The establishment of the Henry Horton State Park Trap and Skeet Range in Chapel Hill, Tennessee began with a conversation between Governor Buford Ellington and his good friend Sam Linton, a Marshall County industrialist and sportsman.
Newly elected to his third, non-consecutive term, Governor Ellington asked Mr. Linton, “What can we do for Marshall County?”
Linton replied, “Our community needs a trap and skeet range at the park.”
Linton convinced the Governor that such a facility, the only trap and skeet range on a Tennessee state park, would be of great benefit to the area’s sports enthusiasts and young people. Furthermore, state shooting tournaments would bring additional revenue to middle Tennessee.
Since its inception in 1968, the range has served and encouraged area skeet and trap teams, such as Marshall County, Bedford County, Williamson County, Davidson County, Chapel Hill, and Eagleville high school teams, as well as, amateur groups such as the Henry Horton Clay Target Association.
Seventeen years ago, in 2005, Governor Phil Bredesen recognized the facility’s value to the area and authorized expanding the range to its current size of four trap fields and five combination trap and skeet fields. State funding provided the replacement of old equipment with new, commercial skeet and trap machines – which, as it happens, was the last occasion in which equipment was upgraded.
Consequently, after this amount of time, at the beginning of the 2022 season, six trap machines (two of which are on the combination fields), and two skeet machines, were in need of repair or reconditioning. This, despite the diligent efforts of staff to repair and maintain equipment.
Through private contributions, the support of Friends of Henry Horton State Park, the good work of Henry Horton rangers, range staff, and maintenance staff, as well as, the assistance of Jay Poling, former manager of the Nashville Gun Club, all equipment is up to speed presently except for aging skeet machines on four fields.
Accordingly, equipment must be upgraded or the range runs the future risk of failing to serve its clientele.
To completely replace the skeet machines would entail an expenditure of $35,420:
8 MEC 500E skeet machines @ $ 4,147 each = $33,176
4 voice-activated remote control boxes @ $561 = $2,244
Toward these purposes, we respectfully request your consideration of a gift for this fine facility, and our community. Donations may be mailed to the following address:
Friends of Henry Horton State Park, Inc. ; P.O. Box 282 Chapel Hill, TN 37034
Please make checks payable to Friends of Henry Horton State Park and desginate your gift for the Henry Horton Trap and Skeet Range either on your check or in an attached note. Receipt of your gift will be acknowledged promptly.
You also may contribute online by clicking on this link:
Thank you.
