One of the last incubators for wild duck in Southern Ontario is a stretch of land that extends out into Lake Erie. For most of the 19th Century it was a major hunting site for market hunters. To protect the remaining wildfowl and wildlife, the Canadian government sold the land in 1866 to a group of sportsmen who formed the Long Point Company. The Company employed stewards, gamekeepers and punters or guides to maintain the hunting lodges erected on the land, to serve as guides for the owners and their guests and to control poaching. Today, the acreage is now a Provincial Park.
The history of Long Point and the story of the men who worked on the tract are recorded in the minutes of the company which still exist. Those records suggest that Isaiah Brown (dates unknown) may have been related to John Brown (dates unknown) one of the original group of men who purchased the land and the first onsite manager of the Long Point Company. It is known that decoys carved for the members of the Long Point Company included teal, wood duck, shore birds, and geese. It is likely that Isaiah Brown carved decoys for use by the sportsmen who hunted at Long Point.
For additional information
Decoying – St. Clair to the St. Lawrence, 1988 by Barney Crandell Ontario Decoys 11, 1986 by Bernie Gates.