Those that have lived in the Tipp City, Ohio area for any significant period of time are probably familiar with the "Iron Dog" near the intersection of Evanston Road and County Road 25A in Tipp City, although most would likely be hard-pressed to provide exact details of the canine's history.

Col. Ralph E. Pearson recounted the history of the dog in the December 11, 1973 edition of the Piqua Daily Call newspaper. It was relayed to him by local historian Grace Kinney, who was told the story by a member of the family that owned the dog. As the story goes, a young boy from a wealthy Tippecanoe City family, the Cranes, grew to be great friends with the family dog. After the young boy's untimely death in the last half of the 19th century, his father had an iron dog made to stand guard over the boy's grave, memorializing the strong bond that had developed between the two during the boy's short life.

Van Eli Crane (1839 - 1914), ca. 1900. Van Crane was reportedly the father of the boy who's grave the dog guarded for so many years at Maple Hill Cemetery. Photo from The Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan), October 10, 1906.

The child's grave was reportedly located in Maple Hill Cemetery to the south of what was then Tippecanoe City. It was at one of the cemetery's highest points, allowing the iron dog to be seen by the many passengers in the trains that would pass by the cemetery. Over time, the dog gained more and more notoriety due to those on the trains seeing it, and eventually the national press picked up the story about the dog standing guard over the boy's grave. Some passersby are reported to have actually believed the dog to be alive, dutifully guarding the boy's grave night and day.

Eventually, the fame of the dog and the commotion it caused became troublesome, and the family made the decision to move the dog from the grave to the family's property south of Tippecanoe City. Decades later the Miami Conservancy District purchased the large Crane farm as part of its post-1913 flood efforts to control the Great Miami River and its tributaries. A local man who lived near the corner of Evanston Road and the Dixie Highway (what is now County Road 25A), bought the dog from the Cranes, moving it to his home around 1918. And there it has been for more than 100 years. The canine's fame was somewhat revived at its new home, due to the large number of people that would see the dog as they traveled up and down the busy Dixie Highway for more than a century.

Bob Bartley (left) and Dave Cook on September 5, 2020, just prior to the dog's removal from the grounds where it had been for more than 100 years. Bob has been researching the dog for a decade or more, and knows more about it than any other person. Bob's knowledge and counsel has been invaluable to the author during his research for, and in the preparation of, this website. Photo courtesy of Bob Bartley, from his collection.

Recently, the house that had been the century-long home to the dog was sold. The new owner donated the iron dog to the Tippecanoe Historical Society, so that it could be displayed at a public location and thus more easily be seen and enjoyed by the entire community. Understandably, the dog had deteriorated over more than a century, and is badly in need of a restoration. In a bit of irony, the object that has gained so much fame locally as the "Iron Dog" is actually zinc. It had been filled with cement by a previous owner, and over time the dog was damaged by the expansion of the moisture in the cement during cold weather, as well as by the weight of the cement itself.

On Saturday, September 5, 2020, the Society officially took possession of the dog. Plans are for the dog to be placed on public display for all to enjoy, after it has been properly restored.

There are a number of unanswered questions about the dog. The story as recorded by Grace Kinney suggests that the child's father had the dog made at a business he owned in Michigan, although to date nothing has been found to substantiate that. In fact, the dog strongly resembles some made in New York City in the later third of the 19th century.

The Crane family burial area at Maple Hill Cemetery as it looks today. This may well be the location where the iron dog stood for a number of years in the later portion of 19th century. Although difficult to see in this photo, railroad tracks are immediately to the rear of the cleared cemetery grounds in the distance. They were in this same location some 140 years ago when the dog could have been viewed by train passengers. Photo from the author's collection.

Another intriguing aspect of the story concerns the child. Although his grave was reportedly at Maple Hill Cemetery, there is no marker of any type that identifies a child's grave that would fit within the timeframe of the story. Additionally, cemetery records examined thus far don't even acknowledge that such a boy was ever buried there. In fact, no record of the boy's birth has yet been found, and hence we know him by nothing more than his assumed last name, Crane. His mother was very likely Caroline (Callie) Hubbard from Clark County, Ohio, but few other details of her are known.

Because the dog is a rather unusual and precious specimen, the restoration will not be a trivial matter, and is expected to take quite some time. In the interim, the Tippecanoe Historical Society hopes to learn more about the dog and his Crane family, so that much of the mystery of the iron dog can be resolved prior to its public debut after restoration.