In the beginning a handful of shot gunners used to gather on Sunday a.m. out on Restwood Drive. Herman Porter, Vic Watson & sons, Art Feeley, Earl Feeley, Bill Wier, Stan Kirshman, and I. Vic was a Flint Fireman and somehow had come into an old single action, hand cocked trap. We put a sheet of boiler plate leaning on 6 cement blocks and staked the trap to an oak plank.
One had to reach out, grab the arm, pull it to full cock, place the bird in the triangular grip, lever the angle, then shout ok. The puller stood back and jerked a rope to release. Only one person shot at a time. No pads, no yardage mark, just shoot the bird.
The field was part of Gerard Verniers’ farm. Someone told his mother that animals ate the broken birds and died. Ergo. Move!
This called for drastic action. We met at Bill Wiers’ gas station in the grease rack. Bill, Al Bateanni, Herman Porter, Larry Clark, Bill Shaw, Berl Anibal, Russ North, Bryan Bowles, Doc Hamilton, Art Feeley, Stan Kirshman, and I. The LSC was founded.
The old Bowles gravel pit was vacant, a former county dump. It happened to be next to Art Feeley’s home. We simply moved in and set up where now stands the County Garage. For three years no complaint and the membership grew steadily.
At that point the county decided to include the southern section in road maintenance. Chuck Ray Lucus! We had to move.
Leon Ditman inherited his dad’s farm. He lived in Detroit and only showed weekends in the summer. Several of us knew him and asked to use his field next to the river. “Only if I can join you once in a while.” Voila!
For 2 years we stagnated. No improvement in equipment or grounds. Then break! US23 purchased the Silver Lake School and wanted it torn down. We did it for the cement blocks. Art Feeley was a brick mason and with lots of volunteer help we had a 2 car garage with full basement and a well and bathroom facilities. It took most of 2 years but there it was on land that was ours with a handshake agreement to purchase.
We were still a one trap club but now we had an electric western self cocking trap in a block trap house. Gradually we grew from basement to building complete with kitchen.
Meanwhile we mortgaged & purchased the property. Through the years we have sponsored archery, rifle, pistol, skeet, and trap. Gone is the 200 yard range, but now covered rifle and pistol facilities. Skeet disappeared when pellets were falling in the parking lot.
We have withstood suits over noise and threats from townships and neighbors. We have hosted all sorts of events from field trials through horse shows. We’ve been damned by neighbors and newspapers and blessed by at least 1 judge who said we should be commended, not condemned.
