Fort Wayne, Indiana Owney tag

March 27, 1894

This item is unique among the tokens Owney received during his lifetime. The decorative spoon bowl was given to Owney in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The bowl of the spoon is decorated with a scene of the fort, originally constructed in 1794 and named for General Anthony Wayne. The convex side reads notes that it is from the Ft. Wayne post office department, and presented to Owney on March 27, 1894. During Owney’s lifetime, Ft. Wayne was a stop or transfer point for a number of railway lines, including the Evansville & Richmond and Evansville & Terre Haute lines; the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad; as well as the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad. The Grand Trunk Western and the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroads may also have carried Owney into Ft. Wayne.