Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876–1936)
Blanford Rude Pierce
PIERCE, BLANFORD RUDE (1832–1909), inducted 1905
Blanford (“B. R.”) Pierce and his son Stanley (“S. R.”) 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. B. R. 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 a director of the International during its foundational years.
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 158