Origin of Skeet

[Louis Rotelli]

The original version was called around the clock. 2 shots were fiored at every station each station being like the position of the hour on a clock face. the last shot was fire similar to station 8 coming, directly overhead while standing in the middle. it was changed to the layout we know today to save the space required to shoot it and also for the safety of the growing number of spectators. The name skeet was given by a Scandinavian woman who won the contest for coming up with a name for the new sport It translates to shoot

[Drew Hause]

The original 'clock'



Which was cut in half to avoid the chicken houses in the background on right. I think Dean has a pic of what is left of the houses.



As skeet fields were built in a line, the targets were changed to be thrown at a 15 degree angle to protect shooters in the adjacent fields, and spectators - see Dean's first post skeet field diagram.

[Dean Romig]

About 200 yards east of the former Davies’ property at 73 Dascomb Road is an old two-story house and a couple of repurposed out buildings that look distinctly like they were originally chicken houses. There is a sign out front that says Watson Farm Estates. There is a company in New England by the name of Watson Egg Farm. I wonder if that egg business got its start on Dascomb Road in Andover and if that egg farmer’s complaint of shot falling in his chicken yard was the situation that initiated the change in the Skeet field layout?


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[Harold Pickens]

Great stuff Dean, and regards to attire mentioned earlier, I would never attend church, funeral, or wedding without at least a tie and sportscoat. I dont, however dress for the Uplands so formally

[Dean Romig]

The "pic I have of what is left of the houses" is actually the kennel houses of Glen Rock Kennels operated by Marjorie Davies at 73 Dascomb Road. I published those pictures in that 2012 issue of Parker Pages.





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