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Weekly News April 16, 2018Description
Shawnee-on-the-Delaware: In World War I days, Shawnee was a tiny crossroad on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River three miles upstream from the Delaware Water Gap, a 19th-century tourist attraction. The river had formed a meadow about ½ mile wide in the Shawnee area, beyond which the low mountain ridges of the Poconos paralleled the river.
In this meadow, the Remington family built a large resort hotel called Buckwood Inn, which owned one or more Stanley Mountain Wagons to transport its guests from the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad at Stroudsburg or the station called Water Gap just north of the gap itself. Eastbound trains stopped at Water Gap; westbound trains did not because of the steep upgrade between there and Stroudsburg, three miles away.
Through the 1920s, Buckwood Inn prospered, and an 18-hole golf course was built around the hotel, some of it on an island in the river. The hotel was open from May into October, but there was no central heat. In 1930, the Atlantic Indians, a membership trapshooting organization founded in 1918, erected temporary traps along the river bank in front of the hotel. It was the beginning of a long relationship between the Indians and Shawnee that lasted until the early 1980s. Only one year, in 1936, was the Indian’s fall tournament held elsewhere. Prior to 1930, the annual “shoots” had been held at various clubs in the northeast, and Yorklyn was host to the tournament twice in the mid-1920s. It was highly desirable, however, to have a hotel close to the shooting grounds, and Buckwood Inn was ideal for that.
I attended my first Atlantic Indian tournament at Shawnee on a rainy Saturday in 1935 (this 11-year-old did not shoot). In those days, as was the case for the next 45 years, the temporary traps in front of the hotel threw their clay targets over the bank and into the river, with lead shot from the 12-gauge shotguns being deposited on the river bottom. Although reflection from the river made it hard to see the targets on a sunny day, visibility was much better when it was overcast or raining. The tournament usually began at noon on Thursday and ended late Saturday afternoon, until Sunday shooting began in 1939 which extended the shoot by one day. Normally, the program called for about 600 targets, if a shooter entered all events. In the 1930s, roughly 60 shooters took part, which increased to over 100 by the late 1940s.
Atlantic Indian shoots were held each year during World War II but with a greatly reduced program as ammunition was not available. Buckwood Inn continued to host the tournament, however, with Spartan menus necessitated by food rationing. Alfred Remington still owned the property, and although he never tried his hand at trapshooting, he was around to greet the shooters. About 1945, he sold the Buckwood Inn property to Fred Waring, an orchestra leader famous for his “Pennsylvanians” (and the invention of the Waring Blender). Waring spent a lot of money raising Buckwood Inn to the highest standards of resort properties of those days. He changed the name to Shawnee Inn and encouraged the Atlantic Indians to continue coming for one week each year. Before long, two tournaments per year were held on the property, as the Indians also held a spring shoot in addition to the annual fall pow-wow.
In the years immediately after World War II, Waring himself was usually around to greet the shooters and their families. He also brought special friends and show-business associates to entertain at the annual banquet. One year it was possible to play golf with Jackie Gleason. Another time, the movie actor and later U.S. Senator from California George Murphy entertained at the banquet. Murphy can be credited for getting his friend Ronald Reagan into politics. Still another time, a professional mind-reader was unbelievable. After 1948, I attended the Indian tournament sporadically, but Shawnee was enjoyed by trapshooters for 50 years.
Needless to say, when damage to the environment was realized, shooting lead into a major eastern river was banned. For a few years in the late 1970s, shooting was still permitted with special ammunition that did not contain lead shot. The Indians knew they had to look for a new location. Their tournaments were moved to Pocono Manor, high in the Poconos about 25 miles northwest of Shawnee. Here they were able to erect four permanent trap fields about a mile from the hotel, and they still use the facility for 3½ days twice each year, spring and fall.
Waring owned the Shawnee Inn for many years and then sold it to outside interests. It has continued as a high-end (and expensive) resort with its well-known golf course. Many condominiums have been built on and around the property and are in great demand.
Work Report: On Tuesday, April 10, eight volunteers attended the session, viz: Stan Lakey (in charge), John Bacino, Bob Jordan, Ted Kamen, Bob Koury, John Schubel, Neal Sobocinski, and Mac Taylor.
On the gas pump, the nuts holding the glass in place were stripped of old paint and are ready for removal. On the ‘32 Packard, all four wheels were mounted on the car. The Lionel train layout was worked over, and one of the locomotive motors was adjusted.
On Wednesday, April 11, five volunteers were on hand: John Schubel (in charge), Jerry Lucas, Larry Tennity, Stan Lakey, and Bill Schwoebel. The new wheels for the Cretors popper were sanded in preparation for painting. On the Lionel layout, the 8E locomotive motor was cleaned, the commutator resurfaced, and the gear assembly adjusted so that it runs much more smoothly.
On the Model 740, the electrical system was studied, and Jerry Lucas had a wiring diagram. He will determine whether a flexible coupling can be duplicated using additive 3D printing.
On Thursday, April 12, seven volunteers turned out, as follows: Dave Leon (in charge), Steve Bryce, Geoff Fallows, Jim Personti, Ted Kamen, Bob Jordan, and Mark Russell.
The ‘32 Packard was set on its own wheels, and the jack stands were removed. The car was cleaned. The rear axle on the Cretors popcorn machine was repaired by insertion of a newly made bolt. On the Model 76, the battery box, the tool box, the spare tire holder, and the Prest-o-lite tank bracket were all fastened to the new running boards fabricated by Mark Russell.
AVRR Report: Volunteers: John Bacino, Mike Ciosek, Anne Cleary, Bob Koury, Dave Leon, Dave Moorhead (prospective volunteer who helped out on volunteer day – Thanks Dave!)
Accomplishments: (1) Finished installing 4x4 posts around water tower; (2) Picked up parts for switches and three axle trucks from machinist in NJ; (3) Took 860 truck to Little Engines for inspection and ordering parts; the truck should not be used again until repaired; (4) Pulled track section near the back road crossing that was damaged by a dump truck; Painted the water tower base and 4x4 posts.
