This IOOF badge is likely very rare. The badge states "De Lamar, Nevada." The original name of the town, Ferguson, was changed to "De Lamar" after a Captain Joseph Raphael De Lamar who bought many of the primary mining claims in the area. The current name of the town is the single word "Delamar", which changes the pronunciation. Delamar, a former gold mining area, now a ghost town, is about 30 miles southwest of Caliente, Nevada. Only stone foundations, rock walls, and mill ruins remain at the site. This two-sided badge has red and black ribbons, a third ribbon with two american flags and a decorative piece with a painted eye, and a thin metal clip that appears to be gold or partly gold. The total length of the badge when stretched out is slightly more than one foot. The badge likely dates from the late 1800s when Delamar, during its boom period, had a population of about $3,000 residents. This isolated mining settlement was believed to have produced $13.5 to $25 million in gold. The gold was embedded in silica, which when mined and milled, produced dust that caused fatal silicosis to many miners and workers. The town was given the nickname, "Widowmaker." My grandfather lived in Hiko, which is about 40 miles from Delamar. It's unlikely he was a member of the IOOF. It is not known how our family ended up with this badge.

Those interested in examining the badge may do so at my house in Bountiful by emailing me at jsthiriot@gmail.com