Minnesota Lures
Worthington
In 1871, the St. Paul & Sioux City Railway Company decided to connect those two cities by train. As a result, water stations were needed every eight to twelve miles along the route for the steam engines. One of these stations was designated as “The Okabena Railway Station.”
A colony of settlers came there that same year and started to build a town. This colony – the National Colony – was to be a village of temperance (free of the sins of alcohol). Yes, you heard right...no drinking. The name was changed from the Okabena Railway Station to Worthington, which was the maiden name of Dr. Miller’s (a founder) mother-in-law.
Settlers poured into the region thanks to the Homestead Act when 160 acres of government land could be claimed for free. All one had to do was live on the land and “improve” it. Scandinavian, German, and Irish immigrants were among those who came. American-born settlers invariably included many hardened – and hard-drinking – Civil War veterans hungry for free land.
A curious event took place on Worthington’s very first Fourth of July celebration. Hearing that there was a keg of beer in the Worthington House Hotel, Professor Humiston entered the hotel, seized the keg, dragged it outside, and destroyed it with an axe. Many of the people in town got together and picked up the broken keg, marched it to Humiston's home while a band played a dead march, buried it in his yard with a flag at half staff...and proceeded to open another keg and party over the grave.
Sevdy Automotive Enterprises
This wood lure was made in the 1950s.
The hooks wood fit inside the lure, and shoot out when a fish bit and pushed in the lever.
Another unique feature was that the lure had not barbs on the hooks, making the fish easier to remove from the lure.
This lure was featured as my "Lure of the Month" in November ot 2012.
