History of SMGC – Part 1 by Van Maltby (March, 2010)

 Back in 2002, longtime SMGC member Joe Orbeck provided me with several documents that describe some of the earliest history of SMGC and its affiliated organizations. Most of the information presented here is summarized from those documents and other written material by G.A. Nash in 1988. I’ll provide the history in installments over the next several months. I think you’ll find it interesting. Kalamazoo Revolver Club: In 1926 a rash of bank robberies in the Midwest prompted a group of individuals, some of them commuted with the First National Bank of Kalamazoo to form a group organized to foster the learning of proper revolver and pistol handling. The thought in mind was that some of this knowledge might come in handy if perchance the criminal element looked too closely at local banks. There is no documentation that the defense of Kalamazoo institutions actually took place, but perhaps the knowledge of trained gun handling personnel in our banks was a deterrent. As a result, the Kalamazoo revolver club was formed in 1926 with R.G. Rye of First National Bank as its first president and Lyle Rapp of the Kalamazoo Gazette as its first secretary/treasurer. The club received permission to erect a small backstop of about six firing points in the basement of the National Guard Armory on East Water Street. While the club used this range for some time, the smallish backstop, accompanied by red tape and an increase in membership necessitated a move. A new range was erected in the basement of a cigar store and pool hall owned by Paul Skoubes on the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Portage. The range was formerly a four-lane bowling alley and the backstop was erected at the pin end of the alleys. It’s uncertain how long this range was in use, but it’s reported that it was impossible to keep clean, a firetrap, and had narrow steep stairs to the first floor and relocation plans were soon underway. The next move was into a spacious second floor of a building now housing an auto supply store at 136 North Edwards. The property had a wide stairway from the street, a large club room, a range room of about 70’ by 25’ and a fine backstop equipped with manual turning targets for timed firing. At this time, the Kalamazoo Revolver Club, the Southern Michigan Gun Club (formed five years earlier) shared the range. The Kalamazoo Rod and Gun Club shared the clubhouse only. This range was in use until 1949 when a move was necessitated because the landlord would not install a fire escape in the rear of the building.

The History of SMGC – Part 2 (April, 2010)

Southern Michigan Gun Club (prior to merger): In 1940 three men: G.A. Nash, Joseph VandenBerg, and John Lepird met at Nash’s home and decided to form the nucleus of a gun club. A meeting or two was held, one in a log cabin in Milham Park arranged by Al Hathaway. There was considerable interest, but World War II interfered and most activity died down. Finally, the first organization and extensive gun display was held in the winter of 1943 at the Masonic Temple in Galesburg, Michigan. Gay Nash was elected as the first president. The club prospered and recruited collectors from Southwest Michigan. Three prominent and experienced collectors were Don Bouderman, R.G. Vredun of Kalamazoo and Don Drolet of Richland. The club initially met in the basement of the M.E. Church in Richland. After the war, a large gathering of collectors met several times a year for swap meets and sales. The activity grew to such an extent that a meeting and banquet was held in Battle Creek. The next year, a similar meeting was held in Kalamazoo at the old downtown Lutheran Church. Dr. X.B. Schaffer, a Vicksburg veterinarian and expert pistol instructor was the main speaker. Some members interested in shooting small bore and muzzleloader approached the Kalamazoo Revolver Club and negotiated rent and range time, probably in 1946 or 1947. The Southern Michigan Gun Club held several successful combined muzzleloading and small bore matches during the summer of 1946 at a range the state had installed at Wolfe Lake. It was only a 50-yard pistol range with a cement backstop but the club had good turnouts with lots of publicity from the Kalamazoo Gazette. More elaborate matches were held at the Paw Paw Conservation Club and eventually a state championship pulled contestants from Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Some muzzleloading matches were also fired at the old Kalamazoo Police Range in back of Borgess Hospital.

The History of SMGC – Part 3 (June, 2010)

Southern Michigan Gun Club merger: In 1949, the Kalamazoo Revolver Club and the Southern Michigan Gun Club were given notice to vacate the Edward Street facility. A committee included Riley Stewart, Gaynor Nash, and a third individual (whose name in unfortunately lost to time) formed to try to locate new facilities. The committee looked all over town to no avail until Stewart and Nash contacted Paul Skoubas, of the Strand Pool Hall, and inquired about the third floor. Skoubas had rented the floor to a group of wire service gamblers and the place had been raided and closed down by the Kalamazoo Police Department. Stewart, a detective, knew of the place and arranged a deal with Sloubas for $30 per month. This took place in 1950. This was the same building that the Kalamazoo Revolver Club had used earlier, (bowling alley in the basement), prior to the move to Edwards Street. The two clubs rented a truck, dismantled the heavy backstop, and relocated it up three flights of stairs by hand. This was an all day event, and the police blocked Michigan Avenue to make it possible. The heavy iron was “man-handled” up to the third floor without losing a man or back. The partitions were ripped out, miles of telephone wire were removed, plus it was cleaned and painted and made presentable. While on Edwards Street, Thomas Peacock ran two class C NRA rifle tournaments per year. They were successful with competitors from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Indiana. As a result of the tow clubs being located on Edwards Street, a friendship was formed between Dr. Don Thomas, then president of the Kalamazoo Revolver Club and Gaynor Nash, president of SMGC. Both individuals were connected with the Upjohns. It seemed to them that if a shooting range facility were ever to be acquired, it would take the combined effort of the two clubs to make it happen. The two formed a merger committee to explore the ways and means of combining the two organizations into one club. Owen Boughman, an Upjohn employee, was appointed chairman of the committee along with Don Thomas, Gaynor Nash, Joe Orbeck, John Doyle and Phil Rabishing. Members of the Kalamazoo Revolver Club proposed adopting SMGS’s name and the merger was completed on February 2, 1953.