When thinking about Holyoke’s franchise businesses, one of the more interesting, in my opinion, was the Realistic Archery Range located in Smith’s Ferry.
Franchise opportunities for the Realistic Archery Range were in its infancy in 1963, with 13 ranges spread around the country. The facilities were intended for enjoyment, a challenge, and building one’s skills with a bow and arrows. The range itself featured stationery and moving objects used as targets. One of its features was a life-size, lifelike deer target mounted on a track that moved at various speeds, testing one’s ability.
Entering the picture to land the Holyoke franchise was Fred G. Marion, who spent approximately 35 years in the car business in Holyoke. After selling his auto business due to health issues, he sought a steady income without the stress he experienced in the automotive industry. He caught sight of the Realistic Archery Range on television and became quite interested.
He and his son, Fred N. Marion, travelled to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to see an actual archery range in operation. The father and son were impressed and began forming plans for their partnership. The franchise would be the first in New England. The plan included Fred G. Marion operating the archery range and Fred N. Marion operating the chip ‘n putt golf course.
On December 12, 1962, Abraham Zimmerman sold a 3.75-acre parcel of land to Fred G. and Mildred Marion. The land was located on the west side of Northampton Highway, about 115 feet south of Reservation Road. This would be the location of the Realistic Archery Range.
The grand opening occurred on July 21, 1963. Four days prior, Fred G. Marion passed away, leaving his son to develop and run the entire operation.
On May 2, 1964, the range opened for its second season. Plans included adding a snack bar for patrons and onlookers.
A tournament was held on July 26, 1964, with 50 archers competing. The 7-hour event was sponsored by the Professional Marksmen Association of America. Five days later, an advertisement appeared in the Hartford Courant newspaper offering the business for sale. The following year, the land and range business was also available under a lease arrangement.
On July 8, 1966, the land was sold to Lucien O. Boileau, Inc. of Chicopee. He considered creating a branch office of his construction company on the site. This did not materialize, and on July 15, 1975, the corporation sold the land to the Holyoke Company of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses was built on the land and completed for use in June 1976.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
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