About 1930 a gun club was formed that eventually became the Springs Rod & Gun Club. They shot small bore rifle in competition with other clubs locally and as far away as Mayville, New York. They used a range in the basement of the old Bartlett Hotel, now the Senior Citizen’s Living Center. There was a second range in Cramer's Garage which was located on what is now the vacant lot adjacent to the Iron Horse Bar. They also shot trap on a range behind Jim Reagles house and high power rifles on a range across Route 99 that faced north along Little Conneauttee Creek. The firing positions were just off the north side of the road between Doc Wade’s house (now Steve Reagles) and the old bridge – there have been several bridges over Little Conneauttee Creek since those days. The rifles used were bolt action Springfields in 30-06 caliber loaned by the DCM. I am told there are remains of a concrete structure that was the site of the targets some distance upstream along Little Conneauttee Creek.

All such activity died with WWII. After the war there were at least several clubs formed, one of which spawned the Springs Rod & Gun Club - I'm guessing about 1950. The club operated for fifteen or more years without owning property. Sometime in the 1960’s the club bought a small piece of property (5 acres) from Doc Wade (where the club house is now). Activities in those days were centered around fox hunts, turkey shoots and hunter trapper safety education. I have been told the club had the largest membership of any club in Crawford County, and a treasury to match. The club was active in the Crawford County Sportsman’s Council from the inception. About 1965 construction of the present club house was begun – minus the kitchen. Then in the early 1970’s the rifle range was built along with the canopy and backstop. The kitchen roof and the rifle range canopy work was done in one day by a large group of members including junior members. The original backstop was railroad ties and barn beams. They didn’t last long. I might add that there was little money in the treasury in those days and virtually all work was done by hand. Apparently the treasury had been spent on prizes (bounties) on foxes and the like. Bench rest matches and dynamite shoots were held once the range was complete. The dynamite shoots only lasted several years as dynamite became hard to get. The bench rest matches went on four maybe five years. They were conducted by Dr. Norm Wagner, a professor at Alliance College.