Happy Tuesday everyone! We have a special story for today’s activity. Has anyone here heard of Rockford’s Old Tramp?

In the early 1900s, the city of Rockford was home to a dog known as Old Tramp. Tramp was a beloved hound and considered an honored citizen. Belonging to no one and everyone, Tramp wandered the streets of downtown Rockford and made friends everywhere he went. From joy rides on Rockford & Interurban Railway streetcars to afternoon cruising on local steamboats, this little doggy sure made his rounds!

It is clear from his photo that Tramp did not want for food. He was fed often by the friends he made, and he loved when children shared their candy with him (not something we recommend for the kiddos at home). The newspapers Rockford Morning Star, Daily Register-Gazette, and Rockford Republic were especially fond of the roly-poly lab-mix, who was lovingly known as a “mountain of meat.”