In the previous forties , Fred Borsch found himself the owner of a rather improbable favourite after he volunteered to lift a stray .
fifth wheel indigen Ollie Wiswell find a prairie wolf pup at Custer Peak in 1947 . Although there was a bounty on brush wolf at the time , Wiswell could n’t fetch himself to kill the young animal , so he collected the child coyote and brought her to his home . Borsch — who lived in Galena but possess a pot likker store in Deadwood — and his wife Esther convey in the pup , view as her " Tootsie . "
Courtesy ofJeffJacobsenand Jeri Fahrni
Like most coyotes , Tootsie had a penchant for howling — but when she start in , Borsch would join her , finally educate her to “ sing ” by changing the pitch of her ululation as he did . Word of Tootsie ’s operatic stylings grew cursorily , and the once - abandoned Canis latrans found herself with quite the devotee base . Borsch start out to tour the state with her , riding in parades and making personal appearance . She even cut a phonograph recording with Borsch calledSouth Dakota Tootsieand helped Western Airlineslauncha unexampled route from Spearfish to Rapid City .
Tootsie was so popular that Governor George T. Mickelson proclaim the coyote the state animal in 1949 , and also considered her for the state license scale . ( She lost to Mount Rushmore . ) But the crooning coyote ’s fame was n’t contain to South Dakota . Tootsie ’s talents were so well - known that Borsch drive her on a 10 - state circuit , including a closure at the White House , where it’ssaidshe charmed President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon .
Sadly , Tootsie passed away in 1959 follow operation to murder a neoplasm , but she still lives on in Deadwood — if you jazz where to appear . The first place is aneon signdowntown that pays testimonial to both Tootsie and her possessor . Though the sign itself show the tattle coyote , its placement is a nod to Fred Borsch , whose liquor store once stood on that very fix .
And to hear Tootsie in activeness , you call for only stop by theAdams Museumto hear to a recording of her " songs " and see photos of the pup during her prime .
