Indian Packing Company Badge, ca. 1920
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GUEST:
I got it about 20, 25 years ago from a dealer in Green Bay.
APPRAISER:
What you've brought us is a worker's badge from the Indian Packing Company. It was a canned meats company. What this really represents is the roots of the Green Bay Packers, and, of course, its legendary coach, player, and founder, Curly Lambeau, for whom the Green Bay Packers' field is named after. Curly Lambeau, born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, went briefly to Notre Dame, played football briefly for Knute Rockne, and he was felled by a case of tonsillitis, he became ill. So he came back and he started working for the Indian Packing Company. He wanted to still play football, so he went to the owner, Frank Peck, and asked him for $500-- which was a lot of money in 1919-- for uniforms and to also have use of the playing field. When Frank Peck gave it to him, he co-founded the team along with George Calhoun. They start playing semi-pro teams, and then they joined the professional football league in 1921. They went on to win six championships, and when he named the team, he named it after the Indian Packing Company, and that's how they got named the Green Bay Packers. The Indian Packing Company, they only lasted two years and then they were absorbed by the Acme Packing Company.
GUEST:
Yup.
APPRAISER:
So we know, we can date this from the actual roots, 1919 to 1921, right in there.
GUEST:
That's pretty neat.
APPRAISER:
So you paid how much?
GUEST:
Right around $20, $25.
APPRAISER:
Auction estimate would probably be about $1,500 to $2,000.
GUEST:
Is that right? Oh... that's surprising.
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