KEY I.D. ?

[jeff of pa]

Another Member Key Post reminded me of this one I found in the Early '80's
I believe,
At a Former Gas Station / Ball Field / roadside Picnic site / Roadside Ice Cream Bus Site
When I found it the only thing there yet was the Abandond Ball Field.

Name on Key : DETEX or DE.TEX
Not sure if the " . " is Real.

It is centered between the E & T half way up not at bottom
but could be Enviromental Damage.

Any Idea on use of this Key ?

 

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[999slvrfx]

Detex Corp. makes security door hardware and alarms.
Not sure if it's the right company, but it could be a key
for an alarm box or night watchman's clock.
PBK and Gypsy Elf are the people to ask.
It looks like it had a chain attached to make it stationary at one time.

 

[jeff of pa]

When I found it A friend Told me it could
have something to do with Pennsylvania Power & Light
which had a Substation accross the Street.
But was only Speculation.

The Gas station went out in the Early 60's (Pre-Alarms. or Security. especially around here)

The Ice cream bus 70's again No security worries here i don't think
Inteerstate 81 even Existed here then.

Although PP&L may have had security reasons

 

[DCMatt]

DCMatt

 

[jeff of pa]

DCMatt

Watchclock ? Must have been PP&L

 

[jeff of pa]

Thanks When I searched "Watchclock Station" I got this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/remydwd/30436154/

 

[999slvrfx]

Night watchman carried a clock on their rounds.
Each door or station had a key they put in the clock to prove they made their rounds.

 

[ivan salis]

to keep the "night watch" security guards up and moving instead of sleeping on the job (quite common back in those days) they had to "make the rounds" and --use the keys to punch in a time clock type device ---some types had keys attached in to the clock (detex) and others types had keys which were carried on the person --- security guards hated whoever dreamed up the idea. --- Ivan

 

[jeff of pa]

--- security guards hated whoever dreamed up the idea. --- Ivan

Yea I can Imagine ivan

it would be Kind of hard to get any sleep in

 

[jeff of pa]

any idea how far back These were used ?

I just rememberd in the late 40's or early 50's & Earlier there was a Very Large Railroad / Coal Shipping
Village near me. They had a Large RR Station. Office, Showers, Other Out Buildings,
Etc. Known as "Westwood Station".

in the 60's it was abandoned pretty much in tact. Safe , Typwriter, & all office
fixins were all still there.
As kids we would go down & Snoop through everything we could.
No Signs, Locked doors or Anyone. was like a Ghost Village.
Our Personal Knowledge of Right From Wrong was the Only thing that Kept
us & everyone else from taking things.

Was bought out, or Dismantled by Reading RailRoad, in the '70's sometime.

 

[DCMatt]

From the DETEX website:

For almost two centuries, the use of watchclocks can be traced as an integral element in the protection of people and property around the world.

DCMatt

 

[jeff of pa]

Thanks Again Matt !

The Westwood Staton about 1890's till 1950
most likely had a Night Watchman
When it was first closed till completly Abandoned.
and was within a Mile of where it was found

 

[junkdigger]

I work at a tissue mill,and it is part of a large complex of paper,paperboard, sawmill,and lumber specialty manufacturing. In the 1970's there were still security watchmen making their rounds,keying their watch clocks. These key stations are still in place all over the plant,but I haven't seen the watchmen in years. Since all departments operate 24/7 now,I assume they are not needed. We employees report fires,etc. now.

 

[mojjax]

Here's one I found a while ago -

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,28469.0.html

 

[mtntrekr2]

In the late 80's my dad worked part time for one of the rent-a-cop agencies out of Hazleton, Pa. many of the places he was at had the key and carried clock system. This is one of them. He and several others cheated they had a full set of keys in thier lunch can and would just turn the right key at the right time never having to get up and go out in the weather.

HH Joe