By ELSIE WALKER
It used to be, and may still be so, that when visiting Los Angeles, you could buy a map
showing the location of the homes of celebrities. Some people would include celebrity
searching as part of their vacation sight-seeing plans. As you get together your winter
“cabin fever” plans this year, or start thinking about your summer travel, perhaps you’d
like to include some celebrity “sight seeing”...or rather animal celebrity sight-seeing
locations that pay homage to these stars of yesterday. North, South, East and West....
there are stops you can make whether for a half hour to stretch your legs or to spend a
leisurely week.
Let’s start with Flipper and the Dolphin Research Center.
Flipper — Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Keys, Florida
They called him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, no one you see is smarter than he.
And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder, flying there under, under the sea.
In 1963, Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, and a dolphin named Mitzi starred in the movie,
Flipper about a young boy in the Florida Keys who takes in an injured dolphin and makes
it his pet. The film inspired a 1960’s TV series and 1990’s remakes of the movie and
series.
Mitzi (yes, movie’s Flipper was really a female) was trained by Santini Porpoise School
which today is the non-profit Dolphin Research Center, located in Grassy Keys. Mitzi has
passed on and her grave is on-site, thus people can stop by and pay homage to Flipper.
But, the Dolphin Research Center, is more than just the home of Flipper. It’s a place
where visitors, perhaps some intrigued as a child by the series or movie, can stay for an
hour, a day, or a week learning about, and interacting with, dolphins.
“We want to be able to teach you and show you about these amazing mammals. The
more you learn, the more you care about the dolphin and about the environment it’s
in,” said Mary Stella, Media Relations Coordinator at the center. Stella had originally
come to the center as a child in the 1960s while on vacation with her parents and got to
meet Mitzi, who gave her a dorsal tow.
“There really is a magic with how these mammals connect with people,” said Stella.
That connection may be seen by those who participate in “meet the dolphin.” Visitors to
the center can stand on the boardwalk and a dolphin will come up and let them touch
him as they learn some fun facts about these mammals.
There is a lot to do at the center including dolphin painting. Yes, dolphins are quite the
artists. Individuals can buy t-shirts on site and then come to an area where they can hold
up the shirt to get a custom dolphin paint job. The paints are non-toxic and Stella said
that the dolphins have a lot of fun doing it!
See, here at the center fun and education go hand in hand.
“We provide a terrific atmosphere to let you learn about these mammals,” said Stella.
There are many programs including two intense all day programs — Researcher for a
Day and Trainer for a Day where participants walk a day in the trainer’s/reseacher’s
sandals.
The center has a wide variety of activities and those working there consider themselves
and the dolphins a family.
Speaking of which, although Mitzi got the fame and the close-ups in the movie, there
were four other dolphins who helped her play Flipper by doing tricks, such as the back
tail walk. Descendants of one of Mitzi’s movie “doubles” still live at the center. “Bring your
family to meet our family,” invites Stella.
For more information, visit www.dolphins.org; call (305) 289-0002 (program
reservations) or (305) 289-1121 (offices).
Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, New Mexico
Smokey the Bear, Smokey the Bear, prowling and a growling and a sniffin’ the air. He can
find a fire before it starts to flame. That’s why they call him Smokey, that was how he got
his name.
A character created in 1944 to make people aware of fire prevention in the forest (lumber
being needed for the war effort), Smokey became a real bear when a cub that survived a
1950 fire in the Lincoln National Forest (Capitan, New Mexico) was named Smokey. He
became the symbol for fire safety, fire prevention and protecting the forests.
“Smokey” died in 1976 at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The Smokey Bear
Historical Park was created in 1979 to honor him and he is buried there.
“Smokey the Bear was the longest running, most successful program sponsored by the
AD Council (a group that puts out Public Service Announcements),” said park manager
Eddie Tudor. Smokey’s slogan was: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”
Tudor describes the park as “family friendly” and said that 25,00 people visit there each
year.
The park’s website (www.smokeybearpark.com) notes that at the park, families can
enjoy “exhibits about forest health, forest fires, wildland/urban interface issues, fire
ecology, the history of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Program and a theatre
showing a 10 minute film discussing today’s fire and forest health issues. An outdoor
exhibit features six of the vegetative life zones found in New Mexico; an outdoor
amphitheater is used for educational programs for school groups. Also located at the
park is a playground, picnic area with group shelters and the original train depot for the
Village of Capitan.”
Smokey’s grave is located at the park and visitors come by to see it, some lying pine
cones on it in honor of the bear who lived to protect the forests. Tutor noted that more
than once “Flat Stanley” has come to pay his respects. Flat Stanley is a large paper doll
of sorts, used in schools and passed from child to child for a period of time, capturing the
experiences of each child.
