Oxen provided critical muscle for pioneers of Orleans County

Posted 2 February 2025 at 1:18 pm

Historian urges community to embrace for painted Ox statues for county’s bicentennial celebration

Orly the Ox was featured in the Nov. 30 Medina of Parade of Lights. It was the debut of Orly in his mascot costume. The vest includes the names of Orleans County towns, villages and hamlets. The statue was propped up on a trailer for the parade. The County Bicentennial Committee would like to see more of the statues painted to celebrate the county’s 200th anniversary.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 5

ALBION – Hoag Library patrons may very well wonder if they are experiencing auditory hallucinations.

“Did I just hear a moo?”

Yes, Orly the Ox is temporarily “Ox in Residence” at Hoag. He emits a hearty “Moo” from time to time. Owned by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Orly is the first ox in Orleans County’s bicentennial herd. Scenes depicting his role in agriculture were created by artist Stacey Kirby Steward.

Orly’s “ambassador” is a nimble two-legged character with a winning personality. Orly in costume has proved to be very popular. He has recently made appearances at the Canal Culvert and and at various businesses throughout the county.

Charged with honoring the county’s 200th year since its political formation, the Bicentennial Committee chose the ox as its mascot, since oxen were indispensable to the early settlers. The ox also represents the importance of agriculture to the county and honors all of those who labor in the fields.


‘Slow, steady, strong and sure-footed, oxen were more suited to the rough terrain than horses. They could pull heavier loads than horses, and they could pull steadily for longer periods of time.’


The settlers who moved here in the early 1800s provided detailed written accounts of their journeys here and of their experiences as they tried to wrest arable land from deep woods. They used oxen to haul their wagons westward, an arduous trip which took from three to five weeks. Slow, steady, strong and sure-footed, oxen were more suited to the rough terrain than horses. They could pull heavier loads than horses, and they could pull steadily for longer periods of time.

Oxen are castrated male cattle, four years old, who have been trained to work. They can weigh up to 2,600 pounds, depending on weight. “Oxen” refers to more than one ox. A “yoke of oxen” refers to working pair, connected by a wooden beam (the yoke) on their necks, which allows them to pull together

The following are but a few references to oxen from first-person accounts published in the Pioneer History of Orleans County by Arad Thomas, 1871:

David Matson raised the first log-house in Clarendon in 1814. He sold the horses which he brought into the country, having no use for them in the forest. He bought oxen which drew the logs for the first shanty.

Nathaniel Brown came to Kendall with three yoke of oxen and wagon.

Adin Manley arrived in Kendall in 1815. The following fall he returned to Massachusetts and married. In February 1816, he set out with three yoke of oxen and a covered wagon, for his new home in Kendall. Unfortunately, that was the “year of no summer”:

“We had three yoke of oxen and nothing for them to eat, this was the worst of all. We turned them into the woods and cut browse for them, but the poor cattle suffered much.”

As the woods were cleared, oxen hauled logs and pulled the stubborn tree stumps out of the ground. Oxen were used in Orleans County for quite some time. As late as 1871, the Orleans County Agricultural Society Fair held in Albion included a category for Working Oxen, one for the Best Pair of Working Oxen and one for the Best String of Ten Yoke of Oxen.

The Bicentennial Committee encourages businesses and community organizations to participate in the “Oxen of Orleans County” Public Art project. We hope to populate Orleans County with an artistic & historic ox trail. Several are already on order!

Details are available on the Orleans County Tourism Page. Click here for more information.

Orly the Ox will be out highlighting people, places and things in Orleans County this year. Orly recently stopped by Canalside Tattoo Company in Medina where he got some ink from owner Shawn Ramsey. It was actually a sticker. To request a visit from Orly the mascot, click here for more information.

Orly also was hyped for the Buffalo Bills playoff games. Here he is wearing a Josh Allen jersey. Orly’s adventures can be followed on the Orleans County Tourism’s social media.