August 2013
DeKalb Lure
Fred Arbogast Co, Inc
Akron, OH
1974
While driving in the Minnesota countryside this last weekend, I was looking over the farm fields and thinking back to the tough year farmers have had in MN. Last year was very dry, then Spring was late this year. Then, too wet. Then, too dry. What a strange year!
As I passed by one of the corn fields, I noticed a sign on a post by the field. It was the popular DeKalb “flying corn cob” sign, advertising their corn seed that was planted in this particular farmer’s soil.
A little bit of history: DeKalb was founded in DeKalb, IL…a town named after Johann de Kalb, a German-born French officer (Major General – Continental Army) that fought in the American Revolutionary War. His famous phrase uttered not long before his death, due to being severely wounded in battle, were “…I die the death I always prayed for: the death of a soldier fighting for the rights of man.”
DeKalb has been in business for 101 years, starting in 1912, and is best known for its leading role in the development of hybrid corn and its “winged ear” logo.
Believe it or not, seeing this classic symbol got me thinking about a fishing lure….
In the mid-1970s, Fred Arbogast Co. made a promotional item for DeKalb…a winged corn cob lure. This fishing lure was not available in stores and was only given away by DeKalb seed dealers to farmers and other acquaintances.
This was a surface “plunking” lure and I am sure you could catch a fish on it if it was used. However, the green wings were a little fragile where they connected to the cob, so they could break off easily.
This lure is very collectible today and can be somewhat hard to find. Seeing one sell for over $100 is not uncommon. So yes, even some lures made as late as the 1970s can bring some good money.
