The idea of the Grayling Sportsman’s Club originated during the winter of 1938 – 1939, in Carl Sorenson’s Barbershop on Michigan Avenue, later known as Shear Magic, Shelly Fick. The organizational meeting was held upstairs in the Odd Fellows Hall on Cedar Street, later known as Jansen Plumbing Shop.
There were about 80 people present at this meeting and subsequent meetings were held there for a long time. Our second location was in the basement of the Legion Hall on Peninsular Street (later the Moose Club).
Through the efforts of then President Nels Olson and Stan Madsen, together with other members, we acquired some lots on the AuSable River in the Thendera Plat and Stan Madsen constructed a cabin on the lots at his own expense, and donated it to the Club. We raffled it off and used the proceeds to purchase our own clubhouse on Ingham Street in March of 1952. Grover Cason and Nels Olsen laid the tile floor and “Floxie” installed the furnace so we could conduct our meetings without freezing to death. After the meetings everyone worked until the final touches were completed. During the time we were on Ingham Street, the Club almost broke up over the pro and con arguments about deer herd and Winter Sports issues, but we did survive and flourish until we incorporated in 1953.
In 1957 we sold the clubhouse to the Grayling Women’s Club and moved out to the Old Lake Road property which contained 40 acres and was purchased from the “Northern Michigan Land & Oil Company” in the same year. In 1972 we purchased a 10-acre tract from Ken Chappel and his wife Margaret and also purchased an additional 5-acre tract from Stan Madsen and his wife Bernice Madsen. The latter two tracts were purchased for a safety factor for the skeet and shooting ranges.
Fred Bear was a notable member who could be found on the range and participated in various sponsored shoots during the 1970s.
In 2000, we built a new clubhouse across Old Lake Road, adjacent to the skeet and trap fields, including the attached pistol range. The old clubhouse was subsequently sold, and was used as a children’s daycare business prior to its current law-enforcement function.
“The Bear” trap match was first held in the early 1970s, and became a very notable annual event, drawing shooters from many states as well as international shooters.
Some of the projects of the Club were as follows:
Fish fries — Turkey Shoots — Wildlife Sanctuary for the geese, ducks and swans.
Raffles to support deer feeding programs, Rock fish shelters in Lake Margarethe and pike-rearing ponds on the South end of the Lake.
Gun Safety programs for beginners.
Fighting for and saving the dams on the Upper AuSable Watershed.
Introduced and sponsored Plat Books of Crawford County.
Sponsored skeet and shooting activities on the Club Ranges.
Some of the deceased Members who contributed over and above normal expectations in the early days were: Otto Failing, Stan Madsen, Herb Wolff, Bill Hines, John Latuzek, Matt Edson.
More recently: Neil Longworth, Pat Trombley.
The history of the origins of the club was respectfully submitted by L. “Bud” Hunter, who regrets any and all omissions.
Various club members in 2025 are working to extend this document to reflect the club’s more recent history, before it is lost to the mists of time.