Watonala Brotherhood Caldwell Pin. Beak bent.

Same as Brotherhood pin

The J.E. Caldwell Company was the official manufacturer of lodge totem pins from 1945-1970.  Ordeal members could only receive the silver arrow pin.  The totem and chain were added to signify Brotherhood, and the triangle was added to denote the Vigil Honor.  The actual bird was the same for both Brotherhood and Vigil Honor.  Because the mold creation was expensive, the same bird was used by at least three lodges: Watonala, O-Shot-Caw in Florida, and Tahre in Ohio. Watonala is the oldest of these three lodges.  Caldwell made around 50 of the pins at a time, and filled orders from the lodges as they came in.  The triangle was affixed to the bird if a Vigil Honor pin was requested. Watonala Lodge members used the pin as it was made with a straight beak, but other lodges would frequently bend the beak with pliers to make the bird better match their totem. On the left below is a casting (c. 1970) made from the original Caldwell die, showing the original shape of the crane's beak. On the right below is the Caldwell salesman's sample (c. 1960s).

 (History courtesy of Mr. Bill Topkis)