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An Anthology of Pig Tales from Northern New York

January 13, 2021 by Maury Thompson Leave a Comment

wallow in mud at the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary courtesy Wikimedia user Mark PetersThis little piggy from Eagle Lake apparently did not want to go to market.

“Hebert Moore’s pig is still at large. Motorists are requested to drive with care in the vicinity,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on July 15th, 1920. “A reward of $1 is offered by L. Lodge to anyone who will catch said pig single handed. Mr. Lodge must witness the catch. $3 if done after dark.”

These other little piggies sold fast, The Post-Star reported on May 17th, 1922, touting the effectiveness of classified advertising.

“Monday morning there appeared a small, inexpensive ad, offering seven-week-old pigs for sale. Monday night this office was notified that the ten pigs had been disposed of as well as thirteen more, which the advertiser bought from his neighbor.”

This little piggy went on tour.

Phil Coup’s trained pig, “the smallest and most interesting of its kind in the world,” was part of the show at the dime museum that ventriloquist and magician “Dr.” Alexander Davis, “The Wizard of the West,” opened November 1st, 1884 at the Sons of Temperance Hall in the Opera Block on Warren Street in Glens Falls,” The Morning Post reported on October 28th, 1884.

“Until further notice, two entertainments will be given daily – one at two o’clock in the afternoon and another at eight in the evening.”

It wasn’t the only little piggy on stage. “The receipts of the pig show at (Lake Luzerne) town hall on Thursday evening amounted to four dollars and ninety cents,” – the equivalent of $130.19 in 2020 dollars – The Morning Star reported on November 29th, 1884.

This 200-pound piggy from North Creek should have stayed home instead of venturing out onto thin ice.

“During the late breakup of the Hudson (River), a hog weighing about 200 pounds was seen floating down the river on a large cake of ice,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported April 9th, 1884.

John White, the railroad station boss at Thurman, attempted unsuccessfully to rescue the pig.

Finally, at Stony Creek, about 24 miles downstream from where the pig started its journey, Bob Cameron made a daring rescue.

“Mr. Cameron went out with a boat amid the ice and logs in the swollen torrent, at great risk, and pushed the curly-tailed voyager ashore.”

These not-so-little piggies from Washington County, became Christmas hams.

“Austin Smith of this place (South Hartford) recently killed a pig, eight months old, that tipped the scales at 365 pounds,” The Granville Sentinel reported on December 24th, 1886. “R.H. Gilchrist did nearly as well, having killed three whose average weight was 350 pounds.”

These three hogs met up with a valiant farm wife.

“Women’s rights were fairly exemplified at South Bend, Ind., a few days ago,” The Glen’s Falls Republican reported on January 9th, 1872. “A woman who never heard of Victoria O. Woodhall or Lucy Stone killed three hogs, hung them up and dressed them without any help whatsoever from any lord of creation.”

Think of how many more piggies would be necessary if humans had the appetite of birds.

“An ornithologist has discovered that to have an appetite proportional to that of a robin, a man would have to devour daily a string of sausage seventy-feet long and nine inches in diameter,” The Granville Sentinel reported on December 14th, 1883.

Photo of wallow in mud at the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary courtesy Wikimedia user Mark Peters.

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Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Food, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Western NY Tagged With: Agricultural History, Eagle Lake, local farms, North Creek, pigs, Stony Creek, Warren County, Washington County

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