WEST PENN 1 TRACTION HAT BADGE MADE BY HERREN BROS. PITTSBURG

Description

WEST PENN 1 hat badge from the West Penn Traction Company, Connellville, PA.  Made by Heeren Bros. & Company, Pittsburg, PA. This badge has been in my personal collection for many years. Please see the photographs for details. It is unusual for Heeren Brothers badges to have the name and city of the company they badges were made for. Carefully shipped via USPS with tracking information. Badge is made of aluminum and Bakelite. Two silver color fasteners are included.
According to Wikipedia,
West Penn Railways Company, as a separate corporate entity from its parent power company, was chartered on February 18, 1904. It operated a very active and inexpensive regional transportation service until August 9, 1952, when its last trolley ran on its one time busiest
Uniontown
to Greensburg line.
From sources on the internet regarding Heeren Brothers,
William Heeren “was the inventor of what became known as the Heeren badges, celluloid devices used by streetcar employees and others on four continents. Heeren also was the inventor of a process by means of which flowers could be pressed so as to retain their color and fragrance.”
Heeren’s celluloid badges—used by firemen, police and transportation workers—indeed were marketed internationally. The company became one of the first American businesses to open trade relations with South American countries. The firm also sold merchandise to Mexico, Egypt and Portugal, among others.