The Earthquake Cow Legend
For the enlightenment of all who have ever been interested or amused by the legend of the cow that was swallowed by the cracking earth during the 1906 earthquake, I offer a letter received from George C. Stackpole of Kentfield. Not only does it provide a picturesque sidelight on the disaster, it also advances a most plausible explanation of the origin of the story about the unfortunate cow. The letter follows:
“I have at last lived to see the birth and growth of a legend. Like all legends, the story has a basis in fact. I did not meet the cow personally – it was really a beef steer – but had an appointment to meet him that morning, and only an earthquake intervened.