Perhaps one of the most famous cows in Montana history has found a new home in the Helena Valley.

Molly B gained international notoriety on Jan. 5, 2006, when she jumped a 5½-foot fence at a slaughterhouse in Great Falls and led authorities on a six-hour chase across the Missouri River and through several neighborhoods.

The escape of the intrepid heifer quickly became the stuff of legends. She nearly met her demise several times as she scampered through Great Falls, crossing a busy highway and narrowly avoiding a semi and Chevy Suburban. Next came a close call with a train, and a final flailing attempt to swim icy river waters before her recapture.

As word of the valiant escape attempt spread, a groundswell of support to ensure that her dash had not been for naught led to her reprieve from the slaughterhouse. The manager of now closed Mickey’s Packing Plant instead gave Molly B, whose name comes from the ’50s-era musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” her own pen next to the slaughterhouse.

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