Gets-Em - 3 hook minnow - white w/blue back, thru wire rigging, tin props. Stamped Keller on the back. Shell casing behind front prop. Note wood knob carved into the head. Most commonly found Keller, but still rare.
Wiggler - red with yellow and blue stripes. Stamped Keller on the back. Both treble hooks have been flattened to minimized damage. One other known in yellow paint.
3 hook minnow - green w/red head, thru wire rig, heavy gauge "top hat" tin props. Note the difference in prop on this lure and the yellow lure below to the more common design on the lures below.
2 hook minnow - all yellow, screw eye with brass cup, heavy gauge tin "top hat" props. Brass cartridge behind front prop.
2 hook minnow - yellow, with great green and red "Nike" stripes, tin props. Brass shell casing behind front prop. Unmarked green cardboard box. Note belly treble hook has been flattened to prevent damage.
4 Hook minnow - all red, wire wrapped around the body rigging, tin props, brass shell casing behind front prop.
3 hook minnow - all red, thru wire rig, thin gauge tin props, two wire wrap washers behind front prop.
3 Hook minnow, green back, white belly, thru wire rigging, brass shell casing behind front prop. Lure is missing aft prop. Set up for external belly weight (weight shown is not original).
Although the gills are crude, I believe the paint to be original.
2 Belly hook minnow - yellow with red & blue "Nike' stripes, tin props, brass cap behind front prop. Belly hook has two of the hooks flattened to minimize contact with the wood body, secured with screws instead of screw eyes. (I believe the lure is correct and never had a tail hook).
Dave Budd collection
3 hook minnow - tin props, brass shell casing behind prop, side hooks and belly weight secured by external wrapped wire. Note notches in wood body for side hooks. "Keller" stamped on back. "Washers" behind props are bend wire.
Dave Budd Collection
2 hook minnow - tin props, brass cartridge behind front prop, nice yellow paint with red and green pin striping. "Keller" stamped on back. Rare box faintly marked KELLERS GETS-EM, ROCHESTER IND. Note tail hook is secured with a nail head - no screw eye loop.
Dave Budd Collection
Wiggler - yellow w/green stripes. Both treble hooks have been flattened to minimized damage. The screw eyes for the belly hooks have wire soldered to restrict movement.
2 hook minnow - yellow, with great green and red stripes, thin tin props. Brass shell casing behind front prop.
Wiggler - white with green back. Red base coat matches wiggler red above. Simple screw eye hardware. Courtesy John Lewellyn
3 hook minnows - Unsual props soldered to shafts. The knob on the head of the lure is wooden, with small washer behind the prop (compared to the shell casings typically found). The combination of prop design and absense of the shell casings suggests this is an early Keller. Thanks to John Lewellyn for adding this to my collection.
5 hook minnow - green back, white body, black hair pin eyes, thru wire rig, heavy gauge tin props, wire wrap washers behind front prop and washer behind the rear prop is soldered to the wire shaft. Side hooks are Woods Type I detachable hooks patented in 1903.
Note: Early Fishing Plugs of the USA, Art & Scott Kimball, has a similar lure with Woods Type II hooks and wire guards in the wood body to keep the hooks off the body (not present on this lure)
This lure was likely made in Napannee, Indiana. Much thanks to John Lewellyn for adding this to my collection.
3 hook minnow - all white, thru wire rigging. Brass shell casing behind front prop, rare external belly weight. (This is the only original weight I am aware of.)
2 hook minnow - black body, white with red gills, rare painted eyes, screw eye with brass cup, tin "top hat" props. Brass shell casing behind front prop.
Jack Looney Collection
The "Myers" Bait
Ed Myers and Jack Spellman made this 2 hook surface minnow in Shelby, Michigan. Advertising dates this lure to 1915. During this period the two were business partners of a Ford automobile dealership.
