# B&O railroad police badge MYSTERY SOLVED!!!



## appliedlips (Aug 10, 2008)

My son,Shag,and I got out for a dig today.We had a killer permission so hopes were high.We ended up digging two 7-8ft. woodliners and a small trash pit.The first pit was a late 90's hole and only produced a few junkers but yeilded a brass dog collar, a partial silver plated dog tag and a very cool silver badge from the B&O railroad.The other hole had us busting through a gravel parking area but showed great signs of age.Unfortunately it was full of broken stoneware and only had two broken bottles.An IP Air Tight fruit jar and a OP Fahnstock's..The badge was definately the find of the day.We have a couple more pits probed for next time and the 60's-70's holes seem to be good in this neighborhood.Here is a couple pics of the badge


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## appliedlips (Aug 10, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

The back side.Evidently,spelling wasn't a prerequisite of a silversmith in the late 1800's.Either that or he didn't like the French and decided the "T" on the end of DEPOT was too uppity.I am hoping to find out what city along the B&O's miles of tracks this particular Union Depot was located.I don't think the depot in the town we dug this was ever referred to as the Union Depot but maybe Shag will prove me wrong.


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## GuntherHess (Aug 10, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

the 'T' would have messed up the symetry []
 Nice badge , I expect a pretty rare item.


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## lexdigger (Aug 10, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Nice badge! You know, I still see that spelling today along some of the rural roads of Kentucky. LOL Chris


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## Brains (Aug 11, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

very nice badge, looks good for how ever old it is.  Depo, depot, same thing.  I think depo is better though, but thats just me.


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## downeastdigger (Aug 11, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Great badge - that could have easily been missed, huh?  a great little piece of history


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## Dabeel (Aug 11, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Doug,

 Very cool find! I'm sitting here thinking...how did that end up in a privy.....Maybe the guy got fired and tossed it down the privy in anger[]

 Super cool artifact!

 Doug


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## appliedlips (Aug 11, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Thanks guys. I'm not sure why it would end up end a privy.I am thinking it was in a box or junk being we found a silver plate dog color with it.If not for the collar (we were looking for all of the links) We may have never seen it.We had dug a broken B&O lantern in a privy next to this one on a previous dig so I think it was the badge owner's house.His nickname is on the dog collar so maybe we can track him down through directories once I make it to the library.I am guessing it dates to 1890 or so.


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## GuntherHess (Aug 11, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Sooner or later most everything ends up down the crapper[]

 From the engraving style I would guess it could be quite a bit earlier than 1890. 
 It looks like they engraved the back and screwed up. Rather than melt it down they engraved the other side and still used it. I would try posting it on some rail road collector site. I'd bet they could date it pretty well.


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## steamfitter38 (Aug 12, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

sweet finds!


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## Staunton Dan (Aug 12, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Great find. Did you sift or just eyeball it? If you didn't sift, just think what else might have been in there. WTG!


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## appliedlips (Aug 12, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Dan,

      Just eyeballed it luckily,it popped out with the shovel and could tell it was a badge before bending down to pick it up.The few times I have sifted I have found very little we have missed so unless a pit has a bunch of coins or something,no sifting for me.I'd rather spend the time digging another hole for the bottles.If I were out west,with killer saloon tokens & more gold coins I might do it more.We always inspect any "green" brass for buttons,buckles,locks,etc.I try not to think of the stuff missed.


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## Staunton Dan (Aug 12, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Where are you from? Virginia here in the heart of civil war country. So far I have found 12 civil war era buttons this year, 7 confederate,  sifting and using a metal detector. Without these 2 aditional methods I may have eyeballed 2 buttons out of the 12. I also found a snake buckle with a metal detector over what came out of a privy. I don't dig a lot of privies so when I do I like to slow down and increase my chances of finding some of the valuable smalls that I would normally have missed.


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

I am right in the middle of Ohio.I know exactly what you are saying Dan.I used to feel the same way and sifted quite a few pits but rarely found anything to justify my time.Then I would dig a pit and find 4 or 5 uniform buttons with the eyes. I have a nice metal detector that I rarely use because of the time spent for every good find,I think it's the ADHD,but who knows?.I believe 90% of the good stuff is in 10% of the privies,so I try to get the losers out of the way to get to the winners.I think it is just personal preference.If I were finding those buttons you were finding it might be a different story though.Continued good luck,Doug


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## glass man (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

THERE are some serious railroad collectors. If you could find a B & O RAILROAD collector ,I would like to see what the collector would offer you.I have sold a good deal of rail road stuff even at bottle shows.


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Thought I'd share some of the results of a little research.I mentioned in an earlier post that a dog collar and tag were also found in the pit.The badge was almost fused onto the adjustable part of the collar.The writing on the collar gave us a great place to start on our research.It was inscribed _ETURN ME TO   _OC" BROOKE 81 S. 3rd ST. NEWARK OHIO.Here is a pic of the collar


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

close up


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

I made it to the library this evening and shortly after opening up a 1891 directory I had a match to the last name and address.The name was Clement,still not sure if it is "DOC" or not but his occupation is interesting.He is listed as a clerk in 1869 but he is listed as a policeman in 1876 but not at the correct address,yet.


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

in '83 listed as a baggage agent for the Panhandle R.R.


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

in '87  lieutenant of police and living at 81 S.3rd. I later find out his father is Moses D. (note his job description) he was the city marshall in earlier directories.He is listed again as Depot Master again in the '89 directory(Clement is not listed).But guess what ole Clement is up to in '91


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

You guessed it,looks like Pops got him a gig with the B&O.He is the BROOKE with an E at the end not S.He is listed as a baggage agent again in '01.All this,but we are still not sure who "DOC" is.


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## appliedlips (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Mystery solved.It was so exciting to find out this much history on the badge and the person who used the privy.None of it would have possible without the dog tag.Learning about this one was more fun than actually digging it.


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## madpaddla (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Awww awesome stuff plus the research.  Great job guys.
 Madpaddla


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## capsoda (Aug 13, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Great research and history Doug. Looks like the Brooke and Brooks were the same guy. Could be a typeo.


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## GuntherHess (Aug 14, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

maybe they called him 'DOC' cause his dad was an M. D. []


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## beendiggin (Aug 16, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

That was a great story and the research you did was really cool .. Nice job and I would love to find something like that!  That badge would be a keeper for sure.


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## glass man (Aug 17, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

Now that was interesting! Being a HISTORY DECTECTIVE IS FUN AIN'T IT?!![&:]


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## bottlediger (Aug 17, 2008)

*RE: B&O railroad police badge*

now that was some good resurch bro! i love to read posts like this!

 Digger ry


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## bandoken (Mar 9, 2010)

Hello Appliedlips, I am a serious B&O RR Badge collector. While searching the web for anything I could find on the B&O I found your badge find on this site. I was wondering if you were interested in parting with it? I would be very interested in purchasing it from you if possible. Thanks so much.


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## appliedlips (Mar 9, 2010)

I appreciate the offer but if I part with it, it will go to a close friend. Thank you


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## bandoken (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks for the quick reply. Please let the friend know that as far as I am aware this is the first time I have seen this style of badge and I would think it to be quite rare. It would be a shame for it to return to a land fill in the future. Thanks for sharing your find.


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