The History of Trap

LONG, LONG AGO

"Old Hats" and live birds, Bogardus, Ligowsky and Carver, Plinky, Annie and
Pop —  great names in a sport two centuries old

By Dick Baldwin

Source: Trap Shooting Hall of Fame

Trapshooting is a venerable sport that dates back several centuries at least. During this long history a number of fascinating transformations occurred before it became the sport as we know it today. The most authoritative account of the early years appears in a small volume titled Trapshooting — the Patriotic Sport, by the late D. H. Eaton of Cincinnati, Ohio. Published in 1920, Eaton's book has long been out of print and is now a collector's item. Jimmy Robinson, the renowned contemporary authority on the sport, knew Eaton well and reports that Eaton, a statistician by profession, loved trapshooting and was a friend to all the shooters who showed up regularly for the Grand at nearby Vandalia. Eaton's profession provided the perfect background for his favorite hobby: helping the Amateur Trapshooting Association with statistics and averages compiled from registered shoots all over the country and at the Grand itself. Eaton also spent a considerable amount of spare time delving into the background of his favorite sport, and this provided much of the material that ultimately became incorporated in his little book.

According to Eaton's researches, the first mention of trapshooting as a sport appears in 1793 in the old English publication, "Sporting Magazine." Live pigeons were used as targets in those days. Eaton says almost nothing about this article, but concludes that the sport was probably a British invention since no European records have been discovered dating that far back. Our enterprising Editor decided to check up on Eaton and paid a visit to that invaluable institution, the New York Public Library, which proved to have an actual copy of the magazine for February, 1793. The article Eaton referred to was indeed there, and is worth quoting at some length:

"The great celebrity of this sport, in which some of the first shots in England are so frequently engaged, encourages us to communicate an account of its fashionable influence and increasing prevalence as a subject applicably entitled to a place in our sporting receptacle.

This illustration of live bird shooting accompanied earliest known reference
in "Sporting Magazine," February, 1793 (see text)

"Matches coming under this denomination are of two kinds: The first supported by private subscription amongst such gentlemen only, as are members of their distinct and separate clubs. Others of an inferior complexion, by public contribution from candidates of every description, and is generally excited and collected by the landlords of Inns, to purchase different pieces of plate of gradational value, for distribution among the successful adventurers in such lottery of hope and uncertainty. The practice is exceedingly common in almost every part of the kingdom, but in none so frequently repeated, or so fashionably followed, as in the counties of Bucks, Berks, Hants and Surrey, where, at this season of the year, it is in perpetual succession at one spot or another. But the most respectable meeting for the eminence and opulence of its members, as well as the superior excellence of their shots, is held at the Old Hats, on the Uxbridgeroad [sic], near Ealing, at which many gentlemen of the first fortunes constantly attend, and some from so great a distance as Reading and Workingham, both which furnish a few of the most expert in the circle. Amidst the respectability of this meeting, we have observed even a condescending relaxation from the fatigues of official city dignity, and never enjoyed greater festivity, witnessed more exhilarating conviviality, or drank better claret and Madeira than upon this occasion."

Veddy old-British indeed, wot? It has long been said that the Old Hats derived their name from the fact they placed live pigeons beneath old hats, to which were attached strings that could be jerked to release birds for the shooters. This may have been the case at one time, but clearly was not when the article was written:

"A shallow box of about a foot long, and eight to ten inches wide, is sunk in the ground, parallel with the surface, and just twenty-one yards from the foot mark, at which each gunner is bound to take his aim. The box has a sliding lid, to which is affixed a string by one appointed to that office, who is placed next the person going to shoot, from whom he takes the word of command for drawing the string whenever he is ready to take his aim; . . . The gunner is not permitted to put his gun to his shoulder till the bird is on wing; and the bird must fall within one hundred yards of the box, or is deemed a lost shot."

Since wild game was plentiful at that time, both in England and on the Continent, it is not really clear why the Old Hats and other early shooting groups were organized to begin with. But several possibilities suggest themselves. Perhaps the sport was invented as a preparation for field shooting, for people living in or near cities. But another interesting prospect presents itself as well.

