earl ullrich

[Liquid Amber]

I sat with a fellow from Oregon on a Dallas to Portland flight for the PBS Banquet.  Real interesting old Oregon family.  He purchased a bow from Earl many years ago but never hunted it and shot little.  He thinks it needs a good home.  As I rarely deal in older bows I have little idea of what a reasonable price might be.  Any advice?

[2treks]

No idea on value, but that is a great story and I sure hope you show us some pics if you get it.

Thank you Sir.

CTT

[Tox Collector]

Cliff,  It's a small world -- in your case, you struck up a conversation with another passenger and he was an archer and knew of someone prominent in archery.  Great story.

Coincidentally, I was looking through some papers I acquired some time ago from the son of Maurice Rich, a member of the Newton, MA archers.  Maurice was active in the '20s and '30s and maybe '40s.  I'm going to include the contents of a letter dated Feb. 14, 1931 that he rec'd from Earl Ullrich.

"I am sending you a pair of billets and believe that you will like them.  Are well seasoned, cut in November 1927, and can be made up at once.  Should turn out a bow practically free of defects, and of a very good cast.  In fact is a pair that I could recommend asking first class in all phases and I know that if bow is worked up carefully your fellow club member will be satisfied with the result.  Naturally am asking top price for the pair.

Am pleased to hear that the sport is coming into its own in the East.  The interclub matches always are interesting and when the population is so dense that towns of any size are not far apart it is not very hard to get a live club started.

Hoping that billets prove satisfying and would like to hear results, I am

Yours very truly,

Earl L. Ullrich

P.S.  Your bow will probably grow in strength for a while   Billet has seasoned slowly and should just split right into limbs.  Take your time with it.  

As I recall, Earl believed in winter cut yew.  There has always been a spirited debate over whether winter or summer cut yew is best and whether it really matters as long as the yew is dried properly.

Also included in Maurice Rich's papers is a small little newsletter entitled "The Lucerne-in-Maine News" dated December, 1928, Volume 1, No. 12 [the town is located southeast of Bangor, ME].  It recounts a trip to the Log Lodge in Lucerne-in-Maine by Rover's Club of Boston to hunt deer.  

You may recall that Edward Frentz, editor of the the "Youth's Companion" was president of the club.  The hunt began on November 1st, and 24 archers from the club were there for 3 days.  However, everything was extremely dry so they made a lot of noise when they were in the woods.  

Small game was harvested but no deer.  Apparently, the governor of Maine - Ralph O. Brewster had extended an invitation to the club for this hunt.  Attending this hunting event with the Rovers was Chief Crazy Bull from Fort Thompson, South Dakota who took the first game, which was a racoon.

Cliff, you will recall that the club included some very prominent people from the Boston area including a number of doctors and others.  One of those folks was Cyrus Dallin, famous sculpturer and designer of the Dallin Medal used by the National Archery Association.  He was also a former President and Secretary of the N.A.A.  I believe that he also designed one of the Eastern Archery Association's medals.

Frentz was also a bowyer.  Dr. Paul Crouch, a member, was an N.A.A. champion.  There was also an H. A. Ives.  I wonder if Stella Ives was related to him?  Stella was a continuous member of the N.A.A. from 1916 to 1978 (62 years) and was also N.A.A. Fight Champion 1916 - 1920.  Bob Rhode was able to use her scrapbooks which she maintained meticulously for many years to write his two volumes on the "History of the National Archery Association of the United States".

One of the members of The Rovers - a Dr. Kinnington returned to Lucerne-in-Maine on November 27th of 1928 when the ground was blanketed with 6 inches of snow.  Late in the afternoon of November 28th at approximately 40 yeards he killed a buck.  The article notes that Dr. Kinnington's achievement marks the first time that a white man has ever killed a deer with an arrow in New England.

I recall your article on Roy Case, and I believe that he took his first deer with a bow and arrow in Wisconsin in 1930.

