Bobbie the Wonder Dog

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In the summer of 1923, Frank and Elizabeth Brazier departed Silverton, Oregon on a 2,500 mile road trip to visit relatives in Frank’s home state of Indiana. Accompanying them were their daughters Leona and Nova, as well as their two-year-old Scotch collie named Bobbie.

Cross-country travel was still a novel and risky undertaking in 1923. The Ford Model T had made car travel accessible to middle-class Americans just 15 years prior. The Interstate Highway system was still decades away. Even historic Route 66 would not start construction for another three years. Motorists largely depended on local roads at a time when reliable maps were hard to come by. It would take the Brazier’s weeks to complete their trip.

By August 15, the family was nearing it’s destination in Wolcott, Indiana when disaster struck. As the Braziers were stopping to gas up their car, three local strays approached Bobbie and attacked him. Frank darted to his rescue, but only managed to catch a glimpse of Bobbie fleeing around the corner of the building with several snarling hounds on his tail.

An extensive search for Bobby proved fruitless. He had disappeared without a trace. After a prolonged wait for his return, the Braziers jotted down their relatives’ address for the attendants and turned in for the night. They remained confident that Bobbie’s keen herding instincts would lead him to their destination, which was relatively close by.

Disappearance

Upon waking the next morning, however, they did not discover Bobbie waiting patiently on the back porch to be let inside. He didn’t turn up for the rest of the day either. The Braziers became alarmed. Bobbie was a tough farm dog accustomed to freely roaming the countryside. Why had he not returned yet?

The Braziers widened their search. They scoured the town by car and foot. Flyers were posted around town, and ads were placed in the local newspaper. Calls were made to nearby businesses asking if anyone had spotted Bobbie.

Eventually, the Braziers could no longer extend their vacation. After a three week stay, they packed their bags and made their way back to Oregon without Bobbie in tow. Instructions were left behind to send Bobby home on rail car at the Braziers’ expense should he turn ever up.

Bobbie Reappears in Silverton

On February 15, 1924 – exactly six months to the day he disappeared – Nova was working at the Reo Café in town when she spotted something that defied belief. It was Bobbie, walking down main street of Silverton. Though emaciated and filthy, it was undeniably him.

When she called out, Bobbie bolted to her immediately and jumped up to kiss her. It was a tearful reunion; the dog cried with joy at the sight of Nova. They brought Bobbie to see Frank and Elizabeth inside of the Reo, where he quickly drew the attention of the entire town. Local mill workers packed the café to welcome the dog home.

Bobbie was brought back to the Brazier’s farm, where he was fed a hearty meal of sirloin steak and and whipping cream. After stuffing himself to bursting, he proceeded directly to his sleeping spot in the basement, lied down, and slept like the dead for three days. He roused only to eat or drink. His paws were so sore that he slept on his back with his legs hoisted in the air.

A Story with Legs

The local paper, The Silverton Appeals, published an article about Bobbie’s astonishing reappearance. The heart-warming tale was a hit with readers, and it was quickly picked up and reprinted by other papers.

Within a week, Bobbie was making international headlines. Letters addressed to “Bobbie the Wonder Dog” poured in from across the country. Telegrams from as far off as Australia arrived at the Brazier’s door praising Bobbie for his incredible loyalty and determination.

As Bobbie’s photo circulated across the globe, many began to recognize the peculiar pooch and his distinct features. Strangers wrote to the Braziers claiming to have either sighted or sheltered Bobbie on his cross-country odyssey.

Officials from the Oregon Humane Society, amazed yet skeptical at the sheer magnitude of his feat, decided to investigate these claims. Not only did the accounts allow them to piece together a fairly accurate map of Bobbie’s expedition, they ultimately confirmed that he had indeed walked the entire 2,500 mile trip home. His approximate route took him over plains, through deserts, and across the Continental Divide during the bitterest months of winter.

Homeward Bound

The Brazier’s were, in fact, astoundingly shrewd in their assumption that their scent would lead Bobbie home. Having spent an unknown amount of time injured or lost in the wilderness following his attack, Bobbie eventually found his way back to Wolcott after the Braziers had departed. Unable to locate his owners, his miraculous sense of smell finally picked up their scent and he immediately struck out west.

The precise details of Bobbie’s journey have been lost to time. What can be confirmed is that he relied on his nose to guide him; though he did not stick to the Brazier’s exact trail, Bobbie did manage to revisit each of the service stations they had rested at on their way to Indiana:

Bobbie’s Encounters

Stories of his encounters with locals provide further snapshots of where he stayed and when. Bobbie was apparently welcomed into many homes, where he rested and recuperated before departing without warning. Others simply fed him and let him go his way. He also ran into several campsites out in the wilderness, including a hobo camp.

