History of Southern Lancaster County Farmer Sportsmen's Association

Early in 1938 there were several sportsmen in southern Lancaster County who thought a sportsmen's club was needed in the southern end of the county. They thought individuals with the same interests in the outdoors could help protect the environment and wildlife. With time on their side, they knew hey would eventually succeed. To get started, they charged one dollar a ye membership dues. With no permanent club, they rented the Quarryville Fire Hall. Late they moved to the American Legion building.

After many years of fund-raisers and some money in the bank, a committee was appointed to look for a permanent place to call home. After several years of looking, they found a farm in 1968, located at 742 Hollow Road, with 75 acres and a price of $30,000.00. After several more meetings and discussions on the property, they decided to purchase the farm, but knew the buildings were beyond repair. There was a large barn, a couple of small outbuildings plus a small log house that was infested with termites and was, sadly, beyond repair.

After all the buildings were dismantled, they started from scratch to build their clubhouse, which they cold call home. With the buildings dismantled and the land checked for soil erosion an all problems corrected, it was time to get the plans completed for the clubhouse. After many months of hard work in all kinds of weather, the clubhouse was finally completed. It consisted of a 25 x 60-foot cement block building, with a kitchen, fireplace, restrooms and a full-length porch.

There wasn't much t do with just a building, so it was agreed to put in a trap field for a start. Eventually there were four other trap fields added. We eventually replaced all five Pat traps, which are automatic and voice-activated to release the clay targets.

As soon as the trap field was installed in 1970, we joined the Pennsylvania/Maryland Trap League, which consisted of Cedars Gun Club in Maryland, Oxford Gun Club and our club, Southern Lancaster County Farmers Sportsmen's Association, in Pennsylvania.

It wasn't too many years before we had our loan paid off. Then we acquired another 18 acres of land, which gives us a total of 93 acres. After several years, we decided to put in a rifle range, which consists of 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200-yard targets. We also put in a 50-yard pistol range.

Several more years went by, and then we decided e needed a pond for the kids to have a fishing derby. After the pond was completed, it was decided our clubhouse just wasn't big enough, so we made plans for a 30 x 80-foot addition, with a full basement. We now have indoor archery shoots, plus a 20, 30, 40 and 50-yard outdoor practice area, with a pavilion, for archery.

We also added another rifle range, with 25, 50 and 100-yard back stops, with a pavilion and 14 benches. We also added another 50-foot pistol ranges. All of the ranges are independent of each other, which means there is a high bank between all ranges. You can walk to any of the target backstops with no danger, while they are shooting at any of the other ranges.

These are some of the activities we have: Civilian Marksmanship rifle shoots, Cowboy Action shoots, Bullseye Pistol shoots, P.P. C. pistol shoots and registered trap shoots on the last weekends of the month in summer. Plus we have practice every Tuesday evening, 3-D archery shoots, a kid's fishing derby, shotgun block shots, a youth field day, two gun shows and black powder shoots,

Our facilities continue to have many improvement, such as central air conditioning, better lighting and a new 34 x 60-foot building, which was donated by one of our members and his wife in 2006. Our membership is over 1,500 and, hopefully, will continue to grow.

We have a club that I am sure the original members who met back in 1938 would be proud of. They cannot voice their opinion now, but I am sure they would approve of what they started almost 70 years ago.