Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Mosaic in Beachfront Park.
Tsunami Walking Tour
Madam Yoko’s gravesite.
Madam Yoko’s Grave
Garden path.
Garden of the Presidential Mansion
Anabaptist Cages
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Aerial view of Bell Labs Holmdel
How the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex Inspired ‘Severance’
3 days ago
Omni Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House: Inside the History of Boston’s Most Iconic Hotel
3 days ago
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
5 days ago
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Illinois Makanda Monument to Boomer the Hero Dog

Monument to Boomer the Hero Dog

This odd stone memorial remembers a loyal dog who offended the rail barons with his speed and saved his master with his pee.

Makanda, Illinois

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Monument to Boomer the Three-Legged Hero Dog   Joe on Flickr
Add Photos
Monument to Boomer the Three-Legged Hero Dog   Joe on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The unassuming memorial stone located in Makanda, Illinois is dedicated to a mysterious dog named Boomer who is said to have died trying to save his master while running on three legs, but what the plaque leaves out is the odd rivalry that sparked the whole incident and the bizarrely heroic reason he couldn't run on all fours.

As the story goes, Boomer was the pet of a local fireman who worked on the Illinois railroads. Since the rail officials wouldn't let Boomer ride the train with his master, the hound would run alongside the locomotive cars, easily keeping pace with them. Catching wind of this adorable bit of loyalty, the owners of the railroad were not pleased, since it made their trains sound slow, and apparently other rail companies were making fun of them. In order to show up the pup, the company staged a race on September 2, 1859 with Boomer and the fastest engine in their fleet. As the contest commenced, the conductor overloaded the furnace with coal and a fire broke out on the train. Seeing this, Boomer supposedly lifted his leg mid-run and attempted to put the fire out with his urine. Unfortunately this heroic bit of multi-tasking cost the dog his life when he collided full speed with a small wall, killing him instantly.

While this tale may seem a bit outlandish, it nonetheless inspired the creation of the Boomer memorial under which the dog is said to be buried. The little stone and plaque are not explicitly marked out and one would have to be looking for it to find it, but it's worth a visit to remember such a devoted, and quick-thinking, animal.

Illinois Week on Atlas Obscura was created in partnership with Enjoy Illinois as part of the launch of the new Illinois Obscura Society. Sign up to find out more about the back room tours, unusual adventures, and incredible parties that Atlas Obscura will be putting on in Chicago and greater Illinois.

Related Tags

Monuments Dogs Memorials Trains Animals Illinois Obscura Society Day Of Rivals

Know Before You Go

In addition located across the railroad tracks is an old town board walk with original shops selling local arts, an ice cream shop and an old doctors office in which a metal smith makes jewelry. Make sure you go out the back door of the jewelers because you will find a beautifully sloes garden with plenty of cool features.The monument is between the rail tracks and the river on the main junction of Main St and Old Cobden Road.

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

Martin, jensnyder68, MagnumPI

  • Martin
  • jensnyder68
  • MagnumPI

Published

April 28, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://paducahlife.com/day-trippin-offbeat-southern-illinois
  • http://mysteriousheartland.com/2014/09/19/boomer-the-three-legged-hero-hound/
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2988
Monument to Boomer the Hero Dog
578 Co Rd 29
Makanda, Illinois, 62958
United States
37.617579, -89.209491
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Jeremy Rochman Memorial Park

Carbondale, Illinois

miles away

Buckminster Fuller Dome Home

Carbondale, Illinois

miles away

Pomona Natural Bridge

Pomona, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Illinois

Illinois

United States

Places 370
Stories 19

Nearby Places

Jeremy Rochman Memorial Park

Carbondale, Illinois

miles away

Buckminster Fuller Dome Home

Carbondale, Illinois

miles away

Pomona Natural Bridge

Pomona, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Illinois

Illinois

United States

Places 370
Stories 19

Related Stories and Lists

15 Places That Put the Dog Back in the 'Dog Days'

List

By Gemma Tarlach

The Final Resting Places of 7 Famous Dogs

pet cemeteries

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

    Statue of Sallie Ann Jarrett

    The beloved, war-tested mascot of a Union regiment graces their battlefield monument.

  • Wall behind soldiers.

    Washington, D.C.

    The K-9 of the Korean War Veterans Memorial

    Those with a sharp eye can find the hidden image of a German Shepherd on the memorial's Mural Wall.

  • Shep’s final resting place.

    Broomfield, Colorado

    Shep the Broomfield Turnpike Dog

    The final resting spot of the Colorado Transportation Department's beloved unofficial mascot.

  • The Elkhart Tooth Brick

    Elkhart, Indiana

    The Elkhart Tooth Brick

    A concrete block embedded with thousands of pulled teeth was created by a local dentist to memorialize his dog.

  • Alresford, England

    Grave of Hambone Jr.

    This grave remembers the beloved canine companion of soldiers far from home.

  • Bum.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    ‘A Canine Connection’

    This sculpture commemorates Edinburgh's sister city and their respective celebrity dogs.

  • One side of the base of the Ashtabula Bridge Disaster Monument.

    Ashtabula, Ohio

    Ashtabula Bridge Disaster Monument

    A monument to the “unrecognized dead” of the tragic 1876 train crash.

  • Malchik Monument.

    Moscow, Russia

    'Compassion'

    A monument to Malchik, a stray dog who lived in a Moscow metro station until his tragic death.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.