Interestingly, Keller was employed as a garage mechanic and manager according to his entry in the 1910 and 1920 census's. However, Shelby is fairly far north of Indiana, its only speculation if they crossed paths. The two lures are often confused. The Myers bait has a stamped prop, while the Keller has a 2 piece tin prop. Both have similar paint schemes and nose design to keep the prop off the body.
The Myer bait is from the collection of Jack Looney, the Keller is from Mark Ward's.
3 hook minnow - yellow, with great blue and red stripes, thin tin props. Brass shell casing behind front prop. Side hooks flattened and secured with wood screws.
Harold Dickert Collection
3 hook minnow construction - This shows the shell casing (possibly a 25 caliber rim-fire) that keller pressed into the front of the lure to act as a spacer between the prop and the body.
This lure exhibits an additional wood knob carved into the body to further act as a spacer between the body and prop. I believe this makes the lure a later design.
This shows some ingenuity on the part of Keller to use a shell casing for this purpose.
Gets-Em - 3 hook minnow - yellow w/orange back, thru wire rigging, tin props. Stamped Keller on the back. Shell casing behind front prop. Note wood knob carved into the head.
Single hook minnow, simple thru wire construction, double hook on the belly, tin props on front and back mounted on shafts. All white.
1908 Business Directory Ad
John Keller has one of the more interesting backgrounds for a fishing lure manufacturer. Here are some history I have found:
1891 John Keller marries Clara Burbach, Nappanee News, Jan 1, 1891.
1897 Opens a photography studio in Nappanee, Indiana
1900 US Census: Resident Nappanee, Indiana. Occupation - Dealer in Bicycles
1900 Keller advertises his Studio for sale in the St. Louis and Canadian Photographer 1908 Elkhart Business Directory: John M. Keller Bicycles, Sundries and Repairing, Nappanee, Indiana
1910 US Census: Resident Nappanee, Indiana. Occupation - Garage Manager.
1916 Patent 1,202,532 - Tester for spark plugs and ignition apparatus, Nappanee, Indiana.
1920 US Census: Resident Frankfort City, Indiana. Occupation - Garage Mechanic.
1921 Rochester Indiana Phone book. John Keller, Keller Inn.
1930 US Census: Resident Rochester, Indiana. Occupation - none.
.
Nappanee, Indiana
1897, John Keller opens a photography studio on the corner of Walnut and Main Street. From 1897 to 1900 he takes over 300 photographs documenting the cities residence and businesses.
The 1908 Elkhart Business Directory lists the following: Keller, John M. automobiles, bicycles and repairs also sporting goods, e. Market.
To the left is a Keller lure and catalog insert with a Nappanee, Indiana address. The catalog insert is titled: "The Keller Surface and Underwater Baits" manufactured by J.M. Keller. The insert lists and underwater and surface minnow, with the surface minnow having a larger body. It seems reasonable that he was making lures prior to 1920, based on his business listing above, and the use of Woods Type I hooks (see below)
History provided by Rochester Historical Society
While living in Rochester he built and operated the Keller Inn near the edge on Lake Manitou in 1921. He operated the Inn until his death in 1943. He most likely made his most of his lures for fisherman during this period. He made and sold liquor during the prohibition from 1920 thru 1933. Locals report he ran prostitutes out to an Island on Lake Manitou during this period.
Prior to moving to Rochester he sold automobiles and earned income as a photographer. In, 1935 he patented a device for beheading chickens, eliminating that guesome task wifes hate. He also had patents for window visors and other devices. (I have not been able to confirm the historical societies claim that a patent was issued.)
One local that knew Keller, said he would hold a lure in his hand and blow on the prop to show how easily they spin.
Obituary, Friday, June 18, 1943
John M. KELLER, age 75, proprietor of the KELLER’S INN on the west shore of Lake Manitou for a number of years, died at 1 o’clock Friday morning at Woodlawn hospital. Death was due to heart trouble and followed an illness of six weeks. He had been a patient at the hospital only one day. Keller was well known throughout northern Indiana through his business at the lake.
Much thanks to Kim Clay for providing me leads in Rochester leading to this information about John M. Keller.
