Why Vandalia? What was so great about it?

What was it about Vandalia that made it great? I can think of many.

Bud tent. You had to see it.

 

Tradition

 

All of us in a small area.

 

It was like going Home for to short a visit every year ... Could not wait to get there and didn't want to leave ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

The BIG BOARD

 

Vendor Row and the Sausage Sandwich Truck!!!

 

I agree with the above comments. The anticipation of the GAH tournament was very high, year after year.

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I always said that the Vandalia grand was like taking your gun to the state fair.

 

What was so great about it ? To those who went there, no explanation is NECESSARY . To those who never did, no explanation is POSSIBLE !

 

I waited and waited each year for grand time and in a blink of the eye it was over and immediately I was impatiently waiting for the next grand. I guess for many reasons it is now not like it used to be.

Several years ago I wrote a story that appeared in the August issue of Shotgun Sports 2012 that was about the early Dayton, Ohio Grand Americans and why the ATA decided to choose Vandalia, Ohio as their permanent home, and for around 63 years for a couple of weeks in August every year Vandalia was inhabited by me. Everything from watching Herb Parsons to winning my first trophies in 1958 to meeting friends to BEERstand memories to the Clay Target win in 2000 to so many other memories of friends who aren't with us any more the wagon rides the food stands and restaurants and so many other memories that a few of us can enjoy from the golden years of American Trapshooting.

In a few words pump gun explained it very well !

Dave Berlet

 

Well said, Pump Gun Guy. Perfectly stated. Roger C.

 

getting there early to get a good parking space then going to the cafateria for breakfast,riding the wagons, stoping at the many venders and talking to them,

 

The why part is easy. It was a great place to shoot. Just like Jaquas was. But they are both gone. Sadly

 

Great Thread Canton/Jim I wish I'd have thought of it. Way to many reasons for one short answer. I have to agree with everything everyone has said before me.

A few personal reasons, seeing everyone who I hadn't seen in a year. Looking at the straight board that Trap & Field had that listed all the 200's, and 100's and 99's in caps and doubles for the year. In the early years talking to Jimmy Robinson and then the last years Dick Baldwin at the HOF. Checking out all the vendors 7 or 8 times during the shoot. Eating at Christy's after the shoot offs. Making the shoot offs and having 2 or 3 thousand people in the stands watching. Winning a shoot off against Leo, or Frank, or Ray, or Britt, or Gene, or Phil, or Dave, but not feeling devastated if they beat me.

One of my favorite times was to get to my starting trap early on Clay Target Day and just lay in the grass under one of those big Maples on the east end and look at an August afternoon Vandalia sky and know that there was no place on earth I'd rather be. I should say the BEER TENT here someplace even though I did buy more than my share of rounds for the boys, (cough cough.)

Lots more but this is enough for now.

 

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That gut in the first pic. looks like Jack Regor. Roger C.

 

How about those Bob Allen Girls?!!!

The original Hooters.

 

I never noticed them. LOL Roger

 

The big maple tree was my camping spot. Old Chevy van. Beer and bologna sandwiches. The whole west end was filled with cars and blue collar shooters sleeping in them. The weekend warriors made the place rock.

 

Don't forget eating at Friendly's across the street. Man, I loved their ice cream !

 

5,000

 

Pic above show squad 840 on big board. What was the biggest number?

 

The word “Grand” described Vandalia. There hasn’t been a “Grand” venue since. But, I will admit the Cardinal is close.

 

What made Vandalia the Place it was to Trap Shooters is easy to answer. It was Yankee Stadium for a baseball fan, It was the World's Fair and Disney World for kids, it was Las Vegas for a gambler or Hollywood to an inspiring actor. It was a family reunion. It was going to the Mall of America. It was the Indy 500. Vandalia, Ohio was THEE place that all trap shooters wanted to be in August.

