In Honor of Independence Day

An American Hereo: Randall Lineback cattle

Historians suggest that Randall Lineback cattle may have been used in one the most important operations in the American Revolution. In 1776, George Washington and his fledgling army had surrounded Boston with the hopes of capturing the city from the British. However, Washington’s army had no heavy artillery and they faced a heavily armed and entrenched British force. Henry Knox, a young soldier, was sent to the seized Fort Ticonderoga in New York to retrieve cannons and artillery. The story goes that he arranged for eighty yoke of New England landrace oxen and their drovers to pick up the artillery on sledges at the southern end of Lake George and to haul tons of deadweight over the hills and valleys of New York and western Massachusetts. Without the Randall Lineback cattle, the cannons would have never made it to Boston where they were used to liberate the city from British control. Learn More

The Swamp Foxes’ Steady Stead: Marsh Tacky (Colonial Spanish) horse

During the American Revolution, Marsh Tackies were used by many of the troops of the famous “Swamp Fox”, Francis Marion. Known as the “Father of American Guerrilla Warfare,” Marion not only was a great tactician but his troops inadvertently had the additional technical advantage of being mounted on horses superbly adapted to the rough and swampy terrain of the region. British troops mounted on larger European breeds may have been at a disadvantage in trying to maneuver in the dense and wild swamps of the lowlands. Learn More

A Founding Father’s Legacy: American Mammoth Jackstock donkey
The American Mammoth Jackstock was developed in the earliest days of the United States, and is an integral part of American agricultural history. America’s own George Washington was one of the innovators that helped to develop the breed. In fact, in 1788 Washington began offering his Mammoth jacks for stud service. Learn More


These breeds helped save America, isn’t it time we help save them?