Skip to main content
Rock Island Auction Company
AuctionsConsignmentBlogFAQNewsAbout Us
Create Account
Login
AuctionsConsignmentBlogFAQNews & EventsAbout Us
Login
Create Account

History Lives Here

Rock Island Auction Company
1-309-797-15001-800-238-8022[email protected]
RIAC Rock Island
7819 42nd Street West
Rock Island, Illinois 61201, USA
8:00am - 5:00pm, Mon - Fri
RIAC Bedford
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, Texas 76021, USA
8:00am - 5:00pm, Mon - Fri
Navigation
  • Auctions
  • Consignment
  • Blog
  • FAQ
  • News
  • About Us
More Info
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Job Postings & Careers
  • Contact
  • Order a Catalog
© 2025 Rock Island Auction Company. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Click here for more information.
Healthcare Transparency in Coverage.
  • Auction Catalog #84
  • Lot #1529
Lot #1528
Lot #1530

Lot 1529: Inscribed Elgin Pocket Watch and Portrait of Police Chief Knorr

Historic Inscribed Elgin Pocket Watch with Fob and Portrait of Police Chief Wesley Knorr of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Auction Location: Rock Island, IL

Auction Date: December 4, 2021

Lot 1529: Inscribed Elgin Pocket Watch and Portrait of Police Chief Knorr

Historic Inscribed Elgin Pocket Watch with Fob and Portrait of Police Chief Wesley Knorr of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Auction Location: Rock Island, IL

Auction Date: December 4, 2021

Estimated Price: $1,500 - $2,500

Historic Inscribed Elgin Pocket Watch with Fob and Portrait of Police Chief Wesley Knorr of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Manufacturer: None
Model: None
Type: Other
Gauge:
Barrel:
Finish:
Grip:
Stock:
Item Views: 1331
Item Interest: Average
Catalog Page: 275
Class: Other
Description:

The watch case has an attractively engraved police chief badge on the rear cover with "Knorr" inscribed on the star at the center and scroll accents around the exterior. The watch face is white and marked "Elgin Natl, Watch Co." The numbers are black, and the hands are niter blue. The inside of the rear of the case is marked "X8-38P." The rear of the case could not be opened with a thumbnail and thus has remained closed. The plated brass fob has contrasting plastic inserts with floral designs with golden fill. The portrait shows a man in a police chief uniform and is mounted on a 6 5/8 by 4 3/8 backing with "Wesley Knorr/43 East 6th st/Bloomsburg/Pa" along with some numbers marked on the backside. The items come in a Riker case. Wesley Knorr (1846-1907) lived in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, starting in 1874 and originally worked as a carpenter before becoming a policeman. He was elected as chief of police for most of the twenty years that preceded his death. Bloomsburg has the distinction of being the only true town in Pennsylvania with all other localities being cities, boroughs, or townships. The town was generally a peaceful and relatively uneventful, and Knorr's position must have been fairly easy work. Even today, the town's population is less than 15,000. However, on September 11, 1896, an explosion boomed in the town. Knorr's nephew Clifton C. Knorr bombed the home a local attorney Levi Waller on September 11, 1896, using dynamite in an attempted murder. Waller had represented his step-mother following his father's death. Knorr must have served little time, if any, as he died at Fort Apache in the Arizona Territory in 1904 while serving as a sergeant in the 5th U.S. Cavalry. Provenance: The Doug Ellison Collection

Rating Definition:

Fine overall. The hook for the fob is detached but included. The watch appears to be mechanically fine and kept proper time during the writing of this description. The portrait has a clear image, some creasing in the upper right corner, and mild corner wear on the backing.



Customer Product Questions

There are currently no customer product questions on this lot

    Related Items

    Lot #1503: Framed Winchester RCMP Advertising Poster

    Lot #989: USAF K-2B Aviator Jumpsuit with Jacket

    Lot #1347: Three U.S. M1 Helmets

    Lot #1450: Two Framed Antique "Scientific American" Firearm Articles

    Lot #1359: Three Brodie Pattern Helmets

    Lot #1352: Four U.S. M1 Helmets