TALBOT ROD & GUN CLUB, INC.
A BRIEF HISTORY

The first meeting of the Talbot Rod & Gun Club was held on May 5,1934 at the old Samis and Bray Hardware Store on Washington St. Easton, Md. with H. Campbell Dance as the first club president.

Shooting was first done on a farm located at the intersection of the St. Michaels Rd. (RT.33) and Easton Parkway (Rt. 322) then owned by George Favinger. It was more recently owned by Wade Dudrow, and there will soon be a shopping center at this location.

Later, in the early 1940's, members would gather at a farm known as the LeGates farm on the old Trappe Road (Rt. 565), just south of where Weems Brothers Construction is located today. A single trap (behind hay bales) would be operated by a hired hand. Ammunition, targets, and shotguns would be transported to the site by the members.

In the late 1950's, the club was going to re-locate to a site on the Matthewstown Rd. (Rt.328), but a local protest prevented the club from moving there.

In 1960 the club bought its current land on Chapel Rd. from Arthur Schwartz.The site had previously been used as a hog lot. Bob Coleman did most of the excavation and clearing, and much of the construction was done by LeRoy Messick and Pete Johnson. It was all financed with contributions from the members.

The first organized shoot was in 1962, and the first registered Trap shoot was in 1965.

Today, The Bay Country Open and the Oyster Open are in the top 50 skeet shoots in the country. In 1994 the club was named "Club of the Year" by the National Skeet Shooting Association, and received the Presidents Award as an "Outstanding Gun Club" by the same organization in 2000.

For over a decade our club has hosted an annual shooting exhibition by the "Shotgun Wizard", John Satterwhite, during Easton's renowned Waterfowl Festival. Club members also demonstrate trap and skeet shooting at the popular event.

A number of our members travel throughout the United States competing, and winning, at the highest levels of competition.

The Talbot Rod & Gun Club has been a Talbot tradition for over seventy years, thanks to the loyal and dedicated efforts of our members.

Compiled by Tom Hughes with help from Edgar Jones,Bob Coleman & Jack Bennett