San Diego Archery History Project
San Diego Archery Historical Timeline
The history of archery in San Diego is a tale of passion, community, and sporting excellence that has spanned a century. Our goal here is to create a complete timeline of historical information relating to San Diego Archery since the 1900’s. This San Diego Archery historical timeline includes a collection of historical notes and images provided by club members and historians.
If you have more history or images you would like to share, email webmaster@sandiegoarchers.com. Please include image(s), name, date, and descriptive text with citation if possible.
Joseph Jessop, noted archery expert, whose exhibit of bows and arrows in the museum is one of the finest in America, has offered to assist in the forming of Thunderbird archery clubs, and these will hold Robin Hood contests at the desert. A shop will be installed where the boys can make their bows and arrows besides other crafts products. There ...
Chief Seton of New York, whose Indian name is Black Wolf, and the museum management have appointed City Playground Supt. Frank S. Marsh as the Medicine Man to complete the organization of the Thunderbird council of boys and girls and to stage manage the big doings in the desert next Saturday. He will be assisted by a number of chiefs of the Boys...
The young Indians’ "Council of the Thunderbird," which is the name given by Ernest Thompson Seton to the local club of the Woodcraft League of America, will be continued and perpetuated, with the San Diego’s museum’s Painted Desert in Balboa Park as headquarters. A field day of club contests with other organizations of boys and girls, game...
January 1, 1924
January 1, 1924S.D. Archery Club Will Hold First Big Shoot Sunday. Newspaper article.
S.D. Archery Club Will Hold First Big Shoot Sunday
Members of the San Diego, Archery club, organized Thursday night at a meeting called by Vic Buel at the Cycle & Arms Sport Goods Store, will hold their first shoot Sunday morning at 9 o'clock, according to plans a...
"September 1, San Diego Union, Classified, 13:2-3. Many features will make last program of County Fair.
With all attendance records shattered, the county fair and horse show will close this evening at 11, with the largest array of live stock, the finest horse show yet seen, the largest amount of industrial exhibits and a better showing of cou...
January 1, 1938San Diego Field Archers Trophy Shoot. group photo.
Winners of San Diego Field Archer's Trophy Shoot: Left to right (front row): Earnestine Slocum, Carol Eichholtz, Mary Powell and Edna Mathew; (back row): John Runcel, Don Hadden, Leonard MacFadden, Fred Radtke, Martin Mathew and Frank Eichholtz. Animal targets were for broadhead round.
January 1, 1939
January 1, 1941SAN DIEGO ARCHERY CLUB Range situated on green E. of 6th Ave., bet. Kalmia and Laurel Sts.; auspices San Diego Archery Club; tournaments Sun., 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; life membership fee $5; target fees: members 10c, non-members 25c. Participants must furnish own equipment. Visitors welcome. The San Diego Archery Club, affiliated with the National and t...
January 1, 1941
June 1, 1948
January 1, 1950A group of San Diego Field Archers poses in the Gold Gulch range of Balboa Park after a club trophy shoot.
This one picture shows the unbelievable amount of talent the Balboa Park Archery Ranges fostered. Probably around 1949/50.
1) Roy Dill - Hall of Fame recipient From 1947 through 1951 Roy was a formidable competitor throughout the sta...
January 1, 1950Ever gone shooting down in Gold Gulch?
The reference is not to some mythical mining town of the last century. Gold Gulch is located in the heart of San Diego, and field archery shooting is common there.
Gold Gulch is a winding canyon, lined with eucalyptus, live oak and sycamores, extending from southwest of the Girl Scout headquarters in ...
April 1, 1953San Diego Field Archers Hold Novelty Shoot
By HELAINE GALLEN 5634 Montezuma Rd., San Diego, Calif.
The San Diego Field Archers held a special meeting, Friday, March 13, at the Hotel Marston in San Diego, where pertinent business was discussed and final details worked out for the Novelty Rabbit Shoot, March 15.
After the business sessio...
January 1, 1955
February 21, 1956Letter from SDA to City Council of San Diego, in reference to discuss public archery facilities in the vicinity of Gold Gulch. Signed by SDA President C. B. King, Jr., San Diego Archery Association.
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SAN DIEGO ARCHERY ASSOCIATION 6260 Bolivar Street San Diego, California February 21, 1956
City Council of San Diego 1600 Pacific Hi...
July 9, 1956"Rube" Powell Still King; Cops Nat'l Archery Title
Reuben "Rube" Powell demonstrated to the nation's top archers he still was the 1953 National Field Archery Freestyle tournament at Colorado Springs.
"Rube" posted an aggregate of 2748 points to beat the toughest rival and the 1952 NFA champ, Joe Fries of Los Angeles, by one point after fou...
January 13, 1957From the January 1957 edition of Convairiety, a bi-monthly publication centered around employee and company activities.
San Diego was home to two Convair facilities, Kearny Mesa (Astronautical Div) and San Diego (Downtown). Convair is a defense contractor responsible for building many of the US military's most recognizable aircraft and missil...
