1890`s Live Bird Shooter

HB...? What do we know about Abner Price... from Chicago I believe. In the collection is this nice old cabinet card photo from a 1890`s shoot at Kansas City...

Trap3

 

Wow Trap3,

Thank you for posting your cabinet card picture of Abner Price. I had never come across a picture of him before in any of the sporting journals. Most likely since he died in 1905. He's buried next to his wife Imogene at the Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. I have never found an obituary either and was surprised that his passing was not in Sportsmen's Review since he was a well-known shooter who shot with the best.

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As you have noted, the picture is likely from the 1890s and might even be related to the challenge matches between the Chicago and Kansas City teams.

Abner was a mason contractor in business with his brother Cornelius and together built many of the structures in the Chicago Loop.

Mr. Price competed with some of the best shooters in the land: Thomas A. Marshall, J. A. R. Elliott, George Roll, Adam H. Bogardus, Chauncey Powers, the Kleinman Brothers, etc. Abner actually had a couple shoot offs with A. H. Bogardus. I'll provide the full report.

He held several offices in local gun clubs (Kinnicott GC, Audubon GC & English Lake Shooting & Fishing Club) and leadership positions the Illinois State Sportsmen's Association along with his brother William. He was one of the main promoters of the ISSA back in 1874 and help develop the ISSA Rules for trapshooting that many other states used for their tournaments.

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He was a fierce promoter of fish and game preservation and pushed for laws to protect game from being depleted.

I'll put together some of his major accomplishments in a follow-up post.

The earliest I have him first shooting is in 1870. He shot well so I'm certain he had been shooting several years before that.

He should have been inducted in the first couple years of the Illinois Trapshooting Hall of Fame in my opinion. And how could Illinois have overlooked the Kleinman Brothers (Abe, George, Henry & John)?

A great piece of history you have shared with us Trap3 and I greatly appreciate it.

HB

 

HB... you`re very welcome. Glad to share... Hadn`t researched Mr. Price but remember Dick Baldwin mentioning him competing with the Kleinman brothers... Thanks for the research!

Trap3

 

You guys are amazing. I mean, amazing. Both of you. (HB you flat out blow my mind.)
I've said it before, but I sure hope you all are putting all your incredible knowledge into some form that will survive.
Thank You and Best Regards, Jake

 

Well thank you Jakearoo. Thank you on behalf of everyone with a passion for trapshooting history, especially those with a willingness to share. There are several members on this site who have remarkable collections of information and memorabilia, some I know personally, others who I've never met but still hold in high regard.

All my historical documentation is on file and backed up daily on an external hard drive. This is necessary since I conduct research almost every day. I have files on a great many subjects from shooters, traps, targets, trophies, tournaments, gun clubs, rules, state associations, state shoots, etc. I've enjoyed compiling these subjects for nearly the last 25 years but get more enjoyment from sharing this information with others.

All the accolades should go to those who took the time to write-up and insure that their report made it to publication the last couple of centuries. I'm grateful for them every time I read their reports.

Enjoy Our History !

HB

 

Well HB, You certainly have made our household much more enjoyable with all of your information.

 

And another history buff heard from.

Great collection of trapshooting memorabilia Brad's friend (I hope). Thanks for sharing.

Hey, isn't that a Terry Jordan Wall Chart hanging beyond those gun barrels? His chart sure helped me.

HB

 

Terry's Chart has helped so many HB.

The chart was a fitting thing to have in my den with my small (Mini-Mu) collection

 

That's a nice old DuPont Hand Trap you have.

I have a couple of these old Hand Traps.

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The J.C. Hand Trap was invented and patented by John C. “J.C.” Porterfield, of Columbus, Ohio. In his patent, No. 706,342, granted August 5, 1902, Porterfield assigns or sold rights to his patent to Harry S. Mitchell, (The Mitchell Manufacturing Company) of London, Ohio.

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John S. "Jack" Fanning, sometimes referred to as "Sharkey" went around the county exhibiting these hand traps at gun clubs. He was known as one of the best to use this trap, often throwing targets so difficult that even the experts couldn't break many targets.

HB

 

Here are some ads showing the original New J C Hand Trap, Price $2.40... Fanning showing the uses of the DuPont Hand Trap and colorful DuPont ad insert from period shot shell box...

Trap3

 

Old pictures are great, amazing how well they shot the old guns