We started the museum in 1995. We are located in the office area of the Heddon Factory. We have about 3000 sq.ft. devoted only to Heddon. We started the museum to save the history in Dowagiac, before that we were not collectors. Don was born and raised in Dowagiac and refused to see the Heddon factory fall down, so we bought it for our own manufacturing growth and restored the building...then 4 years later started the museum. The Heddon Museum · Located in the former Heddon factory at 414 West st. in Dowagiac MI., the Heddon Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Heddon family's many contributions to the fishing tackle industry as well as the city of Dowagiac. · The Heddon family's many activities are chronicled, from James' bee keeping and newspapering, to his son Will's 1891 parachute jump from a balloon, to his second son Charles's National amateur billiard championship in 1918. · The center piece of the families many accomplishments, and of the museum, is the James Heddon's Sons Co., at one time the worlds largest manufacturer of fishing tackle. From its inception in 1902 until its departure from Dowagiac in 1984, the company made not only fishing tackle but many other items including golf club shafts, ski poles and violin bows as well as box kites and radio antennae for the military during WWII. All are on display. · Over 1200 Heddon lures, 140 reels and 150 Heddon rods are on display, including an original James Heddon frog, one of the most sought after of all collector lures. · The Heddon Aviation Company played a pivotal role in the history of commercial aviation in the United States and several models of their famous "flying fish" airplanes are on display. · Museum hours are every Tuesday evening 6:30 to 8:30 and the last Sunday afternoon of every month 1:30 to 4:00. Free admission. APPOINTMENTS MADE ANY TIME BY CALLING: Don & Joan Lyons 269-782-5698 PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL! We show anything Heddon...and accept donations. We will do research, answer questions and help with appraisals of Heddon items. We have a gift shop: T-shirts, tote bags, hats, patches, key chains, art prints, tin signs, books...all about Heddon.