In the middle and late eighteenth century, contests on driven game were regularly held across the Channel. These matches frequently evoked side bets for large sums of money. So possibly one reason for these early clubs was to sharpen eye and flint for upcoming lucrative events on the Continent. If so, this would place today's serious monetary aspect of trapshooting back at the very beginnings of the sport. Whatever the purpose, the sport continued to evolve. From here on trapshooting really caught on and before long became one of the most popular British sports.

The first record of this type of shooting in America is found in the history of the Sportsmen's Club of Cincinnati, beginning in 1831, and is good evidence that the Queen City may have been the birthplace of trapshooting in this country. In the early days passenger pigeons were abundant and were used in the sport, but the records of the club indicate it was not uncommon to replace them with English sparrows. The sport quickly spread to other areas. The Long Island, N.Y. Gun Club was formed in 1840 and the New York Sportsmen's Club quickly followed.

In the old-time championship matches of the late nine­teenth century it was not unusual for a good shooter to score 100 straight at wild birds. And scores of 90 to 95 were so com­monplace that faster-flying, unpredictable quail were often trapped for important tournaments. Matches in those days were shot in such places as Detroit, Buffalo, Rochester, Syra­cuse, Cleveland, and Windsor, Ontario. Great shots of the period included Cook Cozens, John Long, Ira Paine, Seth Green, and C. W. Bradford. All were active in the spread of the sport and are the founders, so to speak, of today's game. Bradford and Green, according to old records, both scored 100 straight more than once, accomplishing the feat with their guns below their hips until the trap was sprung, a regulation at that time. Here is seen the precedent for the international skeet-shooting rules of today. Bradford held the then world's cham­pionship for several years, finally losing to Edward Gilman of Detroit.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century considerable public sentiment began to develop against live-bird shooting and legislation was proposed in one state after another to ban the practice. This touched off a scramble for a suitable substi­tute. The beginnings of a solution were already present in England, where a contraption called a "sling device" was in use. It threw glass balls for the shooters to blaze away at, and so was the forerunner of the modern target-throwing type of trap. Actually "sling device" was the more appropriate de­scription of the mechanism. But it was a rather pedestrian name and the term "trap" won out, providing the modern sport with an echo of the days when live birds were released from small, trap-like cages.

In 1866 Charles Portlock of Boston introduced these glass balls and traps to the United States. The British devices left a lot to be desired, however, since they could only throw the balls a few yards in the air or maybe 10 yards out from the shooter—not much of a challenge for a good live-bird shot of those days.

A decade later, however, Adam Bogardus, the celebrated itinerant market hunter and exhibition shooter, got matters a bit more off the ground. Bogardus, though he had no official connection with the military, bore the self-styled title of "Captain." Doubtless the moniker had some crowd appeal, as did the fact that the Captain's four sons, all good shooters too, frequently accompanied him. The Bogardus quintet put on some dazzling exhibitions around the country. And since they made money doing so (Bogardus' side bets ranged as high as $1,000), it was to the Captain's interest to put on as good a show as possible. This he achieved, to his lasting credit, with the Bogardus trap, which had a solid 35-yard throw.

Meantime glass balls were also being improved — with a few regressions here and there. The early ones were about 2 1/4 inches in diameter and presented several problems. Because they had a smooth surface, shot that struck a glancing blow often failed to break the target. They were also colorless, which made the balls difficult to see at certain angles, depending on the light and the background. These difficulties were solved by coating the balls with sand or giving them a beaded surface and by using green or amber glass. For shooters who still liked to see the "feathers fly," a ball was introduced actually filled with feathers. Still another was loaded with a chemical claimed to be an excellent fertilizer — doubtless a sop to farmers who were a bit unsure as to the exact effect broken glass might have on their topsoil.

In March 1880, Woeber and Varwig of Cincinnati patented a ball with the optimistic, if somewhat flat-footed, name of Standard Clay Percussion Target Ball. It was the first popular target to be made without glass. When penetrated by a single pellet of shot the interior composition sent forth a flash of light, accompanied by a puff of smoke, which broke the shell of the target, positive proof of a hit. They became quite popular be­cause they were easily broken, eliminated glass debris, and could be mashed in the hand without injury — all at a selling price of $15 per thousand. At the same time some wilder schemes were in the air.