Trigger — Roy Rogers AND Dale Evans Museum, Branson, Missouri
Many a happy movie trail was ridden by the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, and his
horse, Trigger. They started making movies together in the late 1930s.
Trigger was a palomino, 15-hands high. (That’s five feet from foot to shoulder). He was a
movie rental horse that Roy saw in a feature and then purchased. Trigger lived to be 33
years old and died in 1965.
It is Trigger’s exhibit that most people want to see when coming to the Roy Rogers and
Dale Evans Museum in Branson, Missouri. About 100,000 people visit the museum each
year. Box Office Supervisor Julie Rogers said that she’s seen some come in, pay the
admission, visit the Trigger exhibit and leave. They came only to see him. (And yes, Julie
Rogers is one of THE Rogers. She’s married to one of Roy’s grandsons.)
At the museum, Trigger can be seen in his classic pose. A common rumor is that Roy
had Trigger stuffed. But that’s not true. “It’s the hide of Trigger over a life-size fiberglass
model,” explained Rogers. And there’s plenty of Trigger memorabilia to see. “He was on
everything that Roy was on...lunch boxes, magazines,” Rogers said.
Trigger is not the only Rogers animal companion to be represented at the museum. Roy’
s dog, Bullet, and Dale’s horse, Butter-milk, are also there as hide over fiberglass
models and memorabilia about them is there as well.
For admission cost and more information, visit www.royrogers.com/museum.html; call
(417) 339-1900, ext. 221 or 222 for box office sales.
Elsie the Cow — Plainsboro Historical Society and Museum, Plainsboro, New Jersey
Although the smallest of the locations noted, I must admit a certain fondness for the
Plainsboro History Society and Museum in Plainsboro, New Jersey. The museum has 18
exhibits, one of which focuses on a noted Plainsboro celebrity: Elsie the Cow (and no, I
was not named for her).
In 1936, Borden’s decided to create a cartoon cow as the symbol of its products. Her
image appeared in ads and on posters in pediatrician offices touting the goodness of
milk. However, Borden’s had no idea of the impact that character would make on the
public. The cow’s name is Elsie and she is now one of the most recognizable
trademarks in history.
Elsie took on a life of her own...so to speak. That life started at the 1939 World’s Fair.
Borden’s World of Tomorrow exhibit had a rotolactor made at a subsidiary, Walker-
Gordon in Plainsboro, New Jersey. A rotolactor was a giant glass-enclosed turntable on
which cows were milked by machines.
“Some call it a cow merry-go-round,” said Robert Yuell, executive director of the
Plainsboro Historical Society and Museum. “Which cow is Elsie?” all the people asked at
the World’s Fair. Borden’s realized it better pick an Elsie fast. So, pure bred “You’ll Do
Lobella” from Elmhill Farms in Massachusetts was rechristened “Elsie.”
Yuell said that a reason she was selected was because she looked at people when they
spoke to her. “She was a Jersey cow...they are docile, smaller, and beautiful,” he said.
Elsie was put on the rotolactor between milkings and became the number one attraction
of the fair. Following that, the Walker-Gordon farm in Plainsboro became her home. The
Plainsboro museum has 18 exhibits, one of which is dedicated to Elsie the cow. But, in
talking to Yuell, it’s pretty clear the historical society is knowledgeable about Elsie and is
proud of its famous bovine.
The exhibit flip-flops between Elsie’s debut to her later years and the war effort. Among
the rare pieces of memorabilia displayed are Elsie’s galoshes. Yes, when she made
personal appearances and had to come inside, she actually wore galoshes.
During the war years, Elsie made appearances to sell war bonds. She was
accompanied by two young women who milked and groomed her. Yuell said that it was
unusual for young women to go traveling like that on those personal appearances.
However, with the men all in the war, the job went to the women to escort Elsie. Yuell
said that Elsie took on the persona of a woman, even having her own traveling bags. One
of Elsie’s traveling companions is still alive today.
Elsie raised 10 million dollars for the war effort, not too shabby.
The original Elsie died in the early 1940’s and another Elsie was christened to take her
place. However, there were 50 to 60 Elsies that existed to make public appearances.
Borden’s even created a family for Elsie, which included husband Elmer the bull and her
children. The lady traveled in style, in a custom 18-wheeler known as a Cowdillac.
Besides Elsie’s galoshes, there are a variety of other Elsie-related items on display at
the museum. Yuell is quick to point out that everything at the museum is authentic. He
noted that if you go on eBay, there might be members selling Elsie items that they don’t
know to be really Elsie. So buyer beware.
For more information, call (609) 799-9040 or visit www.plainsborohistory.com.
Happy Trails To You!
First published February 2007 in The Animal Companion.
