slide presentation available

Lesser Known Carvers
of the
Thousand Islands
Part 4: March 2, 2013
Andrew H.
“Toot” Seymour
Clayton, NY
1872-1963
Andrew Seymour
Andrew Seymour
(left)
(client right)
“Gentleman”
Jim Corbett (?)
• parents were Dominic and Phoebe LeFebvre
Seymour; one of 10 children (7 boys)
• Andrew married Delia Canell on December
1, 1894; together they had 9 children
• boiler tender Otis Brooks Lumber Company,
operated the village electric plant, and was
a carpenter in the area
• began guiding around 1908
• operated a boat livery on French Creek,
building boats in the winter for rental
Andrew and
Delia (Dilly)
Seymour
1 of 2 decoys known to exist
• tack eyes
• no bill carving
• bill is out-carved
• no plugs evident from a holding device
• bottom edges somewhat rounded
2nd known Andrew Seymour decoy
Augustus “Gus”
Seymour going
ashore behind
Andrew’s house
Hiram B. Wiswell
Clayton, NY
1905-1962
• parents were Bert and Harriett Clark
Wiswell; smaller family but he had at least
one sister
• worked with his father building St.
Lawrence River skiffs
• was employed at Mercer’s Shipyard
• fishing guide
• made decoys; four remaining with family
members
Manley Rusho
• raised on the family farm on
Grindstone Island
• born April 25, 1931
• he is not a carver of hunting decoys
eBay September 2012
shorebird owned by Eric Lonstad
Urban Co., Los Angeles
eBay October 2012
eBay October 2012
Lot 191: rare working loon confidence decoy
M Rush carved, GRINDSTO E branded
Frank&Frank September 30. 2012
• Manley has been carving a few birds each
year since the 1950s; still makes a few
• estimated that he has made 200-300 total
• shorebirds, herons, coots, loons, and geese
were the most common
• paint is distressed to look old, and patterns
are somewhat whimsical (folksy)
• about half have brands or names carved into
the bottoms; he also used “J Dano”, “R” or
“RP”, and “Clarks Point”
Patterson / Wellesley
Island decoys
1 Philip Baltz: immigrated around 1829
- one son
1-1 Andrew Baltz (1836-1919)
- operated a farm in Pamelia
- active in cheese business
- had 4 sons (none H. Baltz)
1-1-1William Baltz (1865-1941 or 42)
- had three sons (none H. Baltz)
2 George Baltz (born 1802)
- farm near LaFargeville, had 3 wives and
15 children
2-1 Henry Baltz (born 1854)
-farmer in LaFargeville until 1920 [2 sons]
2-1-1 William Baltz (born 1882)
- fishing guide at Fishers Landing [1 son]
2-1-1-1 Ray Baltz (1908-1967)
- owned restaurant in Fishers Landing
2-2 John Baltz (1858-1945)
- farmer, carpenter, cabinet maker
2-2-1 Fred Baltz (1888-1953)
- farmer, carpenter
2-2-1-1 Harold Baltz (1924-1998)
- farmer, truck/bus driver
- second group of ‘HB’ decoys emerged
in July 2012
decoys from a house owned by
Harold Bretch, LaFargeville
other decoys showed Patterson style
stipple painting underneath
Chancy Patterson hen goldeneye
“HB” rig
broadbills
Patterson
broadbills
Right: ‘HB’ decoy
Left: later
Patterson decoy
• Theron Patterson
• Earnest “Pat” Patterson
• Cuppernell
• J.E. Patterson (Joseph?)
• Orthan “Orbie” Patterson
• Bill Patterson
• E.N. Patterson
Black duck attributed to E.N. Patterson;
“North Country Black Ducks” by Harold
Evans, NAD autumn 1970.
Hen goldeneye attributed to E.N. Patterson;
“Brownheads” by Harold Evans, NAD spring
1975.
Drake broadbill attributed to E.N. Patterson;
“On Collecting” by Kerry Scott, DM winter
1984.
Hen goldeneye by Charles Niemeyer, TI Park;
in “Brownheads” by Harold Evans, NAD
spring 1975.
Goldeneye drake by Leslie
LaFleur, Fine View
His first wife was Violette Patterson
Patterson / Wellesley
Island decoys:
More Information Needed,
More Work to be Done
Black Lake
Francis T. “Frankie” Louis
(1878-1964) Ogdensburg
regularly hunted Black Lake
Carl M. Ashley
(1917-1999)
Ogdensburg
article in Hunting & Fishing Collectibles
Magazine, July-August 2008
article by Keith
Norton, published
in The Quarterly,
St. Lawrence Co.
Historical Assoc.,
October 1968.
article had 1 ½ pages
of text and 2 pages
of photographs
Ivan Henry “Blackie” Delair
hollow black duck with tin bottom plate, sold at
Blanchard Auction, June 2006
solid body black duck by Ivan Delair; rather
plainly painted body without feathering
Frank & Frank Auction, September 2012
Ivan Henry “Blackie” Delair
• born 1899 in South Hammond; raised on family
farms in S Hammond and on Black Lake Rd.
