The Cow that Fought Back
A routine attempt to clear a barn lot turned into a violent ordeal for an elderly local resident.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mrs. Mary A. Baker, mother of W. A. Baker of the Princess Theatre, was seriously injured at her home in the Garden Tracts Wednesday evening when she was attacked by J. W. Behrmann’s cow. Mrs. Baker attempted to drive the cow from her barn lot and was attacked by the animal. She was knocked down in a manger and severely butted. Through her own efforts, the elderly woman succeeded in making her escape but not until she had received two broken ribs and other painful injuries. She was taken Thursday to her son’s home on Second Street.
“She was knocked down in a manger and severely butted.”
This incident occurred in the 'Garden Tracts,' an area of Kennewick that has long since been absorbed into the city's urban footprint. It serves as a stark reminder of the transition from rural agricultural life to suburban development, where livestock and housing coexisted in much tighter proximity than they do today.
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