Belcher's Patent Paper Bird was introduced in 1884 by G. F. Kolb of Philadelphia. It consisted of stiff paper, rather oddly shaped' "attached to a ball made out of wire to give the target its throwing weight. A standard glass-ball trap launched a "Belcher Bird" and the idea was that after marking shot perforations the bird could be reused. The projectiles were advertised as "everlasting," but this soon proved to be a more appropriate word for the company's warehouse stock. Shooters found the Belcher Bird quite inferior to other targets and refused to patronize gun clubs that used them.

Philadelphia must have been a hotbed of abortive enterprises in those days, because at about the same time another local outfit, Globe Shot, came out with "Globe Flights," a target that was nothing more than a pasteboard disc cut out like a 45-rpm record to hold a little inflated balloon. "No rubbish and no disputes," the advertisement said since one pellet would break the balloon. No sales, either.

The pursuit of birdlike devices persisted, despite setbacks. There is a time-honored tradition among entrepreneurs in this country of fobbing off on the public substitutes that look "just like the real thing," a custom that continues to have dismaying success to this day. One of the early "real things" appeared in the debut of the "Best" tin pigeon in Chicago. It was claimed that a pellet of shot striking the target would release a flange which would bring the device fluttering to the ground like a winged bird. Unfortunately, some of the "Birds" sailed along even after being perforated by shot, while others fluttered down, "winged" by the force of the trap itself. Shooters called it the worst substitute for live birds ever. It represented a kind of dinosaur age of obsolete ideas by pretending that pigeon-shooting still existed when it no longer did, and offered the shooter no challenge. In fact the really challenging "bird" had already been introduced, in fledgling form at least, several years before the tin one fluttered out.

The year 1880 was the vintage year for trapshooting because during that year practically all elements of the sport were perfected. Starting things off was the appearance of the first clay balls in Cincinnati. Then a shooter named George Ligowsky, a Cincinnatian, came up with a clear and distinct idea, illustrating the genius so characteristic of the truly great invention. As good as clay balls were, they really didn't fly in any birdlike sense, and it is doubtful that even a good screwball pitcher could make one soar. Ligowsky came up with quite a different concept. The idea came to him, so the story goes, while watching a group of boys skipping flat stones across a lake near his home. The result: a flat clay bird that would scale through the air like a flat stone across water, spinning and rising and flying and drifting, in other words, behaving very much like a bird without having to look like one. That was it!

Ligowsky's first targets, made of finely ground clay mixed with water and baked, were extremely hard, ringing almost like a bell when hit. They made their debut at the conclusion of the New York State Trap Shoot at Coney Island that year and made quite an impression on the shooters gathered there. To promote his targets, Ligowsky hired Captain Bogardus and W. F. Carver, a well-known trick-shot artist with the Buffalo Bill show, at $2,500 each, to tour the country and introduce the new "birds" to shooters. The tour was a great success and soon the Peoria Blackbird, the American Target, the Keystone Target, the Bat, the Dickey Bird, and the Black Pigeon became common gun-club names for the type of target Ligowsky had conceived and which others were now producing.

The rules for glass-ball shooting that Bogardus had formulated some years earlier were now in general use by clubs throughout the country. He recommended three traps set 10 yards apart in a straight line, with the shooter 18 yards behind the trap line and the trap puller 6 feet behind the shooter. The traps were numbered 1, 2, and 3 from left to right. The Number 1 trap was set to throw a left-angle target; Number 2 threw a straightaway, and Number 3 a right-angle bird. The order in which the traps were pulled was determined by the referee, who drew a numbered wad at random from his pocket and showed it to the puller.