• moved near Morristown in 1936
• guide, well driller, became County dog warden
in 1956
• avid outdoorsman: hunting, fishing, trapping
trap and skeet shooting
• one mention in papers of decoy carving
• died June 8, 1962 at age 63, buried in Cedars
Cemetery on Black Lake Road
Ivan Delair hollow goldeneye
Abraham and Salenda Apple – 2 sons
• Jerry Apple - well known fishermen, murdered in
1908 in a family dispute
- John Apple: licensed fishing guide
• Fred Apple (1853-1939) - well known guide
- James Franklin Apple (1886-1962) - guide
- George Apple (1896-1973) - guide
- Roy Apple (1899-1992) – guide
- Myles F. Apple (1906-1972) – guide, but also
worked for NY Central, and construction welder
George Apple
mentioned in Keith
Norton’s article as a
carver of decoys
Roy Apple hen broadbill
from a rig owned by Ken Keller; purchased
directly from Roy Apple
possibly by Apple brothers
Blanchard’s Auction: November 2006
Blanchard’s Auction: November 2006
from Keith Norton’s article
unknown Black Lake maker
goldeneyes by Ernest Bloodough
Keith also lists Tom Bloodough as a decoy carver
Luther A. Bloodough (1857-1945)
• son of John and Nancy Bloodough
• lifelong member of the Black Lake Lutheran
church
John W. Bloodough (1837 or 1838 – 1917)
• native of Town of Orleans, near Theresa
• son Edgar V. Bloodough (1875-1943)
- prominent local attorney and politician
Charles and Tamar Bloodough
• at least 10 children, including 5 sons, who
lived around Black Lake and Ogdensburg
1. Ernest Linden Bloodough (died 1956) - farmer,
musician, made several violins, carved most of
his decoys early 1900s
2. Charles F. Bloodough (1869-1947) - farmer,
taxidermist in his earlier years
3. William A. Bloodough (1874-1942) - lived on
Lost Village Road, employed in Ogdensburg
4. Thomas Pierce Bloodough (1876-1950) - farmer,
enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping, listed in
Keith Norton’s article as a decoy carver
5. Earl Franklin Bloodough (1878-1960) - operated
the family farm with his brother Thomas
attributed to Bloodough
family by Jim Evans
Edward Rheome, Ogdensburg
Ed Rheome
Edward Emory Rheome (1903-1973)
• worked for Gulf Oil, before starting his own oil
delivery business
• his obituary states his hobbies were making duck
and goose decoys, and hunting
• Keith Norton states Ed began carving around 1920
• notes that Ed used spruce for the heads, inserting
a ¼ inch dowel in the bill, and another up through
the head
• mostly made goldeneyes and broadbills
brother Edgar Rheome (1910-1985)
• employed at Cleveland Container, and for several
construction companies
• avid sportsman, licensed guide on Black Lake
• made some decoys; described as rather crude
sister Laura Rheome
• married Myles Apple June 24, 1939
Edward J. “Cuffy” Rheome (1916-1983)
• lived in Ogdensburg most of his life, worked as
a carpenter and laborer
listed as by Ed Rheome
Lang’s Auction: October 2012; eBay Nov. 2012
unknown
Rosh Douglas
Elijah Hyatt
unknown
Elijah Hyatt hen canvasback
Elijah Hyatt
• died
March 15, 1947, age 87; born 1859 or 1860
• marine engineer; Rutland and Hall Lines
• 3 sons; William “Slant” and John often hunted
with their father
• December 9, 1927: Elijah and Hollis Burton
stranded on Chimney Island while hunting
• September 17, 1919: Elijah, William, John, and
Walter Hollis, opened on the duck season on
Black Lake
unknown
Livingston
Will Morton
unknown
Bill Hollis
eBay November/December 2012
William F. “Bill” Constantine (1897-1978)
• born Alexandria Bay; lived in Hammond
• obituary states self-employed well driller
and active in outdoor sports
Black Lake
More Information Needed,
More Work to be Done
2014 Spring Meeting
Saturday, March 1
Topics (??)
Upcoming Events:
• March 9-10: Ohio Decoy Collectors & Carvers
Association , Strongsville, OH
• March 14-16: Great Lakes Decoy Association
Show, and Guyette Auction, Westlake, OH
• March 23-24: New Jersey Decoy Collectors
Show, and Frank & Frank Auction, Parkertown
and West Creek, NJ
• April 12-13: East Coast Decoy Collectors,
St. Michaels, MD
• April 23-28: Midwest Decoy Collectors Show,
and Guyette Auction, St. Charles, IL
• April 26-28: Ward World Championship
Competition, Ocean City, MD
• May 2-4: Havre de Grace Decoy & Wildlife
Art Festival, Havre de Grace, MD
• July 19-20: Annual Decoy/Wildlife Art &
Sporting Collectibles Show, Clayton, NY
TIDCA decoy display: theme??
(assistance in watching the display appreciated)
Spring 2013