1898 Badge?

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Found at 1800’s dot in old woods near Pittsburgh. Anyone ever seen something like this?

 

[Possum]

Thick brass

 

[creskol]

Thick brass

Was it found near the Davis Avenue Bridge bridge by any chance?

 

[huntsman53]

Maybe it is a badge lost from a horse drawn Fire Engine from a Pittsburgh Fire Department Company or Battalion that responded to a call for help with a forest fire or large structure fire well South of Pittsburgh.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Was it found near the Davis Avenue Bridge bridge by any chance?

It was found in Crafton, a couple miles from Davis Ave.

 

[creskol]

It was found in Crafton, a couple miles from Davis Ave.

The reason I asked is I was showing that to a detecting buddy who is an engineer for the highway dept. He said it looked like an old spec plate to him. He emailed me wanting me to ask you about that bridge, which had the main piers spaced 157'-0" and was probably bridge # 4 in record. Plans for the bridge were layed out in the 1880s' and construction on that bridge was done by Fort Pitt Bridge Works in 1898.

He, said however, that most of the spec plates he has seen were usually cast iron rather than brass, and were usually affixed to the bridge. That original Davis Avenue bridge spanned over Wood's Run and is no longer in existence.

 

[BeenThere DugThat]

It was a brutal hike but worth the trek. Looks like you guys are getting close to solving this mystery. I'm looking forward to hitting the dot I'm interested in.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

It was a brutal hike but worth the trek. Looks like you guys are getting close to solving this mystery. I'm looking forward to hitting the dot I'm interested in.

That site was a treacherous hike. You need to post your recent finds and Sleepy Bear!

 

[fyrffytr1]

Could it have anything to do with Penn station in Pittsburgh? It was built 1898-1904. When I did a search for PGH, Pittsburgh and Union station (Penn) came up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Pittsburgh)