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Bill Tilghman's Gold Presentation Police Badge

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:9,000.00 - 14,000.00 USD
Bill Tilghman's Gold Presentation Police Badge
No. 1, Police suspension badge presented to famous lawman, Bill Tilghman by the citizens of Oklahoma City. The top crescent is engraved, "Police" and the hanging star engraved, "No. 1". There are no markings on the back and the star is outlined. 2 5/8" tall by 1 3/4" wide. This badge was modeled after the badge he wore on duty.

PROVENANCE: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Displayed for almost 30 years.)

Bill Tilghman (1854-1924)

William Tilghman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on 4th July, 1854. Later the family moved to a homestead in Atchison, Kansas. After leaving home at the age of fifteen, Tilghman became a hunter of animals and over a five year period claimed he killed 12,000 buffalo. This brought him into conflict with local Native Americans, and during one skirmish in September 1872, Tilghman killed seven Cheyenne braves. Two years later he narrowly escaped being lynched after he was falsely accused of murdering a man in Granada, Colorado. In 1875 Tilghman, although a life long teetotaler, opened a saloon in Dodge City. Three years later he accepted the offer of his friend, Bat Masterson, to become his deputy sheriff. Tilghman developed a reputation as a courageous and honest lawman and later became marshal of Dodge City. Tilghman moved to Oklahoma in 1889 and after establishing a homestead at Guthrie he was appointed as a Deputy United States Marshal. Unlike 1 lawman, Tilghman rarely resorted to using violence, and during his career killed only two criminals in gunfights. Tilghman, Heck Thomas and Chris Madsen became known as the Three Guardsmen and were largely responsible for wiping out organized crime in Oklahoma, including the hunting down of Bill Doolin and his gang. Bat Masterson once described Tilghman as, "the greatest of us all". After retiring as a marshal in 1910, Tilghman was elected to the State Senate. However, he missed life as a lawman, and in 1911 became Chief of Police of Oklahoma City. In 1924, at age 70, he was appointed marshal of Cromwell. On November 1st, 1924 Tilghman was killed while trying to arrest Wiley Lynn, a corrupt prohibition officer.