You would see the best shots of the time and remember the best shots of the past. They all shot on those fields out in front of the HOF and every time you walked out to one of those traps you could feel the ghosts of all those shooters that had stepped on those fields before you. It didn't matter if you were 9 or 99, a women or a man, your first time or your 50th trip to Vandalia each of you stood the same chance, on those same fields, to make the same trap shooting history that those before you did, your own personal trap shooting history of Vandalia.

 

I had several (6) albums of pictures I got from the times I was at the Grand, thanks to my Ex wife those all got burned and or destroyed as well as a bunch of tee shirts/uniforms in any way her twisted mind could come up with to get rid of them ... I went 11 times, only shot 9 times but it was worth the ride and spending the money just to be there ... She destroyed the albums because she knew what they represented to me and gave me just one more reason to be delighted once that union was over ... The posted pictures bring back many good memories but I still wish I had those albums ... It was always good to be able to see and watch the Big Guns of those days in person, watched Reggie (Jacamowski) break 100 straight from the 27 , that being the first time it was done from the back fence at the Grand ... He was shooting a 1912 Model 12 at the time ... AHHh Sweet Memories ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

Edited : I had pictures of most of the shooters you only got to read about in Trap and Field, Dysinger ( back words hat), Big Leo , Stafford, Dan the Man Bonillas, and the list goes on and on ...

 

Wow, that was probably the best post you have put up since we started.

Well done Sir

I can just image James Earl Jones standing in front of the grandstands reciting those very words.

 

Re-walking the midway all over again.

 

Hanging out at the Maryland/Penn hospitality tent.

 

$750 bar bills at the Shukin' Shack for me and the boys. Me, leaning over to Leo at the next table and suggesting my 14 yo son was gonna put manners on him in the next days Handicap. Vintage Leo saying "he just might". Vendors row and the beer tent. Exiting the plane and hearing the sound of hundreds of guns banging away just past the runway. My buddy getting thrown out of the ATA for 5 years for putting the line referee up against the wall (not one of his better decisions). The list goes on!

 

pop---pop-pop-pop----pop-pop-pop-pop-----pop-pop-pop-pop-----pop-pop-pop---pop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can still hear those sounds going all day long!

 

Why Vandalia ?

Well, let's read some history to find out a few of the reasons Vandalia was chosen.

And for those who give any credence to those who continue to believe stories such as :

1. Initially there were no amenities near Dayton in 1924 that shooters had to sleep in tents.

Please know this was not true. Shooters and workers were permitted to set up tents on the grounds to make the Grand American Handicap tournament more affordable to those of lower incomes.

2. The Vandalia Homegrounds was an huge financial burden to the Association since it was only used for shooting once or twice during the year.

This belief was also untrue. For many decades the Vandalia Homegrounds hosted a variety of events. Local gun clubs staged shoots there as did the Central Ohio Trapshooters' League (COTL) (1925 and throughout decades), St. Patrick's Day Shoot (1934), Ray Loring Welcome Shoot (1934), Dayton News (1938), First Annual Hunter's Special shoots (1938), JAYCEE International BB Gun Championship (1966), Mayple Syrup Shoot (1934), Ohio State Shoots, a Victory Shoot by the Miami Valley Outdoors in 1945, Boy Scouts Corporate Challenge (1999)

From February 1924

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Enjoy Our History On WHY!

 

All this Grand talk and no one has even mentioned Little York Pizza. Ben Smith, Brad Dysinger, and myself just made a road trip to enjoy their great pizza about a year ago.

Dave Berlet

 

The Little York Pizza is still great but they moved the place to the other side of the interstate. Someone that hasn't been to Dayton since the grand left wouldn't believe how the road (75) exits have changed. I liked the old building but the new building is nice, pizza the same.

 

Good God Dave,

That's where we went to eat with Doc Parsons and Tami on our last trip there before they demolished the old Museum.

Sure miss those trips ~[/ATTACH]

 

Dave, (History Seeker) why in the world didn't you make them save the beautiful fire place seen in the picture of Doc Tami and your wife ? In the setting it was in the fire place was something to behold.

