Cudahy Sportsman’s Club

  Michael Cudahy, industrialist and son of the founder of the City of Cudahy, graciously provided use of land he owned to a group of sportsmen for creating a trap range.   The year was 1932, and FDR was just elected to his first term in office.   The parcel provided was adjacent to Lake Michigan, lying directly east of Grange Avenue and Lake Drive in what is now Warnimont Park.   The club’s first name was the Cudahy Gun Club.

  The original charter members built a boardwalk and a few trap houses to protect their trap machines that throw the clay targets.   They compiled the Club’s Constitution and bylaws which are still in use today.

  The Cudahy Gun Club, with the nickname “The Blue Goose.” continued to grow and add members.   The club became a social gathering, providing not only a trap range to practice marksmanship but also a forum for sportsmen to exchange ideas and stories from afield.   Over the years it has hosted a Conservation Banquet, 50 cent dances, and an annual Moose Banquet held at Pinter’s Tavern.

 With the installation of the Nike missile site and the Club’s need to expand, the Cudahy Gun Club moved to its present location adjacent to the Warnimont Golf Course at 5350 S. Sheridan Drive. Member Walter Kerlin, a Cudahy Police Sergeant, built a club house and was rewarded with the club’s life membership.   At the new site the club also had a skeet field.   Sadly, the club house built by Mr. Kerlin was burned to the ground by vandals in the early 1970s.

  Today the Blue Goose is thriving and has changed it name to the Cudahy Sportsman’s Club.   It has a modern, double-wide trailer with a raised deck from which members can view the entire grounds.   Superior lighting has been installed for night shooting and the trap machines have been automated. 

*There are almost 200 life members in the organization.

*The members celebrated the clubs' 75^th anniversary in 2007.

  The Cudahy Sportsman’s Club remains an all volunteer organization, serving the community, as envisioned by its founders.   It now holds the distinction of being the only trap range in Milwaukee County.   The club’s primary mission is to promote safe firearms handling and the sport of trap shooting.   It offers the Department of Natural Resources’ certified Hunter Safety course and assists smaller clubs with fewer resources.

  Other goals are to improve marksmanship of all sportsmen, to provide a safe recreation, and to provide a meeting place for its members to network with other sportsmen.   The club has never had a firearm-related accident in its entire 77 years of existence.   The Cudahy Police Department and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department have permission by the Club to practice on the range and train for tactical situations.

  The Cudahy Sportsman’s Club is also open to the public at large, hosting corporate outings, private shooting events and league, as well as weddings and birthday parties.   The Club maintains a ten month schedule, closed in December and January.

The officers for 2009 are:

President: Jeff Veriga

Vice-President: Larry Toro

Secretary: Jan Kolodzyk

Treasurer: Ron Applebee

From Generations of Pride 2006

Submitted by Michael Stevens and updated by Ron Applebee in 2009