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The beginning, and how we got the name EMERALD.
Compiled from the River Road Park & Recreation District scrapbook of newspaper clippings and other sources. The name "Emerald" had it's beginning on September 17, 1951. Dorothy Fuller was appointed chairperson of local committee whose aim was to form a parks and recreation district. Ms. Fuller spent many days and hours compiling surveys, attending public meetings, and promoting the formation of a Park District. On September 22, 1952 a special election was held and the citizens of the River Road area approved the formation of the River Road Park and Recreation District. In 1953, Dorothy Fuller was named Secretary of the Park Board. From 1953 to 1955 the recreation activities consisted mainly of a Summer Program at the River Road Elementary School under the guidance of a part time recreation director and staff. In January of 1954 the Park District purchased nine and one-half acres of park land and a cottage at 1400 Lake Drive in Eugene, Oregon. On February 15, 1954, the Park property on Lake Drive was named “Emerald Park.” The name was chosen in a grade school contest. A third grader at Howard School won a $50 defense bond prize for submitting the winning name. On June 5, 1955 a dedication is held for Emerald Park. Dr. William C. Jones of the University of Oregon gave the dedication address. On January 9, 1956 Dorothy Fuller was chosen as Park Board President. A clipping says of her: “..through whose efforts the Park District was originally formed”. Dorothy Fuller, later known as Dorothy Loney, became very involved as a club member and club officer in the early 1970s. On January 4, 1956 a newspaper clipping mentions Park District Rifle Club. In 1960 the Park District held archery classes. An archery tournament in 1961 had 48 youth participants. In 1962 the Park District holds rifle safety classes through its sponsorship of the “Emerald Gun Club”: In 1964 the Park District announced a summer rifle safety program. On September 14, 1964 Arnold Miller lead rifle safety classes. A gun club organizational meeting was held January 11, 1965. The Emerald Park Gun Club was formed shortly thereafter. Five original members looked for a site to construct the range. At the time, the McKenzie Raiders Blackpowder Club had a range on McKenzie Highway but it was considered to be too far away. The Izaak Walton range south of Eugene was also considered. After much work, the McGowan Creek property which was owned by Willamette Industries was chosen. When approached with the idea of establishing the gun club at the McGowan Creek site, Willamette Industries offered to donate the land to River Road Park District. The land - which is the exact same location as the current gun club - was an old logging site. The area had been used as an informal shooting area and was covered with trash and debris. The early members of the club put a lot of time and energy into cleaning up the land and making it usable. Several club members convinced the Park District that the club could make as much money at the range as the Park District could in their summer programs and the Park District accepted the land transfer which occurred on May 20, 1966. On August 21, 1965 the Emerald Park Gun Club performed a skit from 4:15-4:30 p.m. at River Road Park District 10th Anniversary. On June 20, 1966 the Park District day camps and summer camps began at McGowan Creek. On August 6, 1966 Arnold Miller gave a shooting exhibition for the Emerald Park Gun Club at River Road Park Jamboree. An expert marksman, LTC A Miller split a playing card edgewise with an air pistol pellet. In 1967 the range fee was $1.00 per day. You can read an article from September 16, 1967 in the Register Guard about how construction has started on the pistol range and the ‘running deer’ range. The article has two interesting pictures of the public range. In 1968 a ‘Name the Park’ contest was open to district students grades 4-6 to name the park at McGowan Creek. On February 16, 1968 the ‘Name the park’ winner was announced. Chairman of the Board Dorothy Fuller awarded the student for the winning name – “McGowan Creek Recreation Park”. On July 10, 1973 Emerald Empire Gun Club, Inc. filed paperwork with the State of Oregon to become a nonprofit corporation. The original bylaws were written by Arnold Miller and approved by the NRA. In 1977 Willamette Industries deeded a small adjoining parcel of land to our club for expansion of our 200 yard shooting range. On October 22, 1979 the River Road Park District deeded the range property to our club with certain use restrictions and the plan to continue to hold its summer camps on the property. |
Arnold Miller had a lot of experience with marksmanship:
A very early shot of the Public Range
In 1969 and 1970, the EEGC Junior shooter team used the Moose indoor range:
After the Moose Range was torn down the Junior shooters used an old indoor range south of Junction City. After that range was closed the Junior team was without an indoor range to shoot at until our indoor range was completed in the mid 1970’s.
The McKenzie Raiders’ range was being closed at this time and Arnold Miller worked out an informal agreement with them by which they could use our range one day a month. This arrangement helped the club in its early days and their involvement provided the manpower necessary to build the range shack, the first benches, signs, and the smallbore target frames.
In 1980, two junior shooters, Matt and Will, travel to the NRA’s rifle and pistol championships at Camp Perry in Ohio to compete. The two 12 year olds placed third in the expert class and 15th in the overall competition. They were coached by Emmett O’Connor.
Click here to read the newspaper article.
In the summers of 1990, 1991, and 1992 our club hosted a summer biathlon, which is an event in which competitors run for a total of 5,000 meters and stop twice for .22 shooting competitions. Typically there were fifty to sixty competitors in the events, which were part of the Kingsbury Summer Biathalon Event, officially sanctioned by the United States Biathlon Association.
You can read the 1990 flyer by clicking here.
On March 23, 1995 the Articles of Incorporation were amended to make the club a 501(c)4 non-profit corporation, commonly known as a ‘civic welfare’ corporation devoted to recreational purposes. Donations to 501(c)4 corporations like ours are not tax deductible but the club does not have to pay certain types of taxes.
In 2001 the club purchased 14.6 acres from Willamette Industries on the hillside behind the range property.
In 2009 a minor electrical fire occurred in our clubhouse near the restrooms. While the repairs were being made, the club used the opportunity to update the inside of our clubhouse.
In May of 2012 work began on a major upgrade of our public range:
The McKenzie Raiders’ range was being closed at this time and Arnold Miller worked out an informal agreement with them by which they could use our range one day a month. This arrangement helped the club in its early days and their involvement provided the manpower necessary to build the range shack, the first benches, signs, and the smallbore target frames.
In 1980, two junior shooters, Matt and Will, travel to the NRA’s rifle and pistol championships at Camp Perry in Ohio to compete. The two 12 year olds placed third in the expert class and 15th in the overall competition. They were coached by Emmett O’Connor.
Click here to read the newspaper article.
In the summers of 1990, 1991, and 1992 our club hosted a summer biathlon, which is an event in which competitors run for a total of 5,000 meters and stop twice for .22 shooting competitions. Typically there were fifty to sixty competitors in the events, which were part of the Kingsbury Summer Biathalon Event, officially sanctioned by the United States Biathlon Association.
You can read the 1990 flyer by clicking here.
On March 23, 1995 the Articles of Incorporation were amended to make the club a 501(c)4 non-profit corporation, commonly known as a ‘civic welfare’ corporation devoted to recreational purposes. Donations to 501(c)4 corporations like ours are not tax deductible but the club does not have to pay certain types of taxes.
In 2001 the club purchased 14.6 acres from Willamette Industries on the hillside behind the range property.
In 2009 a minor electrical fire occurred in our clubhouse near the restrooms. While the repairs were being made, the club used the opportunity to update the inside of our clubhouse.
In May of 2012 work began on a major upgrade of our public range:
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