Beautiful  William Crooks Civil War ERA 4-4-0 Wood Burning Steam Engine.

William Crooks was the first locomotive to operate in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Constructed in 1861 for the Minnesota and Pacific Railroad as their number 1,[1] it first provided service a year later in 1862 for the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.[1] The St. P&P passed to the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway in June 1879,[2] and the St. PM&M passed to the Great Northern Railway in February 1890.[3] James J. Hill had the locomotive pull his personal train. It is reported that he was responsible for saving it from the scrap heap when engines of its vintage were being replaced by faster and more powerful vehicles. The classic 4-4-0 is one of the only locomotives from the age of the American Civil War to survive to the present day.

William Crooks was displayed at the 1939 New York World's Fair and again at the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948 where it was operated as part of the "Wheels A-Rolling" pageant. Its cylinders, rods and bearings were all rebuilt at the Great Northern's Dale Street Shops in St. Paul, MN in 1947-48 by machinist George A. Halvorsen as his last job before retirement. It was displayed at the Saint Paul Union Depot from June 1954,[1] before being donated to the Minnesota Historical Society in June 1962.[1] It currently resides at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minnesota. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Pin is approximately 1 ¼ inches long and 3/4 of an inch wide as you can see in the photo. 

Pin makes great tie tack / lapel pin or addition to your pin collection. Hard to find item, they make great gifts for your favorite Railroad or Train buff. 

I hope you will treasure these memories as jewelry to be worn, and not merely as trinkets to be discarded and forgotten. 

Please email me with any questions before you bid. 

Please take a look at my other Auctions for more interesting and hard to find Railroad / Railway Related memorabilia. 

 Happy Bidding and Good luck,