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Spokane Day at the 1909 AYPE

I've posted a similar question in the section on HK-728, but does anyone think that HK-728 is related to the 1909 AYPE? The medals below make me wonder...

I did extensive research on the 1890 Spokan Falls Northwest Industrial Exposition So Called Dollar. I learned that this was the name of Spokane till they changed it in 1891. I learned that there were only 19,992 people in Spokane in 1890 and only 36,848 in 1900 and only 1000 in The Spokane Apple Valley who were planting thousands of apple trees. This Exposition was made possible because of the arrival of the very first transcontinental railroad to the Washington Territory in 1883. (the Northern Pacific Railroad) which gave this area access to the Chicago area. I think this gives you the crux of your undated HK-728 which was made by Childs and who according to Rulau was the principle die sinker from 1837-1900. The transcontinental connection shipped everything this way early on in Washington State (1890) and the AYPE was designed to break the Northwest out of the Chicago hold. Notice the Spokane Day at AYPE token was a totally different manufacturer. The Spokane Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1897 principally to market the apples and mining and lumber of the area. HK-728 was intended to do this with its map of the railroads on the reverse I think as part of a marketing program. The AYPE token of 1909 map has double or more than double the information and tells me that the 1908 Spokane Chamber of Commerce 'Committee on 1909 AYPE' resurrected an old marketing theme and token that had worked earlier and applied it to their planning for AYPE. (this committees entire written correspondence and minutes are at the Ellensberg Library and available to the public. I think that this narrows HK-728's dating to between 1897 and 1905. I also think the general feeling among So Called Dollars collectors is that this token was probably issued 1920-1940. The early railroads and boom and bust cycles caused an extremely high demise out business failure in the early railroads as well of name changes do to buyouts (unleveraged of course). This would make it a simple matter to decode the names of the railroads on the map starting with the top half of the token since the majority of these railroads are old logging company railroads compare their start and end dates and this token could probably be exactly dated. I have way to many projects going right now that I don't intend to do any further follow up. Your Spokane Day token sure puts a new light on an old token. GOOD FIND! Is it 33mm or more so you can work on gettin it listed?

Axel Ulen has reacted to this post.
Axel Ulen

I have to drag out my 1909 Spokane Day piece, but I think it is too small to fit the classic so-called dollar definition from what I remember. I'll have to double check my data.

The 1909 Spokane Day piece only measures 31mm. I agree that HK-728 was likely made around 1900. I spent some time comparing these two medals under high power magnification, but i'm not sure I can narrow the dating. Many of the additional names on the Spokane Day piece are the names of towns which match railroad maps of the area from around 1900. I'm still trying to decode the names of all the railroads, but there are not enough differences in the appearances of the routes between these two medals (in my opinion) to make a dating more certain. edited by rjesinger on 9/4/2011

Axel Ulen has reacted to this post.
Axel Ulen

To continue to add on to this discussion, I recently purchased the attached 32mm HK-728a. If you compare it to the HK-728 above, there are distinct differences in the dyes other than just the size of the medals. I don't actually have it in hand yet, but when I do, i'll re-do my look at the railroads under high-power mag and see if the 728a adds any intel to this discussion. As an aside, i'm actually surprised that the HK-728a is in the book given that it isn't 33mm. I guess I could post it under the "doesn't technically belong" posting area... Bill G, thanks so much for the direction thus far...

Got this award medal from Randy (Seattle). Thought i'd post it here.

Got this award medal from Randy (Seattle). Thought i'd post it here.

What a fantastic medal! Much much politicing by lobbyists both in Washington Territory and Wash DC much as today. This was Spokane Falls when this exposition was held. Washington became a state in Nov 1889 and this IS THE FIRST EXPOSITION HELD eleven months after statehood. Railroad industry lobbbyists supposedly had all locked up for seat of gov't in eastern washington. Were out manuevered. Exposition held in Spokane Falls which later after exposition was changed to current day Spokane. After planning for exposition and before held exposition the entire Spokane Falls burned to the ground and they built the entire town back in ess than a year. I have only ever seen the two official medals I have. This is the first time I have seen anything else tied to this exposition. Now I'll have to try to find this piece. This obv is the same exact obv on the official medal. This exposition is why the State of Washington is the 13th most populous state today. Nice acquisition!