On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1800s, stray dogs began hopping aboard America's trains and riding wherever the rails took them. Their adventures soon made the newspapers, and some became celebrities known across the country.

Paul Koudounaris, author of Go West, Young Dog, shares the story of America's railroad dogs and the legendary Railroad Jack. To a generation of Americans who dreamed of escaping the grind of industrial life, these wandering dogs came to represent something bigger: the freedom to just climb aboard and go. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.