Between them, Bogardus and Carver probably did more than any other shooters of their era to establish the sport as we know it today. The Bogardus rules laid out the modern trap field to all intents and purposes. The three basic angles are the same as those discussed by Lee Braun in this book. Only one element was missing: the oscillating trap. But as the vintage year of 1880 ended, this, too, made its first rudimentary appearance in the form of the Davenport Standard Ball trap. This trap could throw both singles and doubles. Though it did not oscillate automatically it could be rotated in a variety of angles, introducing the element of surprise. And it was said to be capable of firing 40 balls a minute at a distance of 40 yards. Despite the fact that the Davenport trap threw glass balls and not clay targets, its development indicated that the evolution of today's oscillating clay-target trap was not too far off.

On June 12, 1900, 74 contestants competed in the first Grand American Handicap at clay targets, held at Interstate Park in Queens, Long Island. This first Grand was won by Rolla "Pop" Heikes of Dayton, Ohio, who scored 91 x 100 from the 22-yard line. His historic feat was reported by The New York Times of June 15:

 "HEIKES CHAMPION TARGET SHOT Hood Waters of Baltimore
Finished Second in Grand American Handicap."

In those days professionals were allowed to compete with amateurs in championship events; it wasn't until 1915 that they began competing among themselves.

There was no better-known shooter than Rolla Heikes in the early years of this century. He was a member of the American team that visited Great Britain in 1901, and at that time he held more records and titles than any other living shooter. They included: the World's Championship at live birds (five consecutive times); the Target Championship (five times); the world's record for breaking 500 targets from five traps, loading and using three ejector guns — 37 1/2 minutes; the world's record for breaking 100 flying targets, using four repeating shotguns — 2 minutes 58 seconds.

The Interstate Trapshooting Association, formed in 1890, organized and regulated the sport in the United States until 1922. The present-day Amateur Trapshooting Association, the ATA, evolved from these beginnings, in 1923. The ATA's permanent home was built in Vandalia, Ohio, outside Dayton, and the Grand American Trapshooting Championship has been held there continuously since 1924.

Recognizing the widespread and growing interest in trap-shooting among women, the Interstate Trapshooting Association, in 1915, voted to permit women to compete in the Grand, the banner event of the shooting year. Until that time women were only allowed to enter some of the minor events, though many emerged as excellent shots. In any list of famous women trapshooters, Annie Oakley should certainly be one of the first. She was the most famous. Annie, who did much of her preliminary practice at trap on the grounds of the Cosmopolitan Gun Club of Cincinnati, gained international fame for her skill with a shotgun, rifle, and revolver.

Another of the women greats of the early 1900's was Mrs. Ad "Plinky" Topperwein of San Antonio, Texas. On a trip through Utah, Montana, Oregon, and California in 1915, she shot at 8,010 targets, maintaining an average of over 95 percent. During the trip she made a straight run of 168 targets. In the following year she ended up with an average of 94.38 percent on 2,690 targets, quite a showing for those days. Plinky and her husband Ad (for Adolph), who was one of the greatest exhibition shooters of all time, were Winchester Pros, a rare husband-and-wife team in the industry. Annie herself regarded Plinky as the greatest of all women trapshooters.

The 1920's brought new names, now famous and revered, into the winning circles, names like Fred Gilbert, Mark Arie, Forest McNeir, Woolfolk Henderson, Sparrow Young, J. R. Graham, and many, many more. And a number of celebrities began to turn up in trapshooting circles, among them Calvin Coolidge, John Barrymore, Clark Gable and, in recent years, Roy Rogers. Two of the greatest baseball pitchers of the era — Grover Cleveland Alexander and Christie Mathewson — were avid trapshooters. And for many years the opening shot at the Grand was fired off by America's "March King," John Philip Sousa. All of this indicates the wide appeal of this venerable sport to people from all walks of life, with performance at the traps a common bond uniting everyone present, a bond that unites the trapshooting fraternity to this day. Much of the flavor of these bygone times, suggested in the variety of illustrations for this section, can also be found in the Hall of Fame on the ATA grounds at Vandalia. There, on display, are the old glass balls, the traps, the programs, and the portraits of championship shooters who have heard their last "Dead and out"— mementos of the grand sport that began two centuries ago with a bunch of Old Hats.

 

 

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