One family wrote to the Braziers telling of Bobbie’s brief sojourn at their house:

Bobbie’s final stop was likely in Portland, Oregon, less than 50 miles north of his home:

Scarce is written about this mysterious guardian angel. Either a grievous accident or the unforgiving trek itself had left Bobbie’s paws bloodied and raw. The woman bandaged Bobbie’s wounds and took him in. With her aid, he was nursed back to health and able to complete the final leg of his journey.

Bobbie’s Route

Bobbie’s conjectured route was published alongside his story in the Feb. 24 edition of The Sunday Oregonian, a newspaper based out of Portland. It indicates that after leaving Wolcott, he ventured west through Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. After reaching Lincoln, Nebraska, he pivoted slightly northwest, taking him through the Sandhills of central Nebraska to Cheyanne, Wyoming. From here he crossed the entire breadth of Wyoming state and made it to Pocatello, Idaho.

From Pocatello, Bobbie appears to have followed the course of the Snake River through the relatively low-lying Snake River Plain to the city of Pendleton in northeast Oregon. In Pendleton, he turned sharply west again and headed to Portland, following the mighty Columbia river towards the ocean. He bisected the Cascade Mountains at the Columbia River Gorge, a deep and narrow canyon that serves as the only navigable route through the Cascades. From there, it was just short dash south through the lush, flat Willamette Valley before he was home.

This path would have dragged Bobbie through some of the most remote regions of the western United States, including several national parks and numerous reserved wilderness areas. After several months of cutting across the midwest and travelling the vast distances of the Great Plains, he would have eventually hit the mountain ranges of the Continental Divide during the dead of winter.

The Great Divide

That Bobbie survived his crossing is extraordinary. Winter in these mountains is merciless. Temperatures rarely drift above freezing and heavy blizzards depositing up to 100 inches of snow per season. Mountain trails become impassible. Cloudy skies and imposing peaks permit just four hours of sunlight each day.

This unspoiled wilderness is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. Bighorn sheep, bison, elk, moose, mountain goats, deer, and pronghorns all inhabit the area, as do several large predators such as black bears, lynxes, coyotes, mountain lions, and wolves. Grizzly bears are even known to wander south from Canada. That Bobbie refused to eat anything but raw meat upon his return suggests he sustained himself by hunting local wildlife such as rabbits or mountain fowl.

Estimated Distance

Estimates of the total distance Bobbie traveled vary significantly. The Sunday Oregonian listed a sum of 2,364 miles, the total initially produced by the Oregonian Humane Society. However, other sources assert that Bobbie’s actual course was not a straightforward one.

For example, he apparently made a detour to Colorado, which would have taken him 200 miles astray of his supposed path. He also probably double-backed several times while trying to sniff out a trail.

The current official calculation is that Bobbie covered 2,551 miles on his return home. This means he would have averaged around 14 miles per day across six months, though he may have taken extended breaks along the way.

In all likelihood, the true total was much higher than 2,551 miles. Some estimates go as high as 3,000.

Legacy and Death

Bobbie awoke from his slumber to discover that he had become a celebrity almost overnight. In the following months he was showered with medals, keys to cities, and a jewel-studded harness and collar. He became the guest of honor at the Portland Home Show, which was attended by 40,000 people. There he was gifted a fancy red and white doghouse, which was nicknamed “Bobbie’s Castle”.

Bobbie’s story was featured in Riply’s Believe It or Not, and he eventually starred in his own autobiographical silent film “The Call of the West” (just as canine actors were coming into vogue). Bobbie would go on to sire a litter of 15 puppies – all boys.

Bobbie’s journey had taken a dire toll on his health, however. He survived for just three more years before dying in 1927. He was buried with full honors at the Oregon Human Society’s pet cemetery in Portland. The eulogy was delivered by the city’s mayor, and more than 200 people attended the funeral. A week later, celebrity canine Rin Tin Tin laid a wreathe on his grave. Bobbie’s resting place is sheltered by his very own doghouse, though his headstone has since been moved outside of the house for better viewing.

His memory is still celebrated in his hometown of Silverton, Oregon. An annual pet parade is held in his honor, the first of which was led by Bobbie’s own son, Pal. A 70-foot-long mural illustrating his life was painted along the busiest street in town. At one end of it sits a life-size statue of Bobbie along with a replica of his famous dog house, a frequent tourist destination.

Sources

The wiki article for Bobbie is criminally short. In addition to the embedded sources above, I relied on several external sources to compile this story: