Baltimore, Maryland Owney tag

Owney was a scruffy mutt who became a regular fixture at the Albany, New York, post office in 1888. His owner was likely a postal clerk who let the dog walk him to work. Owney was attracted to the texture or scent of the mailbags and when his master moved away, Owney stayed with his new mail clerk friends. He soon began to follow mailbags, first onto mail wagons and then mail trains. Owney began to ride with the bags on Railway Mail Service (RMS) trains across the state . . . and then the country! The Railway Mail Service clerks adopted Owney as their unofficial mascot.

Postal workers and others began to mark Owney’s travels by placing tokens, tags, and medals on his collar. These items included baggage check and hotel room key tokens, dog licenses, and numerous items given to the dog by a variety of individuals and organizations.

Owney received this specially designed token from National Association of Post Office Clerks during their third national convention in Baltimore, Maryland. The tag is dated April 19, 1892, three years to the day before Owney would set out on his around the world journey. The clerks were appreciative fans of the dog early in his traveling career.

Markings:
PRESENTED BY THE / POSTAL CLERKS / CENTERING AT BALTIMORE / APRIL 19TH / 1892

Museum ID: 0.052985.116