Not to sure on where to post this question.

I am trying to track down some history on a Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen Lodge No. 186. I was wondering if anyone has any information on where that lodge was located. The information I have is from 1886 & it appears the lodge was also called Chamberlin. I haven't had any luck figuring out what city the lodge was located in.

Thanks

Tom

Thanks Lindell

Tom

Hi Tom,
I found a reference where a lodge #186 (BLFL) was organized on June 28, 1899, in Ft. Moultrie, SC, which is just outside Charleston, SC. No reference to "Chamberlain".
Mike

Reference to Lodge 186 follows...

Thanks Mike, I am not up on my Brotherhood information, I recall reading where the Firemen & Enginmen joined together. It looks like what you found was for the Locomotive Enginemen & I am looking for Firemen. The paper work I have is dated Feb. 21, 1886. So perhaps the Fireman Lodge 186 is different than the Enginemen Lodge.

Also while I am asking questions, any idea of a railroad know as the "W Sland P"

Tom
Tom

HI TOM,
You're probably right. Here is my source which I'm sure you found on the internet as well and dismissed it: Brotherhood of locomotive Fireman and Enginemen ..., Volume 29, Issues 4-6.

Mike

Hello Tom:

Just to clarify the issue at their convention in Milwaukee Wisconsin during September 1906 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen changed their name to the of Firemen and Enginemen. In my 1915 Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen's Directory shows Lodge 186 as "Columbus" Lodge located in Columbus, Mississippi representing firemen on the Columbus Railway in Mississippi, and as Mike has indicated the Lodge in 1899 was called "Fort Moultrie" in Charleston, South Carolina. Lodge charters were surrendered and reissued over the years, I will check some of my older Firemen's directories and see if I can find a location where the Lodge was located in 1886.

Larry

Thanks guys.

The paper work I have has the following on it if it helps.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
Traveling Card
Feb 21, 1886
HA Wyatt is a member of Chamberlin Lodge No 186
signed by John Broderick (Master)
George Mitchell (Fiancier)

Then on the back it has that the beare has served on the W Sland P R.R. as Locomotive Fireman for the space of 5 years & 10 months.

I was hoping to try to find out a little more on the owner but it would help to know where the lodge was & also what railroad that was, but I can't come up with anything for either.

Tom

For John Broderick's name (in Amory, MS), check here, 8th name from the bottom of the list:

http://freepages.genealogy.roo...E%20Divs%201888.html

There are a lot of internet dead ends in the information you provided. If these Lodge charters were canceled and reissued with the same number, that do make it hard.

Hello Tom:

My 1891 Directory of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen shows;

Lodge 186. CHAMBERLAIN; Chicago, Illinois
Meets in Walther's Hall, 3934 State St., 1st and 3rd
Sunday's of each month.
J.E. Callahan 3613 LaSalle Street-----------Master
Jas. Manning, Wabash Roundhouse 41st St. Secretary
John Nolan, 3829 Butterfield St.----------------Collector
Jas. Everett, 4219 School St. -------------------Receiver
William Baker, 5151 School St.-------Magazine Agent


So it appears your fireman might have worked for the Wabash Railroad


Larry

Hello Tom:

I would like to see some photos of your traveling card. I have some in my collection here is one from Taylor Lodge 175 Newark, Ohio on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the interesting signature is that of Eugene Victor Debs who was the Grand Secretary Treasurer at the time he was a great labor leader and destined to run the organization, but in 1893 he left to form the American Railway Union, the first industrial union that represented all workers in that industry. He was very successful at first negotiating a contract for Railroad workers on the Great Northern Railroad. Unfortunately he represented the striking workers of the Pullman Company who were starving to death at the time, and the A.R.U. shutdown all railway traffic out of Chicago that carried Pullman passenger coaches, this resulted in Pres. Grover Cleveland calling in the National Guard to stop the strike, and Eugene Debs and his executive were thrown into jail.