It used to be, and may still be so, that when visiting Los Angeles, you could buy a map
showing the location of the homes of celebrities. Some people would include celebrity
searching as part of their vacation sight-seeing plans. As you get together your winter
“cabin fever” plans this year, or start thinking about your summer travel, perhaps you’d
like to include some celebrity “sight seeing”...or rather animal celebrity sight-seeing
locations that pay homage to these stars of yesterday. North, South, East and West....
there are stops you can make whether for a half hour to stretch your legs or to spend a
leisurely week.
Let’s start with Flipper and the Dolphin Research Center.
Flipper — Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Keys, Florida
They called him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, no one you see is smarter than he.
And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder, flying there under, under the sea.
In 1963, Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, and a dolphin named Mitzi starred in the movie,
Flipper about a young boy in the Florida Keys who takes in an injured dolphin and makes
it his pet. The film inspired a 1960’s TV series and 1990’s remakes of the movie and
series.
Mitzi (yes, movie’s Flipper was really a female) was trained by Santini Porpoise School
which today is the non-profit Dolphin Research Center, located in Grassy Keys. Mitzi has
passed on and her grave is on-site, thus people can stop by and pay homage to Flipper.
But, the Dolphin Research Center, is more than just the home of Flipper. It’s a place
where visitors, perhaps some intrigued as a child by the series or movie, can stay for an
hour, a day, or a week learning about, and interacting with, dolphins.
“We want to be able to teach you and show you about these amazing mammals. The
more you learn, the more you care about the dolphin and about the environment it’s
in,” said Mary Stella, Media Relations Coordinator at the center. Stella had originally
come to the center as a child in the 1960s while on vacation with her parents and got to
meet Mitzi, who gave her a dorsal tow.
“There really is a magic with how these mammals connect with people,” said Stella.
That connection may be seen by those who participate in “meet the dolphin.” Visitors to
the center can stand on the boardwalk and a dolphin will come up and let them touch
him as they learn some fun facts about these mammals.
There is a lot to do at the center including dolphin painting. Yes, dolphins are quite the
artists. Individuals can buy t-shirts on site and then come to an area where they can hold
up the shirt to get a custom dolphin paint job. The paints are non-toxic and Stella said
that the dolphins have a lot of fun doing it!
See, here at the center fun and education go hand in hand.
“We provide a terrific atmosphere to let you learn about these mammals,” said Stella.
There are many programs including two intense all day programs — Researcher for a
Day and Trainer for a Day where participants walk a day in the trainer’s/reseacher’s
sandals.
The center has a wide variety of activities and those working there consider themselves
and the dolphins a family.
Speaking of which, although Mitzi got the fame and the close-ups in the movie, there
were four other dolphins who helped her play Flipper by doing tricks, such as the back
tail walk. Descendants of one of Mitzi’s movie “doubles” still live at the center. “Bring your
family to meet our family,” invites Stella.
For more information, visit www.dolphins.org; call (305) 289-0002 (program
reservations) or (305) 289-1121 (offices).
Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, New Mexico
Smokey the Bear, Smokey the Bear, prowling and a growling and a sniffin’ the air. He can
find a fire before it starts to flame. That’s why they call him Smokey, that was how he got
his name.
A character created in 1944 to make people aware of fire prevention in the forest (lumber
being needed for the war effort), Smokey became a real bear when a cub that survived a
1950 fire in the Lincoln National Forest (Capitan, New Mexico) was named Smokey. He
became the symbol for fire safety, fire prevention and protecting the forests.
“Smokey” died in 1976 at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The Smokey Bear
Historical Park was created in 1979 to honor him and he is buried there.
“Smokey the Bear was the longest running, most successful program sponsored by the
AD Council (a group that puts out Public Service Announcements),” said park manager
Eddie Tudor. Smokey’s slogan was: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”
Tudor describes the park as “family friendly” and said that 25,00 people visit there each
year.
The park’s website (www.smokeybearpark.com) notes that at the park, families can
enjoy “exhibits about forest health, forest fires, wildland/urban interface issues, fire
ecology, the history of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Program and a theatre
showing a 10 minute film discussing today’s fire and forest health issues. An outdoor
exhibit features six of the vegetative life zones found in New Mexico; an outdoor
amphitheater is used for educational programs for school groups. Also located at the
park is a playground, picnic area with group shelters and the original train depot for the
Village of Capitan.”
Smokey’s grave is located at the park and visitors come by to see it, some lying pine
cones on it in honor of the bear who lived to protect the forests. Tutor noted that more
than once “Flat Stanley” has come to pay his respects. Flat Stanley is a large paper doll
of sorts, used in schools and passed from child to child for a period of time, capturing the
experiences of each child.
Trigger — Roy Rogers AND Dale Evans Museum, Branson, Missouri
Many a happy movie trail was ridden by the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, and his
horse, Trigger. They started making movies together in the late 1930s.
