PSSA Chronology in the Golden Age, 1921 to 1960

The annual Pennsylvania State Shoot was held in Pittsburgh at the Allird Gun Club.
The shoot saw Steve Crothers win his first of 14 State Singles Championships with a 196.
Elmer Shaner elected President of the American Trapshooting Association (will become the ATA in 1923).

Eight traps were installed for the State Tournament in Lancaster that saw 216 entries in the State Singles Championship.
Steve Crothers won the Singles Championship crown for the second year in a row.

A galaxy of the Keystone State's most brilliant shots, added new laurels to their crowns as a result of the largest state tournament ever held.

The 1924 Pennsylvania State Shoot was held at the North End Gun Club. It would be the first of two shoots at the club.
A fine line of trophies, medals and cash, approximating $2,500, was distributed to the winners.

John Schroll begins 14 year career as PSSA Secretary.
Steve Crothers wins Clay Target Championship, HOA and Champ/Champ at Vandalia.
Steve Crothers is the first person to break a 200 straight in any event at the Grand American. Would also do the same at the 1930 Pennsylvania State Shoot.

The June Classic was held in Gettysburg for the only time in the history of the Pennsylvania State Shoot.

C.D. Henline was elected President of the PSSA for the third straight year. In all, Henline would serve the PSSA as President for 10 years.
Thirty nine year old Stevenson Morris Crothers won his fourth State Singles crown when he broke a 197.

Norman Kessler and Walter Beaver wage a shoot-off for the Singles runner-up which was not settled until Kessler won the award with 178x180 to 177x180. It would go down in state history as one of the epic shoot-offs.
The State Shoot was held at Ashland for the only time.
Mt. Carmel's Kitty Boyer wins Women's Clay Target crown at Vandalia.

The 1929 State shoot, held under the auspices of the Inter-City Gun Club of Franklin, PA was held at Conneaut Lake, PA, about 50 miles north of Franklin, which is south of Erie.

The 40th annual Pennsylvania State Championships were held in Harrisburg by the Harrisburg Sportsmen's Association.
Steve Crothers won the State Amateur Singles Championship, breaking 200 straight. It was the first 200 straight in State Shoot history. He was also the first person to break 200 straight in any event at the Grand American.
The State Doubles Championship was increased from 50 targets to 100 targets for the first time.

George Baldwin of West Chester is elected to his third straight term as PSSA president.
Steve Crothers wins Singles Champion/Champions event at the Grand American.

What a show the great Stevenson Morris Crothers put on in Allentown at the 1932 Pennsylvania State Shoot. Remarkably, he aced the entire shoot.
Alice Crothers leads the ATA in doubles averages. She will also lead in 1933 and 1934.
Steve Crothers wins second Champ/Champ at Vandalia.

York County Gun Club, located at Haines Park, east of York, PA, hosted the 1933 State Trapshoot.
John W. Eshelman elected President of the ATA.
Walter Beaver of Conshohocken wins Grand American Handicap.

The Pennsylvania State Shoot returned to the South End Gun Club for the first time since 1909.
L.G. Dana of Derrick City wins Grand American Handicap.
Walter Beaver wins Amateur Clay Target crown at Vandalia.

Quaker City Gun Club, established in Philadelphia in 1924, hosted the 45th annual Pennsylvania State Shoot.

The Bradford Gun Club hosted their 4th State Championship, and it turned into the Steve Crothers show.
The "old vet", professional J. Mowell Hawkins, won all the professional titles.

The almost "perpetual" Pennsylvania State Champions of the last few years, Steve Crothers and Walter Beaver, were dethroned by Roy Hemming, a Reading, PA, "dark horse".

Walter Beaver leads the ATA in singles averages with .9868 on 5100 targets.

Elmer Shaner dies in Elizabethtown at age of 77. Regarded as the "Father of Modern Day Trapshooting".
George Neubling begins 15 year career as Secretary of the PSSA.
John Rigg breaks 97 for Doubles Championship at Vandalia.

Roxborough Gun Club in Philadelphia plays host to 50th Pennsylvania State Shoot.
The scores that won the Singles, Handicap, Doubles, and HAA remain the lowest to ever win these titles over the 105 years of the state shoot.
Walter Beaver leads the ATA in doubles averages for the third time. He led last year and also in 1935.

With America about to enter World War II in less than 6 months, a dark shadow was cast over the shoot. The war had already begun in Europe.
Steve Crothers wins final State Singles title in epic 175 target shoot-off over Walter Beaver.
Walter Beaver wins Clay Target crown at Vandalia.

