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Fate -- or maybe just wanting to get out of the rain -- brought a stray mutt into the Albany, New York, post office one day in 1888. Luckily, the clerks there let him sack out on some mailbags. They named him Owney. From then on, Owney developed the habit of following mailbags onto Railway Mail Service trains. He rode with the bags as they crisscrossed New York state. Soon, he graduated to cross country trains. The National Postal Museum reports that in 1895, Owney's itinerary even took him around-the-world, traveling with mailbags on trains and steamships to Asia and across Europe, before returning to Albany.Train wrecks were common in those days. But the rail clerks realized that Owney's trains always seemed to get where they were going safely. They decided Owney brought them luck and he became an unofficial mascot.
When Owney died in 1897, the clerks raised money to preserve him and sent him to Washington D.C. Post Office headquarters. In 1911, Owney moved over to the Smithsonian Institution, where he is on display today, dutifully wearing his jacket. Owney and his remarkable story are also the focus of a Danbury Railway Museum special day on June 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Families will learn about him and ride trains hourly. There is also an Owney stamped souvenir and tours of the museum's railway post office car. Attendees also get a free hot dog (gulp) with admission which is $8. Kids under three are free. For more information, visit The Railway Museum's website.
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