Kadie the Cow
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
In the early 1960s, a giant 20 ft statue of a cow was erected over the Manchester Expressway in front of the Kinnett Dairies. The statue was moved in April 2022 to Woodruff Riverwalk Park.
Images
In this photo, you will see Kadie in her original spot. She sat on top of the hill overlooking a shopping mall until the dairies were torn down in the early 2000s.
Here Kadie can be found in her very same place on top of her hill just in front of a Best Buy instead of Kinnett Dairies.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
In the 1920s, Kinnett Dairies was established when the father of John Kinnett bought an ice cream business from his uncle and moved it from Macon to Columbus. In the 1960s, a giant 20 ft tall fiberglass cow called Kadie was added to the exterior of the diary. Kinnett got the idea for Kadie when he was driving down Victory Dr. He saw a passing truck that was carrying a large cow down to Florida and later Kinnett tracked down the manufacturer.
In the early 2000”s the dairy was demolished and replaced by a Best Buy store, but thanks to the activism of locals, the landmark remained. In 2003, and unknown local decided to add a small statue of a calf and Best Buy responded by having a naming competition. Named Bebe, the calf was later vandalized. The original statue was later moved to the riverwalk.
Sources
1. Kadie the Cow of Columbus. City-Data. . Accessed September 27, 2018. http://www.city-data.com/articles/Kadie-the-Cow-of-Columbus.html.
2. Roadside Characters Southeast. Roadside Peek an Adventure in Time. . Accessed September 27, 2018. http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southeast/seroadside/seroadchar/index.htm.
3. Williams, Chuck. Businessman, father, church leader John Kinnett dies at 90. Ledger Enquirer. August 15, 2017. Accessed September 27, 2018. https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/latest-news/article167424652.html.
4. Kadie the Cow of Columbus. Pintrest. . Accessed September 27, 2018. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/127015651965088301/?lp=true.