Butter Cow History

November 3, 2020
drewnorton's picture

The Blue Ribbon Foundation sure missed the Butter Cow this summer. Yes, we celebrated our favorite Iowa State Fair icon with the adorable stuffed Butter Cow, funny Butter Cow Security Hat and cozy Butter Cow socks but this famous part of the Fair has a unique history. How much do you know about the Iowa State Fair Butter Cow?

In 1911, J.K. Daniels sculpted the Fair's first butter cow and was succeeded by J.E. Wallace of Florida. In 1957, Earl Frank Dutt of Illinois took over the sculpting duties. Norma “Duffy” Lyon of Toledo, Iowa, began sculpting in 1960, becoming the first woman to sculpt the Fair's butter beauties. In 2006, after 15 years of apprenticing with Duffy, Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines became the Fair's fifth butter sculptor. Only five people have had the job in more than 100 years, now that’s impressive!

The world-famous Butter Cow is located in the Agriculture Building. It starts with a wood, metal, wire and steel mesh frame and about 600 lbs. of low moisture, pure cream Iowa butter. Once inside the 40-degree cooler, layers of butter are applied until a life-size butter cow emerges - measuring about 5-1/2-ft high and 8-ft long. Each year, much of the butter is recycled and can be reused for up to 10 years. (I have personally smelled inside the cooler and it has a “unique” odor.)

In addition to the Butter Cow, a companion sculpture also graces the Agriculture Building coolers.

Companion Sculptures by Year:

  • 1996 — Grant Wood’s famous “American Gothic” (honoring Iowa’s Sesquicentennial)
  • 1997 — Elvis Presley
  • 1998 — An American eagle
  • 1999 — Duffy’s own version of Leonardo DaVinci’s “The Last Supper”
  • 2000 — Christian Peterson's “The Gentle Doctor” statue (Petersen was Duffy’s mentor)
  • 2001— John Wayne
  • 2002 — The Peanuts Gang
  • 2003 — A Harley-Davidson motorcycle (in honor of the company’s 100th anniversary)
  • 2004 — A birthday cake in honor of the Fair’s Sesquicentennial and an Iowa barn
  • 2005 — Tiger Woods
  • 2006 — “Mr. State Fair” Bill Riley (in honor of his 60th Fair) and Superman (Norwalk, Iowa, native Brandon Routh)
  • 2007 — Harry Potter
  • 2008 — Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and a tribute to four Iowans who changed the face of the world’s agriculture: Etta May Budd, George Washington Carver, Henry Wallace and Norman Borlaug
  • 2009 — A tribute to the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon
  • 2010 —Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham (in honor of its 50th anniversary)
  • 2011 — A replica of the 1911 butter cow sculptures. A sculpture of a young girl as a tribute to Norma “Duffy” Lyon.
  • 2012 — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (75th anniversary of the Disney film)
  • 2013 — A tribute to the Historic Lincoln Highway (and President Lincoln)
  • 2014 — A celebration of the 25th anniversary of Field of Dreams
  • 2015 — A celebration of the 80th anniversary of Monopoly
  • 2016 — A celebration of the 50th anniversary of Star Trek
  • 2017 — A celebration of the 150th birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder and a replica of the Solheim Cup as the tournament visited Des Moines.
  • 2018 — 100th anniversary of John Deere entering the tractor business with a replica of the Waterloo Boy Tractor.
  • 2019 — A celebration of 50 years of Sesame Street.

When you order official Iowa State Fair merchandise in the online State Fair Store, you keep the spirit of the Butter Cow alive year round while also supporting the Blue Ribbon Foundation’s mission.