An Old Parker Pages Article

[Jim L Lawrence]

I recently received an old Parker Pages issue, I believe 2004. It contains an article named "Seventy Years Hunting with Parkers" by John "Hick" Hickerson. The excellent author discussed his early days of hunting with his father and referred to his father being a member of "The Moberly Hunting and Fishing Club near Moberly, Missouri. "Founded in 1912.
The article contains two pictures taken at the club including a picture of the building/lodge and "Two Likely hunters" standing in front.

I am wondering if any one knows, or remembers anything about that hunting club? My older brother, now 83 still lives in MY Hometown of Moberly, and he cannot find anyone around Moberly that remembers the club? He talked with a historian and he also could not find or remember of any such club?

Being from Moberly, MO. and now living in Montana, I would just like to know more about that club, and who might have founded it, and some members that may have used it and hunted there.

I was born and raised in Moberly, and did a LOT of hunting all around Moberly and the many farms that make up the countryside I inherited my fathers Parker and still have it to this day.

Thanks for any information that may find it's way back to me.

Jim Lawrence
Clancy (Helena), Montana

Just interested in some very old

[Harry Neil]

https://casetext.com/case/randolph-v-moberly-hunting-fishing-club



https://pathwaymemorial.com/tribute/details/411/James-Holman/obituary.html

[Garry L Gordon]

Hi, Jim. We live north of Kirksville, about an hour from Moberly. I've not heard of the club, but will see if I can find any further information about it. It's intriguing and would be interesting to find out more about it. I've bird hunted around the Thomas Hill Reservoir, not far from Moberly. I've read old newspaper accounts of hunting in the area, and have no doubt that there may be some mention of the club in the local papers. I hope I can find something.

Nice to find another "local boy" on the forum. Take care and be safe.

Garry

[Harry Neil]

The club was named Moberly, but was near Dalton, approximately 35miles away. Perhaps one should start looking there....

[Garry L Gordon]

Just a quick search for the Club brought up multiple old newspaper articles, most from the 1930s. Apparently the club owned what was described in the newspaper accounts as "lakes and lands" along the Missouri River in Chariton County. Many of the articles focused on the legal issues involving some club land that was in dispute of ownership because of a shift in the Missouri River that changed the boundaries of Saline and Chariton Counties. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

There were accounts of the election of officers over time, with some names that I recognized from the area. It also made the Moberly paper when a member killed a 20 pound goose that is reported to have had a 7 foot wingspan. If only our newspapers reported that kind of news today!

Apparently the Club was quite well known in its day.

[Mills Morrison]

Very interesting. One project on my list is to document some of the hunting clubs around here

[Garry L Gordon]

Apparently there were two clubs in the same area. This article is from the local Moberly paper and is dated September 24, 1929. I hope the clipping enlarges enough to be read.

I found a clipping announcing the establishment of the Club in 1912. And accounts of the land purchase...for $1.00. It was noted that a good portion of the land was "under water."

[Jim L Lawrence]

Gary & Jim,
Thanks so much for your replies and the information.
Gary, I also hunted around Thomas Hill a great deal. Mostly quail and ducks. Most of my hunting was around Moberly as I knew most of the farmers in a three county area and could hunt almost any of their farms without getting permission first. I started using my fathers Parker 12 ga after he had to stop hunting. It became my gun, and I still use it today. My father was right handed, however, he was blind in his right eye, and could not teach himself to shoot left handed. So he shot right handed, and sighted with his left eye. Try that sometime! He was a very good shot also.
I hope we all can find more about this Moberly Hunting and Fishing Club as it is extremely interesting to learn about something that sure seemed to be a secret around Moberly. (smile)

[Buddy Harrison]

Mills,
I applaud your idea of researching duck clubs and duck hunting in the Savannah, Ga. area. In that regard if you have not already done so, I recommend you read a short book covering that subject matter entitled "Ward Allen: Savannah River Market Hunter" by Jack Cay, Jr. who was himself a prolific duck hunter on the Savannah River. I believe the book was made into a movie entitled "Savannah." Fun read with many names you may already be familiar with.

[Jim L Lawrence]

Having now seen several "Funeral Notices"of very prominent men living in Moberly, MO, some Board of Directors members of local banks, and successful business men listed as members of the Moberly Hunting & Fishing Club, would lead me to believe there was certainly a Dues structure to be a member. And due to the fact these members were men of some wealth, I would guess the dues for membership were not considered "cheap". It is hard for me to believe, however, that growing up and hunting most of my young life in Moberly and surrounding areas, I had never heard of the club before. So, all of this information and articles are extremely interesting. And, being stuck at home due to this Blasted virus thing, it is refreshing to read such good healthy information. Specially about the report of a gentleman bagging a 20 lb Goose with a 7 foot wing span. Darn, I think I missed that goose one time! (ha, ha). Much better reading than the crummy news we get today.

[Dean Romig]

I could spend the rest of my days reading about the old hunting clubs and camps.

Two of my favorite reads with tons of old pictures are "Pte. Moulee Shooting Club" by Jim and Barbara Marsh - a wonderful book that took over twenty years of research.

And "Deer Camp - Last Light in the Northeast Kingdom" by John M. Miller - really tugs at the heart of anyone who lives and remembers the deer camp life in the Northeast.


.

[Mills Morrison]

I have both of those books! There is another one on a Mississippi deer camp which is good.

[Mills Morrison]

The book on the left is a history of the Santee Gun Club which took me years to track down. The other great SC clubs are the Okeetee Club and Oakland Club.

[jerry serie]

Mills,

Can you give me the full citation (author, title, date)? I'd love to find a copy. My good friend managed the Santee Club for years before it was sold or given to SC. Many Thanks Jerry

[Mills Morrison]

Brannon Reath. Santee Club, A Legend. See if that helps. I think they have a print on demand version

[jerry serie]

Thanks Mills,
No luck on abebooks.com Could it be "Early History of Santee Club" by Henry Carter? I'll keep looking. The cover of your book is a painting by Richard Bishop, who hunted there and had a painting over the fireplace when I visited there......Jerry

[Mills Morrison]

It is a very rare book. It took me years to find a copy. Actually, decades

[Mills Morrison]

The Early History of Santee Club is good too and it is readily available via print on demand (if you can stand print on demand)

[jerry serie]

Thanks Again!

[Dave Noreen]

From the other side of the country, a good book by a Parker shooter in California is 75 Years with the Shotgun by C.T. Buckman.

87174

Buck bought the Parker Bros. A1 Special 28-gauge two-barrel set from from W.O Rowley in Dallas, Texas for $3000, used it for several years and finally sold it on for $4500.

There are several good books on the clubs and gunning around the Chesapeake by C. John Sullivan Jr. I have his book on the Carroll's Island Ducking Club and his book on Baltimore made shotguns.

[Garry L Gordon]

Jim, I picked up some old issues of The American Field in St. Joe on Friday. In a November 1922 issue I saw the listing posted here. I know this is a bit early for your or your brother's recollection, but thought you might recognize the family name. There were lots of good bird dogs running the fields of Missouri in those days.