Here is an interesting Webb C. Ball Co. advertisement I wanted to share with you. I found it in the June 1900 issue of the Locomotive Engineers Journal, the dial in the advertisement is a ORC Standard watch.Cool looking 10 wheeler steam locomotive with "THE WEBB C BALL CO of the tender, and the OFFICIAL RR STANDARD trademark on the first boxcar.

Cover of the journal shows the Society For Savings Building that still stands today in the public square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio in 1900 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers had their headquarters in this building.

Postcard view of a convention giveaway, Complements of The Ball "B. of L.E." Standard Watch, the red arrow points to The B. of L.E. Home on the third floor, another Cleveland landmark is the Old Stone Church is across the street, notice the empty field with trees behind the Society Building.

In 1910 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers had acquired the real estate behind the Society Building and started constructing The Engineers Building that officially opened in 1915, sadly this Cleveland landmark was demolished in 1988, Cleveland was in financial trouble, and needed new investment and were going to use Eminent Domain to acquire the real estate and building, the Brotherhood could have fought a legal battle, but the consensus of the Advisory Board saw the futility of this and settled. It was a sad day when this beautiful landmark was destroyed.

This postcard view shows the Standard Building that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers built across the street behind The Old Stone Church in 1925, it was the home of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers National Bank,

This postcard view from the 1950s shows the Society Bank Building, the Old Stone Church, the Engineers Building, and the Standard Building where the Ball Watch Co. had their offices on the 13th floor of this 25 story skyscraper in the late 1920s and 30s. Other recognizable landmarks is the Riverfront Stadium where the Cleveland Indians used to play.

Larry

Thank you for starting this subject of Cleveland Ball and Brotherhood landmarks. I can only say that I think Cleveland would have been a most interesting and happy place to be, 100 years ago.

I am adding a photo of a fob showing the Engineers Building with the date May 1910. I believe that may be the actual date of opening.

JBS

Hello John:

Nice watch fob, although it's only a partial part of the original medallion. Here is a complete one with the winged wheel, a steam locomotive driver, and a cameo of W.S. Stone Grand Chief Engineer of the B. of L.E. This medal was made by the Whitehead and Hoag Co. of Newark, New Jersey.

In May of 1910, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers were holding their 9th Biennial Convention in Detroit, Michigan, it was a homecoming as the organization had its roots in Detroit where it first met in 1863, as a part of the activities a special train was chartered to Cleveland, Ohio where a dedication ceremony was held, and the soil turned, for the building of the New-Home of the B.of L.E.

Here are some photos from the Dedication Ceremony program for this historic occasion held on May 14, 1910.

Photo showing a view of the land where the building was erected, taken from the Society Bank Building in 1883, Showing 6th Street (Now Ontario Street) and St. Clair Avenue.

A photo showing the advisory board of the Brotherhood including Warren S. Stone, Grand Chief Engineer, William B. Prenter, First Grand Engineer, and Charles H. Salmons, Second Grand Engineer.

Ball Watch Inspection Wallet from the B of LE Building Dedication held in Cleveland May 14, 1910

Commemorative purple felt souvenir banner 7 by 11 inches from the official opening in May 1915

Advertisement from a 1915 Locomotive Engineers Journal from the Webb C. Ball Watch Co. inviting delegates and visitors to this store to see B of LE Watches, and B of LE Souvenir Spoons.

Larry

You have been to a lot of trouble to give us the complete story. I am very interested to learn of the missing wings for the fob.

I am adding another (colour) view of the Engineers Building.

Cool stuff Larry. Ball's ad proclaims them to be "Watch Manufacturers," which flies in the face of what we know to be the reality that they were selling private label watches manufactured to their specifications by others.

Ed

One interpretation is that as Ball was assembling separately manufactured movements, dials, hands and cases then he was making watches! Probably Ball was installing the gold seals, too. Additionally, according to what we are told, Ball was adjusting the watches and he was responsible for the movement plate design (16s) and the movement markings.

I suggest that the claim of Ball cannot be completely disregarded.

JBS

Hello John:

I would guess that many of these badges were made into watch fobs, I have seen others like yours, and was quite pleased to find a complete one a few years ago. Here is another postcard view showing the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers buildings. I hear in the good old days the Grand Chief and the higher echelon lived like kings in the Park Lane Villa and were driven to work each morning in limousines.

Here is a aerial postcard view of downtown Cleveland from 1940's in the center you can see Cleveland's Union Terminal, the Public Square, and the Society Bank, Old Stone Church, Engineers Building, & Standard Building. Puts everything in perspective.

Larry I am enjoying our tour of the Ball sights of Cleveland.

Back on the ground and standing in Public Square, take the Old Stone Church as a reference and turn to the left to look along Superior Avenue West. There in the distance we see the Ball Building, positioned in the picture above the left hand flower bed.

Here is a closer (and earlier) view from Public Square (looking West) of the environs of the Ball Building. It is the pale-colored building below the left hand tip of the nearer American flag.

John:

Great post card views of the first Ball headquarters on Superior and Seneca, here is a downtown map from the 1920's showing where Ball had his stones in blue the other on Euclid Street, the green dot is where the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen's building is located on Superior.

Larry

View of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen's building circa 1925.

Recent photo.

Ball advertising card from my collection showing Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen's building.

Calendar from 1925, showing Ball's headquarters on Euclid Street.

Larry
I certainly like your images of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen's building, thank you.

To round out this pictorial presentation I am adding a close-up image of the old Ball Building that stood on the NE corner of the intersection of Superior Street West and West 3rd Street (formerly Seneca Street).

This building housed the Ball headquarters until the 1911 move to Euclid Avenue. I imagine the majority of Ball watches issued up until 1911 would have been carried out of this building, across Public Square (to the right) and into the main Post Office which is the building shown, in the picture, to the far right.

Hello John:

Here is a delegates badge from the 1925 B. of R.T. Convention held in Cleveland, it shows the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen building. The lodge 787 was in Lebanon, Pennsylvania and it represented trainmen working on the Pennsylvania Co., and Reading lines.

Larry

Larry

Thank you for showing the BRT ribbon. Those artifacts represent tremendous imagination and pride.

With your permission, I thought we could continue our tour of Ball sites in the Cleveland of a Century ago. The Old Stone Church has survived.

First, though, here is a Google Earth photo of the West Superior Avenue Ball Building site as it is, today.

Now we head East, again from Public Square, towards the Euclid Avenue Ball store that opened in 1911. The accompanying view shows Superior Street, on the left, leading past the Post Office, and Euclid Avenue, heading off at an angle, to the right of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Our previous reference, the Old Stone Church, is now just out of view, on the left.

Now for a closer and more detailed view of the entrance, from Public Square, to Euclid Avenue. This had become the business heart of Cleveland by the time of the Ball move to this area.

A couple of blocks along Euclid Avenue, on the right hand side, we come to the domed building of The Cleveland Trust Company, which still stands. Just beyond is the low building that housed the Ball Company, with the Company name on the near external wall. This building also still stands. An older view shows that this building was previously occupied by The Mayell & Hopp Co., Druggists. (Mr Hopp became President of The American Pharmaceutical Association.)