Trade token found in Wa. State cedar shingle mill! Rare?!

[highnam]

I have been hunting a 1900-1920 Cedar Shingle Mill for a couple years, I haven’t had any great finds lately and today that changed. I found my first trade token at this site. I took it home dirty knowing it was aluminum and nothing else. With 30 mins of carefully cleaning it I confirmed it was a “good for 10cents in trade” token!
letter by letter the other side started to reveal itself, I saw the town and recognized it as a old lumber town on the SW Wash coast, “Hoquiam, Wash”

I started cleaning and the name of the establishment Is “The Elk Bar” ...I think it says “Bar” but two holes were drilled to make the token a button?
I haven’t seen a match to this token or any reference to “The Elk Bar” in my research, but I’m hoping guys like Idaho Tokens can step in and lend a hand. Hoquiam is about 5 hours South of here and I can imagine a man leaving a shingle mill job in Hoquiam for a shingle mill job here 100 years ago.
I would be grateful for any help on this token.

 

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[rickb2202]

Nice detective work. You rediscovered some of your local history.

 

[washingtonian]

Wow, super cool Highnam! I never find old trade tokens. Good luck with the research!!

 

[highnam]

Nice detective work. You rediscovered some of your local history.

Thank you, nothing beats a find with local history!

 

[highnam]

Wow, super cool Highnam! I never find old trade tokens. Good luck with the research!!

Thank you. Just finding a coin in these old logging sites is tough, finding a trade token is even tougher, I sure hope I can catch a break and find some reference. We Washingtonians have to work hard for a good find

 

[Chimacum87]

Thank you. Just finding a coin in these old logging sites is tough, finding a trade token is even tougher, I sure hope I can catch a break and find some reference. We Washingtonians have to work hard for a good find

Amen to that . I live over on the Oly pen and have the hardest time just finding areas to get permission. Congrats on the find!

 

[Rookster]

Nice find. Congrats

 

[Yak1366]

Nice find, congrats!!!

 

[Hawks88]

That’s a cool find. Congrats

 

[Molewacker]

did some digging - perhaps this helps. Divided back on postcard which gives it a range from 1907 to 1915.

Lodge is still there - perhaps you could contact for more info on token.

Cool find!

 

[Mackaydon]

If no luck here, you may wish to contact the Hoquiam Public Library ( (360) 532-1710); ask for the reference desk.
If they can't answer your Qs, you can ask them for the number/Email of the county historian.
Don.....

 

[dirtlooter]

very cool token, hope you find out all that you hope to. Tokens are just cool by nature and some are pretty rare. Tokens can become center pieces for some of us. very exciting find, congrats

 

[Brendan75]

Hi, Congrats on the nice old token find Tokens are always nice to find

 

[highnam]

View attachment 1662899

did some digging - perhaps this helps. Divided back on postcard which gives it a range from 1907 to 1915.

Lodge is still there - perhaps you could contact for more info on token.
thank you for the pic and info, I considered the token as coming from a Elk’s Lodge and it might be, but all the other tokens ive seen from Elk’s lodge say “Elk’s” and not “The Elk” so I still don’t know for sure

Cool find!

Thank you sir...

 

[highnam]

If no luck here, you may wish to contact the Hoquiam Public Library ((360) 532-1710); ask for the reference desk.
If they can't answer your Qs, you can ask them for the number/Email of the county historian.
Don.....

Thank you, Mackaydon....
I know your research skills are as good as they get, I appreciate any time you put into this token, thank you for the additional contact info, I will follow up on this

 

[highnam]

very cool token, hope you find out all that you hope to. Tokens are just cool by nature and some are pretty rare. Tokens can become center pieces for some of us. very exciting find, congrats

Silver coins are great but as a relic hunter nothing beats a trade token for local history, it is the centerpiece of my finds in this site, hiked up a mountain on winter solstice and got a reward. Crazy hobby

 

[highnam]

Hi, Congrats on the nice old token find Tokens are always nice to find

Thank you, Sir!

 

[washingtonian]

Thank you. Just finding a coin in these old logging sites is tough, finding a trade token is even tougher, I sure hope I can catch a break and find some reference. We Washingtonians have to work hard for a good find

Yeah, good luck! Agreed, we don’t have anywhere near the history of the east coast or even the Midwest for that matter.

 

[Mackaydon]

You may also wish to contact the Polson (Historic) Museum in Hoquiam:
360-533-5862
[email protected].
Don.....

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice piece of history, congratulations!