Midwest Individual Brands will be listed here.. A-Z order

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

A.C.S. (C is reversed) in all CAPS; block letters with no serifs; letters are each 7/16″ high, and brand measures 2 1/8″ long x 7/16″ high, located between tail and (missing) typical oval weight that had been secured with a single screw.

BACKGROUND:

The rig owner represented by this brand is presently unknown, but the brand as shown appears on a Mason Premier Mallard drake circa 1905, and also on a Mason scaup hen that appeared in the October 1973 Bourne auction as Lot 15.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

Decoy “BRANDS”, Edited by Robert T. Woollens, copyright 2000

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Steven Brown

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

A.I.C. is a cold stamped brand in block letters, all CAPS. The brand measures 1/2″ high by 2″ wide.

BACKGROUND:

This brand was found on a canvasback drake from Lake Koshkonong in WI, circa 1880. Auction photos showed A.N.C. painted or otherwise marked on the underside, but close examination showed a cold stamped A.I.C. that someone had overwritten with marker pen to read A.N.C. The style of this decoy is nearly identical to the HOARD and Son rig decoys shown on pages 28 and 29 of the Sep/Oct 2007 issue of Decoy Magazine, and is almost certainly by the same unknown maker.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

“Lake Koshkonong – Susquehanna Flats 1870-1898 Searching for the Decoy Connection”, an article by Lehmkuhl, B. in Decoy Magazine, Sep-Oct 2007

“The Lake Koshkonong Decoy History: An Ongoing Saga”, an article by Steffen, A. in Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine, Jan-Feb 2019, H&FC, INC.

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Steven Brown

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

Burned brand is a Capital B in block style, located behind the head on the decoy’s back, said to be a typical location for many Koshkonong brands.

BACKGROUND:

The rig owner of this decoy was William Bliven, whose family arrived in 1839 from Rhode Island and settled near an area of Wisconsin later called Edgerton, on the west end of the Koshkonong marsh, which later became Lake Koshkonong after a hydroelectric dam raised the water level in the marsh. The canvasback drake shown bears a resemblance to those of John “Daddy” Holly of Havre de Grace MD, as do many of the older decoys made in the area around Lake Koshkonong. One can surmise that early hunters from the east may have brought some Holly decoys with them when they settled in Wisconsin, which then influenced the craftsmen who made decoys for those who hunted canvasbacks on the newly formed lake.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

“The Lake Koshkonong Decoy History: An Ongoing Saga”, an article by Steffen, A. in Hunting and Fishing Collectibles Magazine, Jan-Feb 2019, H&FC, INC.

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Steven Brown

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

Alan Steffen

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

The BILL DAHLKA , HY DAHLKA & FRED WALL brands are burned in all capital letters that are 1/2″ in height.

BACKGROUND:

Bill Dahlka (1894-1960) was a decoy maker.  He made hundreds of decoys and sold them to local hunters.  Bill was Hy Dahlka’s  (1904-1983) uncle. Hy Dahlka was a very famous duck hunter and sportsman.  He was the founder of the Michigan Duck Hunters Tournament held at Pte Mouillee every year since 1948. Hy was the President of the Michigan United Conservation Club and the first President of the Village of Gibraltar Michigan. He was also the President of the Pte Mouillee Waterfowlers and the Trenton Sportsmen s Club.  Fred Wall was Hy’s son-in-law and hunting partner.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

Personal collection, personal relationships with Hy Dahlka and Fred Wall

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

D.B.DAY is a burned brand in block letters, all CAPS. Brand is 3/4″ high x 1 3/4″ wide.

BACKGROUND:

Shown is an example of an early Mason Challenge grade blue wing teal drake used at the Toussaint Shooting Club, a famous Ohio duck club.

“D.B. Day branded decoys exhibit the finest Mason paint” (Mason Decoys by G. & H.).

For decoy collectors, the name David B. Day (1863-1947) is synonymous with the Toussaint Club.  Day was an 1888 University of Michigan Law School graduate and practiced in Canton, Ohio.  He became a member of the club in 1905.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

Mason Decoys by Goldberger & Haid – page 113

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Bruce Lowe

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

The G.A.S. and T.E.R. brands are burned brands identifying individual hunters.  The G.A.S. brand is 1/2″ in height x 1  7/8″ in length. The T.E.R. brand is 3/4″ in height x 3″ in length.

BACKGROUND:

G.A.S. is the brand of Gustavus A. Schwartz (1848-1930), the first owner of this decoy. He was reputed to be Chicago’s wealthiest bachelor, philanthropist, financier, stockbroker, and President of Schwartz, Dupree, and Company.  He was a member of the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club from 1891-1917.  T.E.R. is the brand of Thomas E. Reeder, President of the Federal Truck Company of Detroit.  He was a member of the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club from 1919 -1930.  Note:  The Winous Point Shooting Club had a member, George A. Stanley, who also branded his decoys with the G.A.S. brand.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

Pte Mouillee Shooting Club by Jim & Barbara Marsh

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

HHB is a burned brand that is 1/2″ in height.