Also I wonder how many miles the shooters and spectators logged between the Grand and the money shoots at the Camp Troy Gun Club? Some very large pay offs both day and night. Many shooters would shoot their 1st hundred at the Grand then up the road to camp Troy for their day program then back to the Grand for their 2nd hundred and then back to Camp Troy for their night program. Then in later years Rudy Manor and finally Huber Heights . Those were truly the days my friend. Such a shame it had to end, but oh the great memories.

Dave Berlet

 

Wife on the right.

Brad could not save the cupola, and I was too far away to even get one stone from the fireplace.

And Doc had passed by then, and try as he did, he got nowhere with that BOD to have the museum kept at a place where it would be open most of the year to the public.

Sad, very sad.

 

I heard a rumor one time that one of the old 27 yard concrete pads where many a great shooter stood, was saved and placed on the grounds at the Cardinal Center.

I too wish one of the ATA leaders would have been moved with the history of those magnificent fireplaces, one in the Executive Committee's meeting room, the other facing you as you entered the Hall of Fame office.

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Basically as an add on to my last post and for the folks on here who never got to enjoy Vandalia I'll give some more Camp Troy info. The money shoots during the Grand consisted of the day program limited to 60 squads and the purse was paid out percentage 7 scores and the night shoot was a 50 target jackpot limited to 40 squads and if I remember correctly they were both 1yd. less than ATA, and most days they would have to turn away entries both day and night.

Something that I always thought was fascinating was how many shooters were there shooting practice and also how many folks would come to the area during the Grand and do all or most of their shooting at Camp Troy. Many were local, but there were also many from out of state. I personally remember a few shooters from close to my home who would be at CT every day during the Grand shooting practice and CT's programs and only if they were shooting very well would they enter any events at the Grand. I remember that one of these shooters ( Paul Pfenning ) ventured to the Grand one year and entered the Grand championship handicap and finished in the top 10. Many years he wouldn't shoot any Grand programs. Camp Troy also shot similar programs during the Ohio State Shoot. After CT closed around 1975 there were shoots at Rudy Manor and after that Huber Heights shot during the Grand, but they weren't quite as popular as CT had been. All three of these clubs were within 10 miles of the Vandalia Grand. Just another thing that made the Vandalia Grand so special.

Dave Berlet

 

Tipp City

 

David. Tell them of the money that could be won at those off site shoots. Roger C.

 

DLS will be along to tell you all how much he won.

 

Roger there was a huge amount of money at those Camp Troy shoots. That's why many of the big dogs of that time period were always in attendance both day and night. I can't tell you the exact amount that shooters won, but often times it was more than could be won at the Grand. One of our friends won both the Sunday Camp Troy program and the 1975 Ohio State Handicap Championship the same day. His CT trophy was 500 (silver) silver dollars and a TV, and he won more prize money at CT than he did for winning the OSTA Handicap Championship and he always played all the options. The CT shoot always had tough targets and very good money. Also their lights would appear like candle light compared to lights like we shoot under today and in those days they were all hand pulled targets.

The Clyne brothers who operated Ct in the 50's and even earlier were the folks that perfected the Clyne Pull that could be attached to the traps and brought electricity to the trapshooting game replacing the mechanical pulled targets. This was brought out in the late 50's and was the forerunner to the Western 1524 trap.

Dave Berlet

 

Vandalia my original painting the first Wall Charts were made from.

 

Yes Terry, Memories

 

When I read about, or think about, the Camp Troy Shoots ..... I think about the 'average shooters' of the 'old days' say ..... "just one more target" .....LOL

If a 47x50 was 'in the money', "just one more target" would have paid ???? more money ..... And that kept them away from home and family, trying day after day for that "one more target" .....

Camp Troy was a prime example of how big money, and the perceived good chance at it ..... made the good old days, the good old days .....

The average shooter lost their passion, when "just one more target" became a 'miss and out' .....

 

User 1 I think what you just said is so true maybe even truer than you know. That 1 more target is what got to me and made me a shooter. Thanks for bringing it up.