Preservation of Antique Decoy History

Jack Rider Article - Plain Dealer

Really great article about Rider written in the Plain dealer in 1965, two years before Jack's death.   Click to enlarge.

Note that the Mallard stated in the article really was 2 Mallards, both made during the summer of 1950. 

 

Here is one of the 2 Mallards he carved:

Notice how refined the body is? It's much more streamlined than his later miniatures.  Also, the paint was a mix of several colors with no emphasis on feathers or feather features.  This unique blending would be replaced with a much more simplified and brighter paint combination as Jack refined his technique and started the mass production phase.

Rider's Marsh

Entrance to Rider Marsh as it looks today… Jack’s fancy iron work is still there as it was several years back.  Real hard to get into this entrance since the state of Ohio keeps it private.  I tested 2 of the local DNR guys on duty in September of last year to see what they knew about the property and if I could get in (of course!).  Both stated that there was a duck club “back there” and that’s all they knew.  I explained to them that a guy by the name of “Jack Rider” once had a place back there….. They showed absolutely no interest.  Then I asked about if it would be possible to go back and take a look…?  They said “no”.  I tried until they got irritated.  Still hoping to get back in there soon.

Easton Waterfowl Festival

It was a real pleasure meeting many of you during the Easton Waterfowl Festival.  Great weather throughout most of the weekend did keep the crowds down a bit but we still had a good show.  I will be posting photographs this week for those of you who missed the antique decoy exhibits.  Look forward to hearing back from those of you that I have met for the first time.  We will be also updating collecting-decoys.com with newly acquired birds throughout this week and next.

Crane Creek 9/25/05

Took the family and visited Crane Creek this weekend for the waterfowl festival.  The best part of the visit is the guided trip, via tractor and hay wagon, over the levi that surrounds part of Magee Marsh Wildlife area.  It also borders the Ottawa Wildlife Refuge.  My oldest son was first to spot 2 bald eagles flying near the Ottawa Shooting Club.  We also saw several Teal and Pintails in the Marsh towards the main road coming into Crane Creek.   Below is a view of the Ottawa Shooting Club from the southeast part of the main levi, looking soutwest towards the club.

Ottawa Shooting Club.

Mallards, Teal, and Pintail in the Marsh.

No decoys found at the festival but it's always a good trip when if you like the outdoors...

The Rider House

The Rider house at 411 Jefferson Street, Port Clinton, Ohio as of July 2005.  It was for sale on the market for $99k, not bad for an 1100 square foot house near Lake Erie.  The garage is still standing where Jack carved his birds - See the first post in this blog.

In comparison, see the 1942 photograph of Jack and Vernon (right - age of 30) pictured on the same side of the house below.  Jack and Vernon just returned back from Rider Marsh (Middle Harbor Marsh, State of Ohio Park today.....) with 19 Canvasbacks and 1 Bluebill. 

Vernon Rider's Role

 

Vernon Rider played a significant role in the preservation of Jack Rider's legacy.  See, Vernon was Jack's son and most of all of the later (1950's - 1960's) photos obtained of Rider almost always included Vernon in the images.  It is safe to assume that Vernon and his father were both avid duck hunters and out of the same mold.  I thought it best to start at the at the latest part of Vernon's life and work backwards to better explain Vernon's role in the Jack Rider story. 

Vernon setup at the 1983 ODCCA (Ohio Decoy Collector and Carver Association) show.  This is significant because this was in March of 1983.  Vernon would later pass away in July (28th) of that same year.   This would mark the end of an era.  Little did anyone know that Vernon's push to show the collecting world the true appeal of Jack's birds would ultimately help the birds gain notoriety in later years.   Vernon made several trips to different decoy shows and he took one of Jack's prized Goose decoys to Point Mouilee in 1979 and actually entered the bird into the carving competition!  Remember, Jack had passed away in 1967 and most of the birds in the competition were less than 3 months old.   There will be a later discussion on that bird and where it placed....

