The following is a presentation given by Fred Belen at the 2012 Game Dinner on the early history of the Club.
At an event last year, a couple of us were discussing that the club was crossing a significant milestone—our 60th Anniversary. There was some thoughts that at this dinner we should briefly go over the history of the club; given that so few of today’s members really know much about how the club came to be. We discussed getting a historian to give a talk, but I realized I would have to pay for someone’s dinner…and I was too cheap. So you get me. I must say that I relied on picking Dick Ridell’s, Ed Hall’s, and Elizabeth Ramsey’s recollections, studied some records Charles got for me including the transcript of an extensive interview by Marshall Martin with Vern Clark 40 years ago, and early land deeds I got from the VDGIF.
The original property, referred to as Indian Mound Meadow, was owned by the Vaughn brothers (Clyde & Porter) residents at the time in adjacent Society Hill, who had been maintaining an old millpond dam that had become tenuous. Apparently, since colonial times the natural topography of the property was found favorable to damming for water wheel driven milling. The area has its own history from being a major agricultural area (grains and tobacco) in colonial times and even Civil War action. The current Club House dates from the 18th century on the property and had been the residence for the miller and his family. The State and the WPA/CCC became interested in building a fish hatchery during the depression and the Vaughn property was chosen over several other sites in Tidewater.
Starting in 1935, VDGIF sponsored building a larger earthen dam to replace the smaller millpond dam (referred to as Coleman’s Mill Pond) and created Spring Branch Pond. Agreements were reached with the VDGIF in 1936 and 1939 that the state would develop the property, to include clearing land, digging out soil as needed, and forming additional earthen dams for Walker Coleman and Old Ice House Ponds along with building a fish hatchery (completed in 1937). The agreements were drawn up insuring fishing and hunting rights to the owners and granting the state rights to draw on the water supply for support of the hatchery in return for construction and maintenance of the dams and access road. We have assumed those agreements to this day.
The Vaughns operated a semi-commercial fishing camp for several years which came to the attention of Phil Clarke in 1949. After the Vaughns approached him because they lacked the resources or influence to keep the state from taking the property over and opening it to the public, Clarke was able to assemble a number of sportsmen interested in the property. A caravan was organized which left from the White House and brought a number of people to see the lakes and later hosted a dinner of notables at the Columbia Country Club to gather addition interest. By 1952, Clarke and five others had organized and had closed a deal with the Vaughns for the basic property (two parcels totally around 300 acres including the ponds) to be held by the K&Q Land Company. They purposed to bring together political, society, and senior military members who were sportsmen dedicated to preserving the property and who were able to stand against a number of challenges over the years.
The club members included notables such as Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, and other names like Roosevelt and Goggenhiem, Bayardi and Williams, Congs Watts and Pilcher and Judge Jones, Adm. Kelly and General Eddleman—and for many of us second- generation members, fathers whom we admire. Over the years the club had many notable visitors such as sitting Chief Justice Earl Warren, and reportedly would have included even President Eisenhower, had they worked out the security. Dr. Hatch, Eisenhower’s personal physician was a member for years.
Events like the Spring Shade Bake (to which Chief Custalow of the Mattaponi Tribe would bring the shade dressed in full regalia) and this black tie Game Dinner have evolved but remain club traditions.
After the original property purchase, deeded in 1952, additional property was purchased from the Vaughn family in the 1998 and as you know we established a nature conservancy easement in 2004 (?) insuring that the property would not be developed even as commercial pressure increases. A club that holds together for 60 years is probably unusual, and is a testimony to the power of a vision to protect a wonderful resource. We are in great shape as we enter our 60th year and ready for 60 more.