Andy Long was also elected President of the PSSA, his first elected office in the PSSA.

State shoot only two days long due to WW II restrictions.
Ralph Grove of York, PA, won the Singles Championship when a topped the record field with the only 100 straight.

Ruffsdale hosted the 1944 State Shoot, the first time since 1929 that a Western Pennsylvania club hosted the shoot.
Lack of ammunition, travel restrictions, defense jobs, shooters in the armed service, tire rationing, gasoline rationing, etc. would play a major part in the 200 target shoot of 1943, 1944 and the cancellation in 1945.
State shoot only two days long.
Frank Dissinger's Pleasant Hill Gun Club of Lebanon, PA was selected for the 1945 State Shoot, but the shoot was canceled. This was the only cancellation in PSSA history.

Lack of ammunition and travel restrictions cancel State Shoot for first time in history. Shoot was scheduled for Lebanon.

The Pennsylvania State Shoot returned after a one year absence and produced the largest attendance in history, despite to lack of ammunition and bad weather. The shoot was held in Lebanon, PA.
Walter Beaver wins second Amateur Clay Targets title at Vandalia.

For the first time since 1941, the classic Pennsylvania Singles Championship was contested at 200 targets.
With World War II now history, large crowds again began to attend the Pennsylvania State Shoot.
Walter Beaver, one of the greatest trapshooters in state history, won his final Singles Championship. The legendary Steve Crothers, now 60 years old, competed in three events and broke 195 in the Singles Championship. The high level competitive careers of these two shooting immortals were drawing to a close.

Legendary gunner Charles Newcomb dies at age 76.
John Schenk of Sharpsburg, PA wins Grand American Handicap with 99.

The State Shoot was held at the Valley Gun & Country Club in Elysburg. The grounds are one of the finest in the entire state and the club recently finished the installation of four new trap fields to bring their total to 8.

Mike Burychka of Skippack, PA took the State Singles Championship with the only 199.

The Fayette Gun Club of Uniontown hosted their first Pennsylvania State Championship on June 14-17, 1951.
Twenty four year old Robert Diefenderfer of Reading, while on his honeymoon, won his first of 5 career State Singles Championships.

Frank Dissinger elected President of the ATA.

Bob Diefenderfer of Reading won his only State Handicap Championship with a 96 from 22 yards.

George Newmaster, the legendary shooter from Myerstown, PA, won his only state Singles title when he bested a field of 170 shooters with a 198.
Andy Long was elected to his first term as PSSA Secretary. He would lead the Association as Secretary for another 30 consecutive years.

Aaron Bird, ATA manager, was on hand for the entire four days of the Pennsylvania State Shoot.

Robert Diefenderfer finishes second in the HOA at the Grand American.

Walter Beaver dies at age 60.
Arlen Kimmel of Valley View wins Preliminary Handicap (now the Budweiser Handicap) at Vandalia with 98 from 20 yards.

Allen Heil dies in Allentown at age 72.

South End holds largest State Shoot ever held on East coast.

Rudy Etchen big attraction at State Shoot. Wins Doubles title by 6 targets.
Lou Silvestri, a member of the Four Aces, sings at night and shoots at the State Shoots by day.

� C.D. Henline was elected President of the PSSA for the third straight year. In all, Henline would serve the PSSA as President for 10 years.

� The June Classic was held in Gettsyburg for the only time in the history of the Pennsylvania State Shoot.

� Thirty nine year old Stevenson Morris Crothers won his fourth State Singles crown when he broke a 197.

� Steve Crothers wins Clay Target Championship, HOA and Champ/Champ at Vandalia.

� Steve Crothers is the first person to break a 200 straight in any event at the Grand American. Would also do the same at the 1930 Pennsylvania State Shoot.

� The 1924 Pennsylvania State Shoot was held at the North End Gun Club. It would be the first of two shoots at the club.

� A fine line of trophies, medals and cash, approximating $2,500, was distributed to the winners.

� A galaxy of the Keystone State's most brilliant shots, added new laurels to their crowns as a result of the largest state tournament ever held.

� Eight traps were installed for the State Tournament in Lancaster that saw 216 entries in the State Singles Championship.

� Steve Crothers won the Singles Championship crown for the second year in a row.

� The annual Pennsylvania State Shoot was held in Pittsburgh at the Allird Gun Club.

� The shoot saw Steve Crothers win his first of 14 State Singles Championships with a 196.

� Elmer Shaner elected President of the American Trapshooting Association (will become the ATA in 1923).