Who was Marion Borden?

Marion Borden (Halliday) born March 9, 1883 was heiress to the Borden Company, of Elsie the cow fame. Her family established the Home Farm in Wallkill, NY in the early 1880s, developing the farm and infrastructure of the local area. In 1891, her father died at only 47 and it was his wish that Marion be left the Home Farm when she reached of legal age. She did become president of the Borden company, actively running it, unusual in a time where women did not yet have the right to vote.

Marion loved technology and submitted several patents over her lifetime for various inventions. In 1906, at the age of 23 Marion completed a Queen Anne/Tudor Revival house near her childhood home, complete with electricity and brought electric to the Home Farm and then her neighbors as well. She was also responsible for bringing telephone service to Wallkill. She married George Halliday in 1907.

She was an active Philanthropist, donating land and money for schools, gymnasiums, the Wallkill library and the Girl Scouts. Local folklore tells the story of a Girl Scout leader asking for coats and boots for her girls, to which Marion replied no. Instead she asked to be put in charge, and made the promise they’d never need anything again. Pictures survive of Marion surrounded by Girl Scouts, all clad in coats, shoes, gloves and scarves.

She became involved with the girl scouts and can be seen in a GS Archive photo posing with her troop at Camp Wendy in 1921 https://archives.girlscouts.org/Detail/objects/457. She served as commissioner of Ulster County Girl Scouts from 1925 until her death in November 1930, leaving the original 26 acres of Camp Wendy to the Girl Scouts in her will. She also donated land for a boys camp as well.

Sources:
https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2013/05/ulster-county-philanthropist-marion-borden/
http://abouttown.us/articles/marion-the-last-wallkill-borden/
http://ulstermagazine.com/borden-farm.html