Owney has his own exhibit at the National Postal Museum in the Smithsonian and his own “Forever” stamp, issued by the the U.S. Postal Service in 2011. Owney even has his own song, “”Owney – Tales From The Rails”, recorded by the country singer Trace Adkins.
I grew up with the story of Owney. My Grandmother’s uncle was a postal clerk at the Albany Post Office downtown in the old Federal Building at State and Broadway. (That’s the huge Victorian pile of a building that now houses SUNY Central Administration offices.)
When Owney wasn’t riding the rails he would come home with various postal workers, including Uncle Charlie, and was the toast of the town. A restaurant close to the P.O. kept the choicest bones for Owney.
Owney wore a silver tag, “Owney Albany Post-Office, Albany NY” and the Post Master General of of the U.S. ordered a harness for Owney to attach the medals and tags he accumulated as he traveled the U.S. and the world.
We think we need an Owney Day to celebrate this world famous Albany dog.
Friends of Albany History 