DeWitt Wakefield – Wisconsin’s Earliest Known Carver

A Decoy Corner Article

By Bruce Urben, President

Images courtesy Wisconsin Sporting Collectibles

DeWitt Wakefield was born in 1849 and has the distinction of being the “first” known Wisconsin decoy carver. Wakefield was a carpenter by trade and his woodworking skills are evident in his decoys. According to records, it appears that he began carving around 1870. His small, well made decoys were crafted with slightly rounded bottoms, which he turned out in the hundreds.

Wakefield lived most of his life in the Village of Fremont, WI. Fremont is a small community on the Wolf River, just upstream from Lake Poygan. Partridge Lake rests on the western edge of the village of Fremont. This shallow lake was a magnet for migrating waterfowl and is where DeWitt Wakefield did most of his duck hunting. Mr. Wakefield also worked as a deckhand on cargo and passenger steamboats as they sailed the Winnebago chain.

Wakefield carved mainly bluebill decoys, but he also carved canvasbacks, teal, mallards and a few redheads and widgeons. Some people have reported that DeWitt also carved loon confidence decoys, but none have surfaced to date. Wakefield was very frugal and used whatever materials he had available to make his decoys. Some have been found to have glass eyes and others used tiny tacks as eyes. His decoys have varying body sizes and shapes, which supports the theory that he carved each by hand, one at a time, without the use of patterns. He was a very accomplished painter who used leaded paint and many of his decoys still retain their original colors. Historians report that his decoy production was probably less than one thousand decoys in his lifetime.

DeWitt passed away very early in life in 1912 at the age of 63. Very few Fremont residents remember him or are able to provide much background on him. We do know that he was a market hunter, which helped support his carpentry income.

Collectors prize Wakefield decoys because of the attention to detail, with skillfully carved bills, hump-back bodies and well painted markings.

Wakefield influenced many Wisconsin carvers including Gus Moak, Joe Gigl, Cliff Lind and the Dorschners.

As expected, collectors value Wakefield decoys for their folksy charm and the role they play in Wisconsin’s waterfowl heritage, all of which are well over one hundred years old. Wakefield decoys are generally valued between $400 and $700, and some pristine examples have sold for thousands of dollars on decoy auction sites.

DeWitt Wakefield was Wisconsin’s first known decoy carver, pioneer of the Fremont style of carving and mentor for many Wisconsin’s carvers. A true Wisconsin original!

Certainly remember to consult with a qualified decoy collector or reputable dealer to confirm provenance of any decoy prior to purchase.