July 10, 1957'Dispossessed' Archery Club Finds New Site, 1957 Temporarily stymied by en- forcement of an old city ordi- nance which forbids “dischai-ging arrows within the city limits,” Convair SD’s Archery Club has obtained a new location — from which it’s certain not to be evict- ed — and will hold...
August 21, 1957Roy Dill, Former Champ Bowman, Returns to National Competition
Roy Dill, Convair San Diego bow-and-arrow artist who was national champion archer in 1948, was in Watkins Glen, N. Y., last week in an effort to regain the U. S. title after more than three years absence from competition. Dill won the national championship in 1948, only two years...
January 1, 1959
April 12, 1959April Fool Archery Shoot Leaders Win Hams, Candy
CHULA VISTA - Winners of the April Fool Archery Shoot held Sunday on the Rohr Arrowhead Club range in Bonita were announced this week by Mary Powell, in charge of publicity for the sponsoring Southern Border Archery Association.
Mike English, Danny Osborn and Eric Hansen won boxes of candy f...
January 1, 1960In the past, the 900 round was known as the American Round and a staple in the target archers world.
In 1960, former San Diego Archery Club member, Jerry Amster, shot a 770 using a recurve bow made by Gordon Plastics and aluminum arrows.
The top score, posted in our most recent 900 Round (American Round) was 859 using a modern compound bow...
January 1, 1960
September 22, 1965
September 1, 1967Southern Border Archery Association Constitution and By-Laws as Amended September 1967, PDF 5 Pages. Link to PDF.
Southern Border Archery Association Constitution and By-Laws (Amended September 1967)
Article I - Name This organization shall be known as Southern Border Archery Association, otherwise designated as SBAA. This shall be a ...
March 1, 1974
January 1, 1975COMMITTEE REPORTS
Balboa Park Committee Capital Improvements Program Revisions – Morley Field Area
Mrs. Widman and Mr. Roberts reported on a staff proposal to designate the temporary archery range as the permanent location and construct a combination archery storage facility/comfort station near the range. These improvements would b...
June 20, 1976
October 12, 1976The image contains the following text:
San Diego Archers ESTABLISHED 1938 To expand and perpetuate the practice of archery and the spirit of good fellowship among all archers
Francis Horton Secretary Southern Foredom Archery Association 6970 Caminito Entrada San Diego, CA 92119
RE: New Officers
The San Diego Archers have elected...
September 26, 1977Rube Powell ARCHERY 136 BROADWAY CHULA VISTA CALIFORNIA 92010
September 26, 1977
PHONES: BUS: 422-3118 RES: 420-0759
Mr. Jack Krasnovich Recreation Superintendent Conference Building Balboa Park San Diego California 92101
Re: Condition of target butts on Balboa Park field range
Dear Mr. Krasnovich,
The San Diego Archers wh...
September 25, 1984The image shows a letter dated September 25, 1984, from the San Diego Archers Club (established 1938) to the National Field Archery Association. The letter lists the new board of officers of the San Diego Archers Club in San Diego, CA as of their September 11, 1984 meeting:
President: Dave Conard, 9405 Via Zapador, Santee, CA 92071, (619) 449...
January 1, 1985
January 1, 1985
March 17, 1985
July 1, 1985The image contains the following text:
SPECIAL USE PERMIT
THIS PERMIT is granted this first day of July, 1985, by THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO, hereinafter called "CITY," and is accepted by the SAN DIEGO ARCHERS CLUB, hereinafter called "PERMITTEE."
WHEREAS, CITY desires to provide facilities to its citizens, guests, noncommercial local societ...
January 1, 1987
January 1, 1987
January 1, 1987
March 1, 1987
March 1, 1987
January 1, 1988
January 1, 1990
January 1, 1990
January 1, 1990
February 27, 1990
November 1, 1992San Diego Archers President Mike Frey reorganization letter to Club members, and renaming of the Balboa Park Roving Range.
The image contains the following text:
San Diego Archers Pres. Mike Frye
S.D.A. is at the beginning of a reorganization. We are looking for new members, especially those that are eased in helping with some of the of...
December 17, 1994San Diego Archers 8879 Beteleusse Way, San Diego, CA 92126 619-687-3373
Membership Renewal Notice
December 17, 1994
Dear Gordon Vail,
Your membership in San Diego Archers will expire on January 31, 1994. Helping with club work parties and helping to put on club shoots you have earned a total of 10 points. Five (5) of these points ma...
April 13, 2011Letter to Mayor Sanders regarding opposition to the proposed bypass bridge at the east end of the Cabrillo Bridge.
April 13, 2011
Dear Mayor Sanders, I am writing today on behalf of the San Diego Archers to state our opposition to the proposed bypass bridge at the east end of the Cabrillo Bridge. The San Diego Archers have been an active organization in Balboa since our inception in 1938. We are the third oldest archery club in the United States of Ameri...
October 30, 2011
July 28, 2017
January 1, 2019
August 31, 2019
February 16, 2020San Diego Archers Morley Field Archery Range Update
The San Diego Archers club with help from the City of San Diego has completed the installation of the Morley Field wheelchair ramp to help improve access to the range. Please share the news with your friends.
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February 1, 2022
February 24, 2024