"Annie the Railroad Dog" was abandoned and pregnant: this was her happy ending

Annie was a famous dog to those who grew up in Northern Colorado in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Annie did not have a home until she was adopted by the crew members of the Colorado & Southern Railway. When Annie died, she was buried just outside the depot. Where her grave and headstone still exist today. This is the story of "Annie the Railroad Dog" and how she is still honored in a park and at a local bus depot.

"Annie the Railroad Dog" memorial in Library ParkPhoto byGenerations Found

In 1934, several Colorado & Southern Railway crew members first met Annie at a blacksmith shop in the town of Timnath. She was pregnant and on her own. They took Annie back to the C&S freight depot in Fort Collins. They nursed her back to health and delivered three healthy puppies.

The puppies were adopted out to good home. While Annie remained at the freight depot the rest of her life. She was known to happily greet trains and passengers all day long.

Fourteen years after her arrival to the C&S freight depot she died in 1948. The devoted workers of the depot buried her next to the tracks and depot. They placed a headstone and fence around her grave. The headstone reads:

From C&S men to Annie, our dog, 1934-1948.

Present Day

After Annie's death, the railroad industry declined. The C&S depot remained in operation until 1986. In 1995 the City of Fort Collins purchased the C&S depot and Annie's Grave. Both were declared local landmarks so they would not be destroyed. The Colorado State Historical Fund awarded Fort Collins a grant to rehabilitate both the depot and Annie’s gravesite.

The C&S depot is now the Downtown Transit Center for buses. Riders waiting for buses can sit and gaze upon Annie’s gravesite along North Mason Street and Laporte Avenue.

Annie the Railroad Dog's grave next to the Transportation Station.Photo byGenerations Found

Along with her grave, she is honored in Library Park just a few miles away on Peterson and East Oak Streets. Every corner entrance of the park bears a metal image of Annie and a boulder saying, “Annie’s Walk.” You will also find a bronze statue of Annie at the entrance of the Old Town Library with a plaque telling her story.

Library Park entrancePhoto byGenerations Found

Book about Annie

Several years ago, local author Arlene Briggs Ahlbrandt wrote the book/pamphlet called, “Annie, The Railroad Dog a True Story." It is a children's book that introduces Annie’s story to future generations. The publication is hard to find. Even in Fort Collins. But I did manage to find a copy in the very same library that honors Annie with her bronze statue.

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References & Resources

• City of Fort Collins
• Old Town Library at 201 Peterson Street, Fort Collins, CO
• Annie the Railroad Dog's Find-a-Grave