Creek Chub Bait Company

In 1916, Henry Dills, Carl Heinzerling, and George Schulthess established the Creek Chub Bait Company, which became one of the country's leading manufacturers of artificial fishing lures. Crafted by a largely female workforce, its high-quality lures featured a patented spray-painted scale pattern and metal lip that gave them a lifelike appearance and motion to help attract fish. The company shipped products all over the world and became a key industry here. Popular lures included the Wiggler, Pike, Darter, and Injured Minnow, and many fishermen used them to catch record-setting fish. Business slowed during WWII as European supply markets closed, but grew rapidly in the post-war years. The factory closed by 1979, and the lures remain popular among collectors.

Garrett, Indiana · United States