George W. Cooley Owney tag

Owney, American, c. 1888 - 1897 · March 19, 1894

Owney received this token from George W. Cooley, a Railway clerk who worked on the Aberdeen and Sioux City Railway line. Cooley, born in Maryland, was appointed as a mail clerk in South Dakota and was making $1,000 a year as of 1895. The tag includes the date March 19, 1894. The tag was created by Oscar J. Hoberg, a local watchmaker. Hoberg worked for James G. Thompson & Sons in Sioux City, Iowa during the time Owney was traveling. By 1900, Hoberg was able to open his own watch repair shop with George Thorpe, “Thorpe & Hoberg.”