Shooting clubs and Schützvereins

The beginning of the 20th Century found the city of Springfield with several major sporting rifle clubs already several decades old. The Springfield Schützenvereins, a target shooting club in the popular German tradition, coordinated many large competitive matches in the area before turning over their many acres in Forest Park to the City of Springfield in about 1919. By then, because of hostility to most things considered “German” during the U.S. participation in World War I and other factors, schützenvereins were no longer popular. One of the notable figures in the Springfield Schützenverein was Theodore Geisel (1840-1919), father of the author known today as Dr. Seuss. His fine target rifle, from the years when he was a champion target shooter and officer of the Springfield Schützenverein, exists today in the collections of the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. Prior to World War I, he was the Marksmanship Training Officer for the 2nd Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. Another shooting club rooted in the same period and still existing today is the Springfield Shooting Club which shared its facility with the Springfield Schützenverein.