"Dolly the Two Headed Cow"

My name is Bill Thomson. My sister Dottie Thomson-Kruse brought your site to my attention,  so I thought I'd share some additional knowledge about "Dolly the Two Headed Cow" with you.

I asked my dad, Edison Thomson, what his father's, reaction was when he learned of Dolly's birth. Dad said that his brother Carl, had awakened their father, J. Elvin Thomson, to tell him about Dolly. J. Elvin replied calmly "I'll be there directly." Dolly was born at the Blue Ribbon Dairy, near National City, CA. in 1936. Dolly was a Holstien weighing 180 lbs at birth. From what dad tells me, that was big for a
calf in 1936.

Dolly was the shortened form of "Dolly and Rolly. According to the text on the back of the postcards my sister mentioned, the heads were female on one side and male on the other. She had three horns and breathed through all four nostrils at the same time. Dad told me that the left side head had no lower jaw, only the upper. Dad said that Dolly was very intuitive, that she understood voice commands from my Grandfather.

Dad told me J. Elvin would tell Dolly "turn around and show the folks your other side." Dolly would respond by slowly turning in a circle to comply with the request. Dolly was a BIG bovine. Dad said that when they took her to New York, J. Elvin wanted to have a blanket made to cover her with, as it was wintertime. J. Elvin contacted a draft horse blanket maker and asked the owner to "bring the biggest blanket you make." As can be imagined, the blanket maker thought J. Elvin was daft, but did indeed bring the largest blanket he had. When the blanket was put on Dolly, dad said the blanket edges only came down to a few inches ABOVE the bottom of her belly. The blanket maker was so impressed with Dolly's size, he told J. Elvin, "if you let me put my business name on the blanket, I'll make you one for free." Full size, Dolly weighed 2500 pounds.

The postcard text also mentions an offer that J. Elvin made at the time of "I'll pay $100,000 for another like her."

Dolly was exhibited in Canada, 40 states and the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Dad said that Dolly "knew where home was." When I asked him what he meant by that, he said that Dolly would moo "one time" when they crossed a wooden bridge about a mile from the dairy she was born at.

Dad said that they could be returning from any of the various locations that she had been exhibited at, but would moo once and only once when they drove across the bridge near home.

Dolly traveled in a trailer towed behind a 1936 R.E.O. Speedwagon truck. The trailer was set up such that people could enter on one side near one end, walk the length of the trailer and exit on the same side,
at the other end. The trailer was painted with the words, "See Dolly the world's only living two headed cow."

Like my sister, I am indeed gratified to see you tell something of "Dolly the Two Headed Cow"