About

Historical Perspective

Author: Norm White

It was early 1942.  The United States was at war with Germany and Japan and only months had passed since the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.  The Maryland National Guard had been mobilized into the United States Army and a State Guard had been created to replace them on the home front.  In April, 1942, Maryland Governor Herbert O’Conor gave orders to organize the Reserve Militia of Maryland to be known as the Maryland Minute Men.  Company 842, 8^th Battalion was created.  Joseph Ansel was appointed captain with John Woodyard as 1^st lieutenant and Kirk Lathrum as 2^nd lieutenant.  Raymond Leighty was 1^st sergeant.  Others in the company were George Knotts, Jay Stimely, Robert Myers, Joseph McDonald and Fred Roberts.  The Company-842 Minute Men trained Monday nights in the Penn Avenue School gymnasium.  “Bib” Ranck, from the State Guard, was training instructor.  The State Guardsmen were uniformed and were issued shotguns.  The Minute Men eventually acquired uniforms and provided their own firearms, which were mostly deer rifles and 22-caliber guns.  In event of emergency, the Minute Men were to perform guard duty at sensitive points in the city to prevent sabotage.  The unit had field training exercises and marched in Memorial Day parades.  I joined Company 842 in the fall of 1942.  My firearm was a Stevens, single shot, 22-caliber rimfire rifle and, occasionally, a 45-70 trapdoor Springfield rifle.

We had 22-caliber firing practice at the National Guard Armory on Centre Street.

In June, 1944, Governor O’Conor deactivated the Minute Men and transferred all members to the inactive reserve.  I was discharged with the rank of Private, First Class (PFC).

Following deactivation, some members of Company 842 wanted to continue their association and proposed forming a rifle club.  For this purpose, an organizing group was formed consisting of John Woodyard, chairman, Kirk Lathrum, vice chairman, Blair Ullery, treasurer, and Norman White, secretary.

The name Fort Hill Rifle Club was picked, not because it was named after the high school, but because it was in a geographical location close to the homes of the members.  Another group had already taken the Cumberland Rifle Club name.

Harry Morgan, of Frostburg, provided much help in organizing the club.  A minimum of ten members were required to obtain a National Rifle Association charter and the charter was obtained in October, 1944.  Early meetings were held at the home of Jay Stimely on South Street.

Other rifle clubs were being organized also.  Leo Leasure was captain of Company 843, which became the Cumberland Rifle Club.  David H. Durst was captain of Company 845, which became the LaVale Rifle Club.  Henry R. Yates was captain of Company 848.  He was also a member of the Frostburg Rifle Club, which was formed prior to the war.

Soon after organization of the clubs, a meeting was held at the Gunter Hotel, Frostburg, and the Western Maryland Rifle League was born.  A pre-war group had been called the Allegany Rifle League, but it was felt that a new name was needed.  The Western Maryland League consisted of the Barton, Frostburg, Cold Spring-Westernport, LaVale, Cumberland and Fort Hill clubs.  Later clubs were Avilton, Fort Ashby, Mountain Top-Oakland and Allegany Ballistics Lab.  As years passed, these clubs lost their ranges or were deactivated and many of their shooters were taken into the Fort Hill Club, which alone persevered and prospered.

In Fort Hill’s early years, a search for a suitable indoor and outdoor range was conducted.  One possibility for an indoor range was the abandoned south Cumberland glass plant, but too many problems existed there.  A search for an outdoor range had the committee looking for a site along Williams Road at the Stegmaier orchards, but this also presented formidable problems.

A lucky break happened when Charles Simpson suggested that the O’Neal farm on Morningside Drive be investigated.  The Cumberland Outdoor Club had been interested there but had given up after some work had been done.  The range committee investigated and came to an agreement with the owner, Mrs. O’Neal.  Construction commenced.  Initially the range use was by permission, but a few years later the tract was purchased, and the rest is history.  At the time of purchase, the club had few funds and money for the purchase was raised by members’ donations covered by non-interest-bearing notes.  These notes were eventually paid off.  At the time of purchase, Mrs. O’Neal had arranged for pulp wood to be cut by a contractor, and the club’s arrangement with her was that specified tracts of trees adjacent to the range would be spared.  Apparently, the contractor ignored this arrangement and started cutting everything.  The club threatened legal action, and all cutting stopped.

The Fort Hill Club and Western Maryland League were incorporated with legal work done by attorney Thomas L. Richards at a very reasonable cost.

The Western Maryland League’s first indoor range was constructed in the basement of a bowling alley located in LaVale at the intersection of the National Highway and Vocke Road.  After a few seasons there another location was found in the basement of the Bowman’s Addition Fire Hall.  A range was constructed there and was used by both rifle and pistol leagues for many years.  A final move was made to the National Guard Armory range on Brown Avenue.

The Fort Hill Club’s outdoor rifle shooting was held on the Western Maryland League’s Frostburg Club range off Hoffman Road.  Practice shooting was done on the Morningside Drive range.

During the late 1940s or early 1950s the Western Maryland Pistol League was organized and competition outdoor matches were held at Frostburg and eventually at Morningside Drive.  Indoor pistol matches were conducted at Bowman’s Addition and later at the United States Navy Armory range.

Target firearms were scarce during the early days of the Fort Hill Club’s rifle competition, but a few Stevens model 416 rifles were obtained from the National Rifle Association.  With these and a few Remington model 513T and Winchester model 75 rifles, matches were fired until Winchester model 52 rifles became obtainable in 1947 and 1948.

This completes my remarks on the origin and early days of the Fort Hill Club.  I have had a lifetime enjoyment of the shooting sports and have endless satisfaction with my role as an officer in the club.  I treasure the many friendships made over the years and it has been a pleasure to be associated with members of the shooting family.  My best wishes for continued success of the Fort Hill Club – and stand firm for the Second Amendment.