The Dog Days of Summer

Article by Nathan Hofer, as seen in Tonka Living Magazine, August, 2025 edition

Dogs have been our companions for generations, yet their stories often go untold. In the annals of Minnetonka's past, few tales of man's best

friend make it into our history books. This story brings us back over 125 years, to a time when dogs often roamed freely-many of them unowned or

nearly feral. One day in October of 1900, a cyclist named James Mcllrath was well on his way to the completion of a century run. Mcllrath was well known for these 100- mile ultramarathons and had completed many in his day. On this particular stint, he was joined by a "little scraggy dog" while riding along the Minnehaha Creek near Minnetonka Mills. For several miles, the pup matched his pace with surprising ease. Mcllrath admitted that he had ridden fast enough to lose any

dog he'd encountered before-but this one simply wouldn't give up! By the time he neared Saint Paul, he had slowed so the dog could continue to keep up. Mcllrath was reaching Summit Avenue, near the Governor's residence, when finally the exhausted little dog sat down and watched with disappointment at the still rapidly moving bicycle. Mcllrath, noticing the dog's dismay, dismounted, scooped him up, and carried his new companion the rest of

the way home.

That scraggy little dog became his mascot for the rest of the 1900 season. Reports at the time said the pup was "receiving the very best of care and attention and is living high"!

Original story rediscovered in The St. Paul Globe, October 22, 1900.