Founder of Woodlawn Farms, one of the largest and most celebrated Angus herds, and director of the International Lives Stock Exposition.
1832-1909 | Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876-1936)
Impact & Accomplishments
Blanford Pierce and his son Stanley established Woodlawn Farms in Creston, Illinois, as one of the largest and most celebrated Angus herds. Their steer, Advance, made history as the Grand Champion of the very first International Live Stock Exposition in 1900. Advance also sold for a record-setting price of $150 per hundredweight, attracting worldwide attention and advancing the breed.
Blanford Pierce, who founded Woodlawn, retired in 1894, leaving operations to his son. He moved to Chicago and was a member of the Illinois Farmers’ Institute, director and vice president of the American Angus Association, and director of the International during its foundational years.
Did You Know?
“Advance,” Grand Champion steer at the first International Live Stock Exposition in 1900, was an Aberdeen-Angus owned by Stanley R. Pierce and his father (right) Blanford Pierce.