It was a dark period in US history as we entered World War One.  It was on April 4, 1917 and Woodrow Wilson was President.  Railroad workers were threatening a nationwide strike over shorter work days and higher pay.  Questions lingered over the railroads abilities to serve the war effort with some roads already facing bankruptcy and revenue to improve railroad infrastructure in short supply.  Congress stepped in and passed the Adamson Act which set the eight hour work day as the new standard.  Railroads created the ‘Railroad War Board” to help coordinate their joint efforts in the face of war.  Still problems existed with congestion in freight yards and ports by competing railroads.

Finally, in December of 1917 the Interstate Commerce Commission stepped in and recommended federal control of our nation’s railroads.  On December 26, 1917 President Wilson acted and issued an order for nationalization of our country’s railroads.  The United States Railroad Administration was born.  Change happened quickly with the railroads being divided into three separate divisions, East, West and South.  On March 21, 1918 the Railway Administration Act became law.  President Wilson promptly appointed his son-in-law, William G. McAdoo (Secretary of the Treasury) as the new head “Director General” of the United States Railroad Administration.

Soon focus turned to how to keep the railroads safe during this national war emergency.  Questions arose about hiring additional “qualified” railroad policeman and special agents.  General McAdoo soon realized he had a major problem to deal with.  How was he going to coordinated all the 3,000 different railroad company police departments into a single unified effort?  He reached out to a trusted friend, William J. Flynn who was former Chief of the U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of the Treasury in New York City, to be appointed as the Director of the United States Railroad Police on September 7, 1918.  

After Director Flynn’s appointment, a discussion ensued as to how to commission all the railroad police officers and what type of badges and credentials they would carry.  On October 3, 1918, a round metallic badge was approved, that read “UNITED STATES RAILROAD POLICE” with a locomotive and two crossed U.S. flags as the center design.  They would be issued and numbered in the following ranks, “Superintendent”, “Captain”, “Lieutenant” and “Patrolman”.  A memorandum issued on October 8, 1918 also refers to the appointment of ‘Regional Directors” and “Inspectors’ but the USRA circular issued on October 3, 1918 does not make any mention to badges being authorized in those titles or ranks.  Also it appears that no rank of “Sergeant” or ‘Special Agent” was ever authorized.

The United States Railroad Police was dissolved on March 1, 1920.

I have pictured here the USRA badges that I have collected over the past 40 years, which include the four issued badges and others that were made an issued by individual railroad companies.  You will notice that my patrolman badge is in the 4100 serial number range.  Literally thousands of these badges were produced, yet only a handful has surfaced.  Where are the rest?  I have visions of many 55 gallon steel drums filled with them, just sitting is some non-descript government warehouse basement for the past 100 years.  

The story goes back over a 100 years and it has become more or less a legend or folk lore among Great Northern Railway Special Agents over the years.  Shrouded in mystery, it was said that at the turn of the century, the great James J. Hill who was the founder of the Great Northern Railway Company had given 14K gold badges with his facial image on the face to several of his most “loyal” Special Agents.  The first time I heard the story was back in 1975 and I had spent more than 30 years trying to track down bits of information of what has become known simply as the “Hill” badge.   A collector out in Spokane, Washington who had worked for the Great Northern was able to provide some detail but most of the actual facts still remained elusive and a mystery.  

It wasn’t until 1985 when I went to a Police Badge Collector's Show out in Reno, NV that I met a gentleman who owned the Chief Special Agent badge along with the engraved Colt firearm of Chief Special Agent Alton G. Ray of the Great Northern Railway.  It was the “Hill” badge!  The badge was made of 14K gold and had the raised likeness of James J. Hill in the center surrounded by a 5 point ball tip star with florals and wreath.  It was a breath taking and beautiful badge, unlike anything I had ever seen before.  

That was where the story stopped until early 2001.  A friend of mine who is a retired Railroad Police Captain and now a PHD Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, by the name of Dorothy Schultz contacted me while doing some research out in St. Paul, Minnesota at the State Historical Society and the James J. Hill foundation.  She was also attempting to track down information on the legend of the “Hill” badge.  As she aptly put it, “it seems that the cops always have the last laugh!”  The badge did actually exist!  Not only did it exist but they had one in the Louis Hill library collection at the Historical Society Museum.  The badge was produced by the Charles Robbins Co. of Attleboro, Mass.  The biggest shock of all was that the image on the face of the badge was not James J. Hill, but that of his son, Louis Hill, who was the President of the Great Northern Railway from 1908 to 1912!  This was confirmed by library staff and close examination of a photo of Louis Hill.  A total of 12 badges were struck in 14K gold and were given out to each of the 12 Regional Division Great Northern Railway Special Agents.  

The story ends with this interesting foot note.  Several years ago while doing some internet searches through coin and antique auctions, looking for old railroad police badges, a coin shop located out in Naperville, Illinois, “Fox Valley Coins” advertised a coin, jewelry and estate antique auction.  Imagine my shock when l saw the listing included one of the 14K gold “Hill” badges!  The badge was accompanied by another badfe, a GN Railway “Special Police” 6 point nickel star badge and they both belonged to descendants of one of the 12 original Special Agents.  The family was looking to cash in on the high price of gold so they decided to part with this rare and historical heirloom.  Needless to say, not taking a chance on an absentee bid, I travelled out to Chicago and bought the two badges at auction thus ending a quest that started way back in 1975.  Recently, I was fortunate to be able to track down the location of “two” other existing Hill badges, that are now residing with a retired Chief Special Agent.

Early 1920's New York Central Lines Superintendent of Property Protection badge made by American Railway Supply Co. New York. This is a very rare and unusual title. Beautiful custom die badge.