Larry

Here is another neat traveling card from 1891 appropriately named "Smoky City" Lodge 219 Allegheny, Pennsylvania representing firemen on the Pennsylvania Railroad

Here is a view of the reverse side

Hello Tom:

I think I found the answer to your question on the "W SL and P.R.R"

The Wabash was a combination of several railroads as follows:

Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway
Great Western Railway of Illinois 1865
Sangamon and Morgan Railroad 1853
Northern Cross Railway 1847
Illinois and Southern Iowa Railroad 1865
Quincy and Toledo Railroad 1865
Toledo and Wabash Railway 1865
Wabash and Western Railroad 1858
Toledo and Wabash Railroad 1858
Toledo, Wabash and Western Railroad 1858
Lake Erie, Wabash and St. Louis Railroad 1856
Toledo and Illinois Railroad 1856
Warsaw and Peoria Railroad 1865

Later mergers and reorganization formed the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway on November 7, 1879 and the Wabash Railroad on August 1, 1889

So the Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railway fits into the time your traveling card was issued.

Larry

The city of Allegheny was founded in 1788 and was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It is now Pittsburgh's north side.

Hello Burt:

Do you know any history of Lehighton, Pennsylvania?

Larry

Thanks guys, now I have a place to start searching for the card owner.

Larry I will post an image of the card later this evening, mine although a year earlier than yours doesn't have the neat train engine on it.

Tom

Larry

Here is the front of the card

Back of the card

I don't know if this was his tag for his overalls but it was with it.

They came inside a ID holder for the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen

Inside of the case

Since I am posting stuff, thought I would include these last two.

This is a time book from the Brotherhood Overall company, I at one time just lived up the road from their city, Dover NJ.

And last is a booklet of the Constitution of the Brotherhood Railway Carmen.

Larry,
Lehighton is located in northeast Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River. This area was settled in the 1740's by German immigrants. For many years the
Lehigh Valley Railroad was the towns biggest employer.

Larry

Do you need something from there? I have family just a few miles away.

Tom

I am enjoying your thread and like the posting of the BLF items. I thought that there might be some interest in the Lodge Member Ribbon. I am an Albuquerque born native so I was happy to have this item that was given to us by friends.

Lawrence

Beautiful ribbon Lawrence:

Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen Highland Lodge 467 of Albuquerque New Mexico represented locomotive firemen on the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. I have 44 firemen's ribbons in my collection, along with about 150 from the other Brotherhoods and Orders, this is the first one I have seen from New Mexico.

Larry

Nice ribbon Lawrence, I too was born & raised in Albuquerque, in the north valley.

I had post this ring before but thought i would do it again.

Tom

Larry,
That is a substantial collection of ribbons! I’d love to see them. I have other New Mexico fraternal ribbons but not any other that are Railroad. So does one make a collection? Both my wife and I are New Mexico born natives. For that reason we mostly keep our collecting to items of New Mexico origin or significance. My wife is from Raton and it has quite a Santa Fe Railroad connection that I am sure you are aware of.
Tom,
That is a good looking ring too, I really like it. I like Railroad related items. It is a great tie in to of go with for the railroad timepieces. I also appreciate the personal items that gives an item the potential of putting a name and face with something from the past. I appreciate you sharing the Traveling Cards for that reason.
Thanks for your interest

Hello Lawrence:

I will try to post some photos of my ribbon collection later in the meantime here is a nice 14 karat gold medallion inscribed:

"General Chairman Presented to Charles A. Wilson Washington Lodge 13 July 1892 B. of L.E. July 1892" it looks like it must have had a precious stone mounted on it probably a diamond, or ruby.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen "Washington" Lodge No.13 was located in Jersey City, New Jersey and Charles A. Wilson was the General Chairman at the time representing firemen working on the Central Railroad of New Jersey. He arose to higher prominence in the organization later becoming a Vice Grandmaster (the equivalent of vice president) in the 1900s, I have a photo of him I will post later, perhaps Tom can find out some more information about him.

Larry

Charles A. Wilson was born in April 1851 in Ohio. He was married to Carrie Carling who was born May 1855.

In 1900 he was living in Phillipsburg, Warren County, New Jersey. He was listed as working in the Brotherhood Railroad Office.

He died there in Phillipsburg, Oct. 24, 1910