Vintage Antique Brass Barrel Skeleton Keys – MT Power Plant Interest

Found these old brass barrel keys that belonged to my grandfather. He worked for the old Washington Water Power Company in Thompson Falls, Montana, and before that at the Mystic Lake Dam hydroelectric plant. From what I’ve learned, these are antique hollow-barrel skeleton keys, likely used on industrial warded locks common in power plants, utility buildings, switch cabinets, and maintenance facilities from the early-to-mid 1900s. No idea what exact doors or equipment they opened, but there’s a good chance these once unlocked part of Montana’s early electrical infrastructure. The wear and patina suggest they were genuine working keys, not decorative reproductions.