Fort Collins honors history, improves sustainability, and announces service adjustments
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A beloved piece of Fort Collins history is receiving new life. With support from the City’s Nature in the City and Xeriscape Incentive Program, Transfort and Community Development & Neighborhood Services have begun restoring both Annie the Railroad Dog’s historic grave and garden, as well as the nearby stormwater basin at the Downtown Transit Center.
Honoring Annie the Railroad Dog
Before buses, the Downtown Transit Center was the site of the Colorado & Southern Freight depot, built in 1906. In 1934, railway crew members rescued a sick, pregnant dog from Timnath and brought her to Fort Collins. They named her Annie. Known affectionately as “the railroad dog,” she became a fixture at the depot until her death in 1948. Annie was buried on-site, her grave marked with a handmade headstone.
Transfort incorporated the gravesite into its plans when it took over the space in 2001. But decades of neglect left the site overgrown. Now, Annie’s garden is being revitalized with drip irrigation and will soon feature native, pollinator-friendly plants. Her grave and headstone remain untouched, while her commemorative plaque is being relocated for easier community access…