Lincoln's Dog Fido

[Liz Rosenthal]

(03-20-2013 09:43 PM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  A favorite children's book of 1845 about a dog was called "Fido or the Faithful Friend." Perhaps this book was a favorite of the Lincoln boys.

Even if Lincoln didn't think of the name "Fido" himself, it's still possible that the fact that his family had a dog named Fido gave it a big push toward Dog-Name Domination. Then again, maybe not. But it seems very plausible to me.

In retrospect, leaving Fido behind with the Rolls was a very wise decision. The Lincolns took a long and circuitous route to Washington in February 1861. Each time they stopped at a city where Lincoln would be received by local dignitaries and he would be obliged to make a speech or participate in a local event, pandemonium ensued. It was very difficult, sometimes, for the President-Elect himself to avoid being crushed. And this could go on for hours-- outside on the street, inside the hotel where they were staying, etc. In those days, they seem to have had little knowledge of crowd control. Fido would not only have been frightened, but could have been physically harmed or gotten completely lost.

I've read that the Roll family, which took in Fido, was already well-acquainted with him, and vice versa. So it's not like Fido was left with strangers.

Laurie: "Soiled doves"? Is that a euphemism for prostitute? Or did you literally mean dirty birds? (If the latter, it's worth noting that birds are actually very clean and spend a large portion of every day grooming themselves. )