Trigger was a palomino, 15-hands high. (That’s five feet from foot to shoulder). He was a
movie rental horse that Roy saw in a feature and then purchased. Trigger lived to be 33
years old and died in 1965.
It is Trigger’s exhibit that most people want to see when coming to the Roy Rogers and
Dale Evans Museum in Branson, Missouri. About 100,000 people visit the museum each
year. Box Office Supervisor Julie Rogers said that she’s seen some come in, pay the
admission, visit the Trigger exhibit and leave. They came only to see him. (And yes, Julie
Rogers is one of THE Rogers. She’s married to one of Roy’s grandsons.)
At the museum, Trigger can be seen in his classic pose. A common rumor is that Roy
had Trigger stuffed. But that’s not true. “It’s the hide of Trigger over a life-size fiberglass
model,” explained Rogers. And there’s plenty of Trigger memorabilia to see. “He was on
everything that Roy was on...lunch boxes, magazines,” Rogers said.
Trigger is not the only Rogers animal companion to be represented at the museum. Roy’
s dog, Bullet, and Dale’s horse, Butter-milk, are also there as hide over fiberglass
models and memorabilia about them is there as well.
For admission cost and more information, visit www.royrogers.com/museum.html; call
(417) 339-1900, ext. 221 or 222 for box office sales.
Elsie the Cow — Plainsboro Historical Society and Museum, Plainsboro, New Jersey
Although the smallest of the locations noted, I must admit a certain fondness for the
Plainsboro History Society and Museum in Plainsboro, New Jersey. The museum has 18
exhibits, one of which focuses on a noted Plainsboro celebrity: Elsie the Cow (and no, I
was not named for her).
In 1936, Borden’s decided to create a cartoon cow as the symbol of its products. Her
image appeared in ads and on posters in pediatrician offices touting the goodness of
milk. However, Borden’s had no idea of the impact that character would make on the
public. The cow’s name is Elsie and she is now one of the most recognizable
trademarks in history.
Elsie took on a life of her own...so to speak. That life started at the 1939 World’s Fair.
Borden’s World of Tomorrow exhibit had a rotolactor made at a subsidiary, Walker-
Gordon in Plainsboro, New Jersey. A rotolactor was a giant glass-enclosed turntable on
which cows were milked by machines.
“Some call it a cow merry-go-round,” said Robert Yuell, executive director of the
Plainsboro Historical Society and Museum. “Which cow is Elsie?” all the people asked at
the World’s Fair. Borden’s realized it better pick an Elsie fast. So, pure bred “You’ll Do
Lobella” from Elmhill Farms in Massachusetts was rechristened “Elsie.”
Yuell said that a reason she was selected was because she looked at people when they
spoke to her. “She was a Jersey cow...they are docile, smaller, and beautiful,” he said.
Elsie was put on the rotolactor between milkings and became the number one attraction
of the fair. Following that, the Walker-Gordon farm in Plainsboro became her home. The
Plainsboro museum has 18 exhibits, one of which is dedicated to Elsie the cow. But, in
talking to Yuell, it’s pretty clear the historical society is knowledgeable about Elsie and is
proud of its famous bovine.
The exhibit flip-flops between Elsie’s debut to her later years and the war effort. Among
the rare pieces of memorabilia displayed are Elsie’s galoshes. Yes, when she made
personal appearances and had to come inside, she actually wore galoshes.
During the war years, Elsie made appearances to sell war bonds. She was
accompanied by two young women who milked and groomed her. Yuell said that it was
unusual for young women to go traveling like that on those personal appearances.
However, with the men all in the war, the job went to the women to escort Elsie. Yuell
said that Elsie took on the persona of a woman, even having her own traveling bags. One
of Elsie’s traveling companions is still alive today.
Elsie raised 10 million dollars for the war effort, not too shabby.
The original Elsie died in the early 1940’s and another Elsie was christened to take her
place. However, there were 50 to 60 Elsies that existed to make public appearances.
Borden’s even created a family for Elsie, which included husband Elmer the bull and her
children. The lady traveled in style, in a custom 18-wheeler known as a Cowdillac.
Besides Elsie’s galoshes, there are a variety of other Elsie-related items on display at
the museum. Yuell is quick to point out that everything at the museum is authentic. He
noted that if you go on eBay, there might be members selling Elsie items that they don’t
know to be really Elsie. So buyer beware.
For more information, call (609) 799-9040 or visit www.plainsborohistory.com.
Happy Trails To You!
First published February 2007 in The Animal Companion.
| Subscribe Today! Gotta get your Animal Companion, the publication where ANIMALS are the NEWS! |
| FOUR FAMOUS ANIMALS: Four Places To Visit |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