BACKGROUND

 

HHB was Harvey Huntington Brown (1848 to 1923).  Brown was a long-time member of the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club.  He was also a member and President (1896 to 1923) of Winous Point Shooting Club.  He owned a large fleet of steam ships on the Great Lakes and lived in Cleveland on Millionaires Row.

 

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

 

Pte Mouillee Shooting Club by Jim & Barbara Marsh

 

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

This decoy has three brands.  The ESB brand is a burned brand of an individual hunter that is 3/4″ in height x 1-5/8′ in length long hot and all capital letters.  The WTB brand is also a burned brand of an individual hunter that is 1/2″ in height x 1-3/4″ in length in all capital letters.  The E. L brand is a burned brand of an individual hunter that is 7/8″ in height x  2″ in length in all capital letters.

BACKGROUND

ESB was the brand of Edwin S. Barbour (1832-1897).  He was the President of the Detroit Stove Works, the largest stove factory in the world.  He was a live Pigeon shooter. WTB was the brand of William T. Barbour (1877-1955).  He was Edwin S. Barbour’s son and also served as President of the Detroit Stove works. E. L was the brand of Ed Lezotte (1908-1990).  When Ed was a kid, he would often sneak into the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club. In 1924, the Club hired him as a punter to keep him from sneaking in all the time.  He worked a punter from 1924 to 1945 when the Club was sold to the State of Michigan for a state game area.  After the club was sold, Ed bought out 5 of the 10 members of the club.  He bought the boats , decoys, and hunting gear.  He operated two boat liveries at Pte Mouillee for many years, and would rent out a bag of good club decoys for 1 dollar a day.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

 

Pte Mouillee Shooting Club by Jim & Barbara Marsh

 

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

The brand of JIM McLIHINNY is a burned brand that identifies an individual hunter and decoy carver.  The brand is 1/2″ in height x 4″ in length that dates to 1947.

BACKGROUND

Jim McLihinny (1921-1999) was a decoy maker, decoy collector, and life long duck hunter.  He made hundreds of decoys over many years, and gave away more decoys than he sold.  He made full size decoys but was famous for his miniatures.  He grew up living on the Detroit river in Trenton, Michigan.  As a kid, he made decoys from the wood he would find floating down the river and they varied a great deal.  As a young man, he would row his 18 foot sneak boat several miles to hunt all day on Lake Erie, then row back to Trenton.  He was very good to the young hunters and collectors, taking them hunting and teaching them how to hunt ducks.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

Personal relationship with Mr. McLihinny.

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

JHS is a hot brand in all CAPS, block letters with no serifs; letters are 3/4″ high and entire brand is 1 3/4″ long; no periods after the letters.

BACKGROUND

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

Decoy “BRANDS”, edited by Robert T. Woollens, copyright 2000

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Steven Brown

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

WCC is a hot brand that’s 3/4″ in height x 2-5/8″ in length.

BACKGROUND

WCC is the brand of William C. Colburn (1833- 1899), first President of the Big Eight Shooting Club in 1875 and re-named the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club in 1879. He was was also the first President of the St Clair Flats Fishing and Shooting Club in 1872, later re-named The Old Club.  The other clubs that counted him as a member were the North Channel Shooting and Turtle Lake Clubs.  He was the President of the Detroit Bridge Building Co.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

Detroit Decoy Dynasty by Ron Sharp & Bill Dodge, Pte Mouillee Shooting Club by Jim & Barbara Marsh

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

The WINSLOW brand is a burned brand for an individual hunter.  The brand measures 5/16″ in height x  2-1/4″ in length in all capital letters.

BACKGROUND

WINSLOW was the brand of Rufus K. Winslow (1820-1899).  He was the owner of a huge Great Lakes fleet that numbered of over 100 ships at one time.  He was a member of the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club and a founding member of the Winous Point Shooting Club in 1856.  He was also a member of the North Channel Shooting Club .  He was from Cleveland Ohio, and lived on Millionaires Row.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

Pte Mouillee Shooting Club by Jim & Barbara Marsh

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS:

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PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF BRAND:

The WLB brand is a hot brand that is 7/16″ in height x 1-3/8″ in length.

BACKGROUND

William L. Brown (1842 -1929) was the President of the Chicago Ship Building Company.   A 430′ steam ship was built and named The William L. Brown .  He was a member of the Pte Mouillee Shooting Club from 1898 to 1927.

THIS BRAND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE FOLLOWING DECOYS:

REFERENCES/SOURCES

 

Pte Mouillee Shooting Club by Jim & Barbara Marsh

 

INITIAL CONTRIBUTOR:

Jim Marsh

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS: