JD Allen Antique Lure Fish Spoon

This JD Allen Antique Lure Fish Spoon is kind of a 19th Century fishing lure head scratcher for me. These spoons are marked JD Allen, South Otselic, NY and a size number 4.

One of the main mysteries Ive never been able to resolve is, in Arlan’s book, JD Allen is listed as being from South Otselic and being a antique lure maker in 1892. If you then turn to page 253, it shows M.B. Allen being from Battle Creek Michigan. Mason B Allen having a patent on the clasp used to attach the lure to the shaft and producing the same shape spinner antique lure. However, I have never been able to find the relation between the two, via ancestry or other web sites. There is no sharing or splitting of the patent, patent number #527,259. I do have other J.D Allen spoons made in different shapes and none are marked with a patent like the M B Allen example. If it were modern day it would be a long days drive, however in the 19th century it could make for a few weeks to a months travel between the two locations.

If you know the answer, and would be so kind to share it with me, you would make my day. I also am seeking out other examples of this 19th Century Lure maker’s makers lures, as I’m from a small country town in Upstate NY 20 miles from South Otselic, NY which in 1850 had a larger population then it did in 1950. While one would easily guess this small town in Upstate NY might have 1 Historical Fishing Link. South Otselic, NY had more lure companies than its modern day town has traffic lights. One of the cornerstones in fishing line, the Gladding Line company also made their home in small town USA for close to a century.