Boulder, Colorado: Boulder History Byte: Shep, “the turnpike dog,” has been moved!
Boulder History Byte: Shep, “the turnpike dog,” has been moved!
By Silvia Pettem - http://www.silviapettem.co
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, children begged their parents to take the toll road (now U.S. 36) between Boulder and Denver—just so they could see Shep, “the turnpike dog.” After he died, in 1964, his fenced-in gravestone became a visual landmark, east of the Wadsworth Boulevard overpass.
Shep belonged to no one and to everyone. His home was a no-longer-standing toll booth, under Wadsworth Boulevard. A couple weeks ago, to make room for highway improvements, his stone and remains were moved to the Depot Museum, in Broomfield.
When the brand-new Boulder-Denver Turnpike opened in 1952, 15-and 25-cent tolls were collected to pay for the highway’s construction. Uniformed attendants came and went, but the mixed-breed black and white dog settled down to stay.
No one knew who originally owned the dog or where he was born. Rumors stated that a farmer lost one of a litter of puppies in the early 1950s when the highway and the toll booths were under construction. Old-timers also claim that the dog wandered onto the job site where workers fed him sandwich scraps from their lunches.
At first, Shep was timid. When a graveyard-shift attendant finally coaxed him into his toll booth for a warm night’s sleep, the attendant got, in return, welcome companionship on his lonely job. As each shift began, Shep ran out to greet his new-found friends.
Even the motorists looked forward to seeing him when they paid their tolls. Many of the drivers paid a little extra and donated their change for Shep’s food. Others brought him bones and toys.
After many years of living with the attendants and winning their hearts, Shep gradually became blind and deaf and was barely able to move. Finally, on Aug. 3, 1964, his caretakers made the difficult decision to put him to sleep.
Boulder’s Green Mountain Cemetery donated a marble headstone, complete with Shep’s photo and the inscription, “Shep, 1950-1964, Part shepherd— Mostly affection.”
The turnpike was paid off in 1967, 13 years earlier than originally expected. The former toll road became a free highway, and the toll booths were torn down.
After Shep died, there was talk of getting another toll-road dog. One of the attendants, however, later insisted, “But nobody could take Shep’s place... never.” Now that he’s been moved, will he be missed, or will he be forgotten? Only time will tell.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, children begged their parents to take the toll road (now U.S. 36) between Boulder and Denver—just so they could see Shep, “the turnpike dog.” After he died, in 1964, his fenced-in gravestone became a visual landmark, east of the Wadsworth Boulevard overpass.
Shep belonged to no one and to everyone. His home was a no-longer-standing toll booth, under Wadsworth Boulevard. A couple weeks ago, to make room for highway improvements, his stone and remains were moved to the Depot Museum, in Broomfield.
When the brand-new Boulder-Denver Turnpike opened in 1952, 15-and 25-cent tolls were collected to pay for the highway’s construction. Uniformed attendants came and went, but the mixed-breed black and white dog settled down to stay.
No one knew who originally owned the dog or where he was born. Rumors stated that a farmer lost one of a litter of puppies in the early 1950s when the highway and the toll booths were under construction. Old-timers also claim that the dog wandered onto the job site where workers fed him sandwich scraps from their lunches.
At first, Shep was timid. When a graveyard-shift attendant finally coaxed him into his toll booth for a warm night’s sleep, the attendant got, in return, welcome companionship on his lonely job. As each shift began, Shep ran out to greet his new-found friends.
Even the motorists looked forward to seeing him when they paid their tolls. Many of the drivers paid a little extra and donated their change for Shep’s food. Others brought him bones and toys.
After many years of living with the attendants and winning their hearts, Shep gradually became blind and deaf and was barely able to move. Finally, on Aug. 3, 1964, his caretakers made the difficult decision to put him to sleep.
Boulder’s Green Mountain Cemetery donated a marble headstone, complete with Shep’s photo and the inscription, “Shep, 1950-1964, Part shepherd— Mostly affection.”
The turnpike was paid off in 1967, 13 years earlier than originally expected. The former toll road became a free highway, and the toll booths were torn down.
After Shep died, there was talk of getting another toll-road dog. One of the attendants, however, later insisted, “But nobody could take Shep’s place... never.” Now that he’s been moved, will he be missed, or will he be forgotten? Only time will tell.
Shep, “the turnpike dog.”
By Silvia Pettem - http://www.silviapettem.co