Wisconsin antique fishing lures

Lauby in Marshfield

The April 1939 Outdoor Life advertisement places Lauby in Marshfield, Wisconsin. It provides contemporary evidence of products being offered there. See the advertisement record and original page for its date, context and limitations.

From Marshfield to La Crosse

In a retrospective based partly on interviews with Anton’s children, Chris Slusar places incorporation in 1938 and the transfer to Albert Bates in 1940, followed by production in La Crosse. These are attributed historical findings; the underlying corporate documents are not reproduced in this archive. Chris Slusar, “Lauby Bait Company,” Splash, vol. 33, no. 3, Summer 2009, pp. 8–9.

An invention record that extends beyond one factory

Anton J. Lauby's 1935 patent and his 1946 collapsible-bait patent document different constructions. The later application identifies him with Milwaukee. Inventive activity and a company's production history are separate questions; one should not be substituted for the other.

US 1,996,477 · US 2,392,677

How to research a Wisconsin lure maker

1. Record the maker and location exactly as printed on an object, box or advertisement.
2. Locate dated advertisements and catalogs, retaining the publication title, issue and page number.
3. Check patents for named inventors, filing dates and drawings.
4. Compare addresses and business names with dated local directories and corporate records.
5. Keep later collector accounts separate from contemporary documents, and identify where an account relies on interviews.

Explore the evidence

• Anton J. Lauby and the dated invention record
• Lauby lure identification guide
• The 1938 Chicago exhibition photograph
• Bibliography and research sources

This guide currently covers Lauby-related evidence. It is not an exhaustive directory of Wisconsin manufacturers. Additional makers will be included when their histories can be supported with identifiable sources.