Viewable from over five miles away, “Salem Sue” has allowed New Salem, North Dakota to bill itself as the home to the “World’s Largest Holstein Cow”. This large, fiberglass Holstein cow was originally created to honor and advertise local dairymen. Since being erected though, “Salem Sue” has also been able to promote tourism and business in the area while also serving as a means to educate the youth in the surrounding community. In doing so, it has become a landmark that attracts audiences from across North Dakota and beyond to get an incredible view of the area and so much more.
Home to the “World’s Largest Holstein Cow”
Constructed in 1974 with money local dairymen, farmers, businessmen and residents contributed, “Salem Sue” stands 38 feet (12 m) high and 50 feet (15 m) long. The initial interest in creating this sort of sculpture may have come from the popularity of North Dakota’s first giant roadside animal – the World’s Largest Buffalo (Jamestown, North Dakota) erected in 1959.
While the piece was created to celebrate the local dairymen in the area, it is also tied to the history of the region, as Holstein cows were first brought to New Salem in the early 20th century. That development enabled the creation of the Holstein Circuit in 1908, which was designed to encourage better breeding and increased production for New Salem dairymen. It resulted in a stable, high income for those dairymen as a result of the sale of milk, cream, and breading and production stock.
While the dairy industry has changed considerably since those early days, “Salem Sue” still directly and indirectly promotes the efforts of dairy farmers who continue to function as essential elements of the New Salem community. Doing so has allowed the piece to both represent and become an essential element of New Salem culture and economy.
“The Ballad of the Holstein”
“Salem Sue” has become the focal point of guides and brochures that highlight everything New Salem has to offer to tourists. These highlights range from museums to country fairgrounds to city parks. In becoming such a notable monument for the area, “Salem Sue” has been able attract visitors who are then able to discover the rest of what New Salem has to offer, creating a recognizable economic impact.
Many local businesses have been able to thrive thanks to this additional activity, while the sale of mechanize associated with “Salem Sue” has provided a direct economic impact for various establishments. Additionally, while “Salem Sue” is free to visit, a sign encourages everyone to drop a dollar into a milk can to help pay for the piece’s upkeep represents another means of direct revenue.
The cultural impact “Salem Sue” represents to the community might even be more profound though. The new Salem High School athletic teams boasts the name “Holsteins”, while the “Ballad of the Holstein” illustrates just how significant the sculpture has become to the community. The tune highlights in specific detail what “Salem Sue” truly means to the region:
Ballad of the Holstein
We’ve got the world’s
largest Holstein cow,
that looks across our fields.
Her presence shows
that New Salem grows,
with milk-producers’ yields:
Friends will come and
View from near and far,
She will tell to all
Just where we are;
We’ve got a cow
World’s largest cow,
That looks across our fields.
This tune illustrates how “Salem Sue” continues to honor and advertise the dairymen of the area, but also showcases how it actively plays a role in the lives of residents. “Salem Sue” also educates and drives interest for the youth in New Salem about the science of animal husbandry and the benefits of qualities of living in a rural community. In doing so, the sculpture has become so much more than a tribute to the dairy industry and has become a true icon for the region.
More Than Tribute to the Dairy Industry
Just like some other notably large sculptures, “Salem Sue” has come to mean something much more than was originally intended to the people and region. By providing visitors with such a distinct and notable landmark, travelers are drawn to the piece to get a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside and enjoy the novelty of the world’s largest cow, but the piece also has a special meaning to the surrounding community. In serving such distinct needs of both residents and visitors, “Salem Sue” illustrates what an icon can mean to the present and future of an entire city and region.
