Late in the first decade of the 1900s, the city of Holyoke had over 700 licensed hunters and 5,000 licensed fishermen. A couple of hunting and fishing clubs were formed in Holyoke. One was the Holyoke Fish and Game Club in 1909, and the second, the topic of today's story, was the Paper City Gun Club, organized in 1910.
The Paer City Gun Club, as it was first named, had as part of its mission the promotion of trap shooting and the betterment of hunting and fishing conditions.
The club's shooting range was initially established at the Cherry Street grounds in late spring 1911. Target-shooting accuracy competitions were held weekly. Clay pigeons were used as targets. Soon after, in August 1911, the competitions were held at the Highland Park range, also known as the Jones Point range. As described, it was located in the northern portion of Jones Point.
In March 1912, the club began planning improvements to the Jones Point range. This included building a shooter's platform and possibly a seasonal clubhouse.
The season opening was held annually on Patriots' Day. In 1912, the club had 36 members. Prominent members included the club president, C. E. Walker, the High Street sporting goods dealer.
Exhibitions and major competitions were held on holidays, with prizes awarded, attracting many out-of-area shooters. Spectators were invited to view the events, and entertainment was provided. The club also had an annual banquet featuring guest speakers. Some of the banquet locations included Downing House, the Marble Hall Hotel, and Hotel Hamilton.
In 1912, the organization went on record as opposing out-of-season hunting and would assist authorities in the arrest and prosecution of violators.
In 1913, the Massachusetts Fish and Game Commission provided 30,000 fingerling trout to the club officers for release in brooks and ponds. The areas were kept secret for a year to allow them to mature for the subsequent fishing season.
The range closed for the season on Thanksgiving Day. By the end of the 1913 season, the club membership had grown to 100. Plans were being made to build a new clubhouse and to undertake more extensive programs for the 1914 season.
However, the tide was changing in the residential area. A resident, or residents, of the Highland Park area complained of noise from the Wednesday and Saturday range use. The Holyoke Parks and Recreation sent a letter to the club seeking their eviction from the city-owned property. The club challenged the assertions, indicating that the Sunday afternoon baseball games at the nearby Highland Park produced more noise. Interestingly, the area around Jones Point was referred to as Hoytville.
After several meetings, the club's dissenters did not appear to formalize their protest. The club's officers stated that the shooting area was 200 feet from the nearest house and 100 feet below that house's level, so there was no danger of stray bullets causing harm or major sounds carrying at a disturbing level. The club appeared safe to stay in 1914.
A new round of protests emerged in 1915. The dissenter, through field glasses, attempted to identify the shooters to have warrants served upon them. The club had endured enough and decided to relocate to Smith's Ferry.
The new range was located between Mt. Tom Junction and Smith's Ferry on the other side of the railroad tracks from the Holyoke Country Club. The railroad threatened to sue if this site was used. Although no news accounts were found, it is believed the range moved to the other side of Northampton Highway, as its entrance was described as opposite Sinclair Greenhouses. It became known as the Rocky Point Range.
In 1916, the club changed its name to the Paper City Rod and Gun Club.
The club embarked upon a significant recruiting effort in 1922, attempting to increase its membership to 1,000. Within the first two weeks of the drive, membership increased to 500, or one in every six licensed hunters and fishers in the city.
The club continued its work by holding shooting events, stocking local waterways, feeding birds in the winter, conducting beagle dog field training, and engaging in conservation efforts.
By 1933, the club had 101 annual members, 36 lifetime members, and 6 complimentary members. The club continued to hold events through 1942. Holyoke City Directories no longer listed the club after 1941.
The Paper City Rod and Gun Club relocated to Horseshoe Pond in Westfield's Hampton Ponds area, where it operated for some time. Later, it was known as the Holyoke-Easthampton Rod and Gun Club.
From 1942 to about 1948, the Rocky Point grounds in Smith's Ferry were little used. The Holyoke Skeet Club, an adjunct of the Holyoke Fish & Game Club, used the grounds from 1948 to 1968. The property later fell into disuse and was largely overtaken by nature.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
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