Arago: Local Commemorative Tokens

In 1893, Chicago, Illinois, was a major US railway hub and home to one of the largest, brassiest expositions in American history – the World’s Columbian Exposition. Thousands of people, and at least one dog, visited the fair from across the US and around the world. The tag presented to Owney includes a representation of Christopher Columbus on one side and a list of names on the other: F.L. Block, V.B. Curtis, N.A. Mowr, F. Burdie, and J. Garsbard. There is no further information on these individuals or their connection to Owney.

Celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage to the new world, the Columbian Exposition was a financial and critical success that drew the attention of the world. Some of the nation’s most renowned architects, including Louis Sullivan, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Daniel Burham contributed to the exposition. One of Daniel Burham’s later projects was the City Post Office of Washington, DC, that is now home to the National Postal Museum.