Skeet history lesson

[TARNATION !!!]

I set up a few Google alerts to maybe find some obscure for sale Parker. Mostly I get obits for someone named Parker. Today was an interesting article wherein Parker Gun is referenced and the National Sportsman Tarnation cover. A fun read for clay busters.

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Feel free to ignore all the internet junk that follows the article. Didn’t know that would happen

[6pt-Sika]

One of the clubs I used to be a member of had a fun shoot each year called “The Gertrude Hurlburt Shoot” in recognition of the lady that came up with the name skeet . Someone from the club wrote an article for Gun Digest and it was published in the early 80’s of my memory serves . Most of the folks dressed the part and shot period correct guns .

[Dean Romig]

That’s a pretty good article and mostly accurate though a bit thin on facts in places.
We often don’t read much at all about Foster’s life history other than his association with Skeet so it was good to read that little bit about his work in art.
The Davies property was on Dascomb Rd. alright, 73 Dascomb in fact and the chicken farm was known locally as the Watson Farm about four hundred yards from Davies’ property.
I wrote an article for Parker Pages in about 2009 on the Original Davies Skeet Field including several pictures I was allowed to take just before the property went up for sale.
I was also fortunate enough to have been invited to join the Harnden Family Reunion in their tour of significant family landmarks. They had never heard of William Harnden Foster nor of any of his accomplishments. I was lucky enough to have an extra copy of New England Grouse Shooting and I gave it to the family archivist. That was a great couple of days and at no time were we more than 7 or 8 miles from my house.

During WHF’s association with LL Bean he and Leon developed a sneak boat that I have a picture of with WHF in it on the Shawsheen River here in town.

I suspect the author’s original article that he submitted to the publisher had been extensively edited for space (you know how those editors are) as there is obviously a lot more that the author knows that wasn’t included.
Pretty good article though. Thanks Jack!

P.S. The Watson Farm Estates is a development of about 8 high end homes built in 1992 on land that was previously owned by the Watson family and adlacent Davies land, including where the original Skeet field had been.



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