As you can see in the photograph, Vernon had brought in Jack's working birds.   You may also notice that not all of the decoys are Rider birds.   The Canvasback in the foreground and the one in the background were certainly a great Jack Rider examples while the Coot was from the Mason Decoy factory.

Vernon's commitment to his father's legacy was truly evident, but who noticed?   Many of the dealers and collectors noted that Vernon was pushing his dad's birds but no one seemed to be breaking down the doors to buy them.   This was because Vernon played the role of being the initial "salesman" and historian of his father's birds.  We are not sure but he may of also thought that the other birds on that table (above) were his father's as well, who knows?  One thing is for sure, Vernon's tenacity to show his father's talent was evident in his later years and he played an almost equal role in the Jack Rider legacy.

Look for more Vernon information as we move backwards into the life and legacy of Jack Rider.

Jasper N Dodge before the factory

1856: Jasper marries Charlotte A. Wright in Watertown, New York.

1860: Jasper N Dodge is living in Lenox, Madison, New York, not with his wife, yet in a boarding house of some sort.  He is 26 and is a hired hand at the residence.

1870: Jasper N Dodge is living in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife Charlotte in 1870.  He is working in a retail store there.   Two kids: Charles 7 and Lena 12.

1880:  The family has moved to Wayne, Detroit, Michigan and Jasper becomes a clerk at a local retail store.  The residence is 81 Pine Street in Wayne Michigan.   Charles is 17 and Lena is 22.  There is also a girl by the name of Danelle who is living at the residence, she is 16.
Charlotte dies soon after they arrive in Detroit while bearing her third child in the residence.  She is 43 at the time of death, it is December.

1884: Jasper starts his decoy factory at 278 Division Street in Detroit Michigan.

Who is the father?

Who came first?  "Gardiner" (John) or "E.G. Gardiner"?  Let the old debates begin, I've got time....
I have finally uncovered the facts about who was the father and who was the son..  It goes against the old school theory but all is finally settled.

Here are the facts on Gardiner brand:
Ohio and Dodge Factory birds branded with just the last name of “Gardiner” are indeed John Gardiner’s birds and the ones with the "E.G. Gardiner" brand are his son's. John was born in Norwalk, Ohio in 1816 and ran the main bank (aka "The #1 Bank") there in Norwalk.

Ad from John Gardiner's bank, Feb 1842.

He passed away on April 14th, 1915 at the age of 99. If you talk to any of the Ohio dealers and collectors, they will tell you that  “E.G. Gardiner” was the father and the "Gardiner" only brands were his son's. This is absolutely
not the case.

I have located the 1880 Federal census that I scanned from the Sandusky library this past spring.  E.G. was the son of John's. The "G" mistaken as a "Y" in most of all of the known historical documentation, primarily due to the census person's handwriting, confused everyone even the Mormons in Utah! (took me over year to figure this out…) This is most likely why the Ohio folks are convinced about E.G.- they couldn't find anything out about him in the library.  John is 63 years old in 1880. Neat comparison - W.H. Harris who was the punter at Winous in 1860 would of been 26 - 30 years old in 1860, Gardiner was 43 at the same time.  Cool isn't it?

Why in the world did Bryan start blogging?

Who knows.  All I know is that there needs to be a place that is fully controlled by the antique decoy collectors out there without the typical BS associated with such a venture.  A place where even those dealer envy  "queered" birds have a place.  This blog will be used to post the history, the background, the facts, and the decoy carvers that make this sport of collecting a never ending learning experience.  Photographs will be welcomed.  Commentary on events such as shows, auctions and simple parking lot swap meets will be stored here for the duration.

Hey, look at Mr. Jack Rider in the attached photo.  Vic Brocker captured a moment that was most likely repeated every time Jack picked up a carving knife or a paint brush.  There were many carvers like Rider, each offering their take on wildlife.   Each taking pride in their product that would eventually evolve into true American folk art.

Look for a future post that covers Jack Rider and cronicles his history.  I will also be sharing Vernon's  (Jack's son) persuit to prove to the decoy community that his father's decoys could never be forgotten.  Great story, hope to have it completed by October.