had my doubts, but as I checked around it seems to be true. Now days we have ways to get our lawns mowed. You might not be thinking of your grass yet, but I do not think this would work for you!
There was a term used years ago called, 'Town Herd." As was common we had a Town Garden near where Lorraine School now sits that anyone could use. Many had a garden, but there was more room in the Town Garden. The Town Herd were cows that roamed the area, Some even provided milk, but their main purpose was keeping the grass under control, what few lawns there were. A hundred years ago not everyone had lawns like today. In the summer the grass and weeds could get out of control, and a few cows kept things under control. A couple young lads spent the summer making sure these cows stayed to their jobs. Occasionally they would find they had made their way up or down Fountain Creek, or even further. If someone had been missed and their lawn needed attention they might even shoo the herd in that direction. At other times they might find themselves tending the result of the cows grazing. The cow's exhaust worked better if it was spread around.
Some of the work was checking on the herd every afternoon and moving it to a fenced off area by dark. Every morning they would be let loose for the day's grazing. They might have to actually move the herd to a certain area if it had been neglected. The cows might actually belong to certain families and in the fall they might want to have theirs butchered for winter food. Others might be moved to farms further into the country, put in with herds out there. Now and then one might actually be sold.
One of the real problems was keeping the wandering cows off the streets. It was all right to use the alleys to move them, but the streets were off limits. The roundup in the fall was often quite entertaining. The sight of cows in the streets of Fountain were not unusual, as in the Fall when some herds were moved into town. Some years ago I shared the story of these herds coming up Pueblo Road to stock pens at the railroad stations, but the sight of a few "city boys" herding the half dozen or so cows in the ìTown Herd" every evening might have been entertaining too!
CONTACT THE WRITER • MCMIDLAND@YAHOO.COM
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