Old Firemans Medal

[Wickaboag]

Hey Hunters,
Just looking if anyone can help me with this medal. I just dug it no more than 20 minutes ago and would love to clean it up so I can see the older wooden fire cart on the center of badge.
Is this Wooburn Fire District? The reverse says "John Robbins Manufacturing Co. Boston, Massachusetts" I've read that this is probably from 1904-1930 as this is a rough time-gap of the company. Any knowledge on how to clean it, or what exactly is it (Datable?) please help!
Thanks!
Wicka

 

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[SkaBa]

All Oregon cities that start with a W......


Waconda - Wagontire - Walden - Waldo - Waldport - Walker - Wallowa - Walterville - Walton - Wamic - Wankers Corner[4] - Wapinitia - Warm Springs - Warren - Warrendale - Warrenton - Waterman - Wasco - Wauna - Waterloo - Weatherby - Wedderburn - Welches - Wemme - Wendling - West Linn - West Stayton - West Union - Westfall - Westfir - Weston - Westport - Wheatland - Wheeler - White City - Whiteson - Whitney - Wilbur - Wilderville - Wilkesboro - Willamina - Willamette* - Williams - Willowcreek - Wilsonville - Wimer - Winchester - Winchester Bay - Wingville - Winston - Witch Hazel* - Wolf Creek - Wonder - Wood Village - Woodburn - Woods - Woodson - Worden - Wren - Wyeth

 

[diggummup]

Looks like an early hat badge to me, the pin was vertical on it. Nice find. The D could stand for department versus district. I wonder how many of those cities above were around in 1900, which is closer to the age of this badge I believe.

 

[Wickaboag]

Looks like an early hat badge to me, the pin was vertical on it. Nice find. The D could stand for department versus district. I wonder how many of those cities above were around in 1900, which is closer to the age of this badge I believe.

Here it is. Cleaned. Will try to return to it's rightful town. Fun fact, I found it in Central Massachusetts !

 

[packerbacker]

neat find!

 

[coast40]

The badge might be from one of the 2 Oregon Townships in the State of Indiana or, from the city of Oregon, Ohio.
Is it common to have a state name more prominent than the department's initials?

 

[nhbenz]

That's a good point, it seems like the town/city would be the prominent text.
I think it May date a bit earlier than speculated above, as the company was formed in the 1840's originally making baggage tags for railroads. Of course steam fire engines weren't around until the 1860's, but just mentioning that it could be late 1800's.
Here's an example that shows cleare that the mark reads "manufacturer" rather than "manufacturing co.", which I only mention as the specifics may be the key to dating the item. Flying Tiger Antiques Online Store: BEING RESEARCHED 1880s-1890s Gate Keeper Badge for W.A. & I.S. (?) NOT FOR SALE TIL IDed

 

[trdking]

I was thinking in the 1880's when I first saw it. I cam across a batch of FD Ribbons from that time period (they were dated) and they had this motif on them.
The web says the Oregon, Ohio's Fire dept was not founded until 1937 way too late.

THis badge is rare and it is a real huney!

Congrats

 

[Jason in Enid]

It does seem odd that the state would be more pronounced than the town/district on a badge. I would suggest contacting the oregon state firefighters museum, send them pics of it and see if they have any information on it.

 

[Subterranean]

In the days before municipal fire departments, there were private Fire Companies operating in most big and mid sized cities. Your "Oregon" name is probably a Fire Company, and not the name of the city itself. The "W. F. D." is most likely referencing the city name (starts with a "W," and Fire Department" This is a breast (shirt) badge and had a "saddle blanket" type of pin and holder soldered vertically up the middle on the back. Your dating is correct, turn of the century, Victorian era. So start with any nearby city that starts with a "W" and check their local historical society for period photos of the FD's for a possible match on the unique shape of the badge. You have an awesome piece of history, congratulations. Sub

 

[Mackaydon]

I thought this pic and explanation were interesting:

Horse drawn fire pumpers used fire heated steam boilers to create water pressure.
Don....
PS: Steam pumper fire engines were used from 1860 to 1920 to pump water on city fires. per Wiki

 

[Bramblefind]

I think it is from Ware, Massachusetts. The newspapers have references to the Oregon Engine House / Steamer No. 3 Oregon.

The first one is from 1912 Springfield Union when the building burned down and the second is from 1888 Springfield Republican reporting on the Fireman's Parade.

 

[Subterranean]

Bramblefind to the rescue, that is it! Great research BF! Sub