Calico Dorsey: The Miners' Mail Dog

Dorsey became a famous dog in history for carrying mail over rough terrain between two mining camps.

The black and white collie who became known as Dorsey the Mail Dog was a stray in the town of Calico, a mining camp in the late 1800s that is now California's official silver rush ghost town. Sometime around 1885 Everett Stacy, the town's postmaster, adopted the scruffy dog and the two became best friends. When Everett went to visit his brother Alwin, who ran a general store at the Bismarck mine camp, Dorsey would accompany him on the mile and half trek along a very steep and rugged trail. One day Everett needed to get an urgent message to Alwin but was unable to make the trip. In a desperate attempt, he tied the letter around Dorsey's neck and pointed him toward the other town saying "Bismarck!" The dog hesitated at first but with added encouragement he started on his trip. The following day, Dorsey returned to Calico with a reply from Alwin.

Everett was impressed with Dorsey, who didn't seem to mind making the trip on his own, and thought maybe his dog could deliver the mail to the miners in Bismarck faster than the stagecoaches could. After a few more successful test runs, Dorsey became the official mail carrier for the two camps. The Stacy brothers even made a special pouch for Dorsey that could be strapped onto his back to carry the mail and leather booties he could wear to protect his feet from the rough terrain. Dorsey would carry the mail to Bismarck, be spoiled with treats and affection, and return the following morning with Bismarck's outgoing mail.

Dorsey was often mentioned in the newspapers for his dedicated work. In January 1886, the San Francisco Chronicle reported "He is immensely popular with the miners, whose mail he carries so faithfully, and every evening at Bismarck, the miners order an extra beefsteak for the canine carrier."

Dorsey's mail carrying days ended about a year after he began his service when the Stacy brothers moved away. Everett gave Dorsey to San Francisco financier W.W. Stow who owned interest in the Bismarck mine, and Dorsey lived out his retirement years in comfort at the Stow mansion.

Dorsey's photo is on display at the Mojave River Valley Museum. In 1972, Kenny Rogers recorded an album called The Ballad of Calico with one song titled Dorsey, the Mail Carrying Dog. In 1977, his story was aired on The Wonderful World of Disney called Go West, Young Dog, and in 2010 his story was published in a children's picture book titled Calico Dorsey, Mail Dog of the Mining Camps.

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Owney: The Postal Dog Who Traveled the World

Owney became famous in history for traveling around the world as the unofficial mascot of the US Railway Mail Service.

Owney, a terrier-mix dog, began his public service career in 1888 after his owner moved away and left him behind. His owner was a postal clerk in Albany, New York, and Owney use to walk with him to his job. After being abandoned, the other clerks took him into their care and allowed him to stay at the post office. Owney's favorite spot to sleep was on the mailbags. He seemed to love the texture and smell of the bags and soon began to go where they went. He started riding mail wagons to the train station, and later rode the train to New York City and back to Albany. The adventurous dog eventually traveled by train throughout the US, Mexico and Canada. He became popular, and in 1895, he went aboard the Northern Pacific mail steamer Victoria with his little suitcase carrying his blanket, brush and comb on a 129 day trip around the world as a goodwill ambassador.

Owney poses in a mail train with his postal clerk friends

Owney logged more than 140,000 miles on the rails, and was considered a good luck charm by railway postal workers. In those days, train wrecks and robberies were all too common. Every train Owney rode on managed to reach its destination unscathed. He was a faithful guardian of the mailbags and would not let anyone touch the bags unless they were mail clerks. One story claimed Owney stood guard over a mailbag that had accidentally fallen from a wagon to protect its contents from thieves. When the clerk realized he was missing the bag and the dog, he backtracked and found Owney lying on top of the bag.

The Albany post office gave Owney a collar with a tag reading "Owney, Post Office, Albany, N.Y." to make sure the dog would make his way back home. Postal clerks would record his travels by placing metal baggage tags to his collar to identify the rail lines he traveled. His collection of tags became so numerous and heavy that in 1894 Postmaster General John Wanamaker presented Owney with a vest to distribute the weight more evenly.

In 1897, the retired dog who had become old, ill and irritable bit a postal clerk who was handling him when giving an interview to a newspaper reporter in Ohio. Owney was put down because of this.

Postal workers, knowing Owney was a faithful and loving dog, raised funds to have him preserved by taxidermy. His body is now on display at the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC. In 2011, the USPS issued a Forever stamp honoring Owney.

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