Ryan and McDonald

[McCDig]

In 1890, John McDonald engineered the Howard Street railroad tunnel in Baltimore. The company of Ryan and McDonald was granted right by the mayor and city council of Baltimore (April 1891) to erect poles and wires sufficient to light the tunnel as part of the construction. The tunnel was completed in 1894. Today I recovered what appears to be an employee badge of someone who worked on that project...an amazing piece of Baltimore history.

 

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[Scrappy]

Great digs. Man those IHC's you dig down there are beauts. Great badge too!

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Scrappy. Most brass or copper on of the ground I was hunting today is usually heavy with black corrosion. I had to use electrolysis to get that off the badge. The IHP responded with boiling peroxide and rubbing with baking soda.

 

[joee5]

Like the badge but love that injun.
Grats

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Joee5. Very happy to have found an Indian today. This park is a tough one to hunt.

 

[McCDig]

Here's a likeness of John McDonald.

 

[trapperart]

Nice finds and information thanks for sharing

 

[Loco-Digger]

You are a testament to the hobby McCDig. Great finds often require some research. Thanks for the lesson and for posting those finds. You sure can't find many IHP's in the shape of that one. The badge is cool, made cooler by your research.

GL & HH

 

[McCDig]

Thanks L-D. I was surprised to find so much on-line regarding McDonald and the tunnel project. The tunnel's still used here but it was off my radar, until I found the badge.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks trapperart. The information on the badge seemed very obscure at first, like who would know what the "R" and "McD" would stand for. If not for the Internet, I would have spent some quality time at the library figuring that one out.

 

[Gridwalker306]

That badge is really interesting. Those are my favourite kind of finds, nice job!

 

[McCDig]

Thanks, J.Cache. That was the first employee badge I've found.