Another interesting item I came across in looking at the Maurice Rich file is a flyer on Inter-Changeable Arrow Points manufactured by J. H. Mahler, Hartsdale, N.Y.  I looked it up in Wade Phillips "Broadheads 1871 - 1971", and it turns out that the Mahler 5/16" Inter-Chamgeable 1936 broadhead is one of the "Top Ten All Time Classic Broadheads" -- see pp. 10 and also pp. M-5.  So I assume that the brochure may be scarce as well.  

Besides the inter-changeable heads [apparently, they were the first to offer such heads - broadhead - target - roving points of the same weight], they also manufactured a cutter for tapering ends of shafts, a nock cutting machine and a shaft ferrule cutting tool.

I thought I would share this as I thought some of you might find it interesting.

[JavelinaHink]

Cliff....cool story its nice how things turn out when you not even looking.

David...thanks for the info      :cool:  Hink

[Tox Collector]

Hink - Glad you enjoyed the info.  I also have a scrapbook that Rich put together and in the scrapbook is a letter from Art Young to Rich that includes a drawing of the broadhead that Young used.  The drawing looks just like the Art Young broadhead photograph on page 10 of Wade's Broadhead book and listed under the category "Top Ten All Time Classic Broadheads".  Interesting stuff!!!

[Liquid Amber]

This is a scan of the original letter from Gov. Brewster of Maine offering the invite. Actually, the original letter is in this envelope.  The Rovers Club of Mass. was formed the same year the "Sylvan Archers" of Oregon were formed.  I published an article on the Sylvan Archers in TBM.  

This two clubs are likely the first "formal" field archery clubs, depending upon one's definition.  I acquired Snyder's collection of material on the Rovers Club some years back and have accumulated quite a bit of paper on them.  I have an article in progress on the Rovers Club and really do need to complete it.

Some interesting information Tox.  

 

[Hobow]

Cliff, I am very interested in the archery history of the NW and hope to hear more about Earl Ullrich and hopefully see some pics of the bow in the future.  

I was not aware of your article on the Sylvan Archers of Oregon, can you please tell me which issue of TBM I would be looking for?

Thank you very much,

Brad

[Liquid Amber]

You guys in the Northwest have a great and rich history.  The Northwest is also one of my favorite places to visit.  Two of my grandson's are "native born" Oregonians.  

These early field archery clubs were very instrumental in the politics and legislation of bowhunting opportunities and archery only areas such as the Canyon Creek Area and others.  The early, published accounts of the Sylvan Archers and Rovers of Mass. show they knew how to have fun as well.  

 

[Tox Collector]

Cliff,  The Snyder file sounds neat.  Do you happen to know why Gov. Brewster extended the special invitation in the first place to the Rovers?  Was it to encourage tourism or bow hunting in Maine?  I recall your Sylvan Archers article -- those were good times to be involved in archery and bowhunting.  I enjoyed your article.

[Hobow]

Cliff, I love learning about the NW's archery history.  Thank you for the information about your article.  As luck would have it, a regular at our Monday night shoot brought in 3 back issues of TBM tonight and by sheer coincidence the Dec/Jan 2009 issue was one of them, great article!  

I noticed with great interest the date of the Chester Stevenson/L.L. Dailey meeting as it raises some questions about the dates given in some of Chet's early stories...    

Excellent detective work!

Brad

Oh yeah, that picture of the staff fighting is awesome, now THAT'S a fun shoot!

[Liquid Amber]

"I noticed with great interest the date of the Chester Stevenson/L.L. Dailey meeting as it raises some questions about the dates given in some of Chet's early stories..."

I think it pretty much accepted now among those who search, collect and compile our history that Stevenson got into archery around 1931/32.  I'm amazed that it took this long for his time-line to be corrected because it wasn't that difficult to figure out.  Too much published material to support it.  

I'm more impressed with Stevenson's accomplishments now than before.  When you lump all his accomplishments into the shorter time span, you really get an appreciation of his impact on our history.

 

One of several magazine and newspaper articles supporting Stevenson's beginnings in archery.

[Liquid Amber]

The January, 1934 "Archery Review."  Article was also published in the October 29, 1933 "Eugene-Register Guard."

[Hobow]

Thank you for posting the articles.  I am referring to the many bowhunting stories that Chet published that supposedly took place from 1890 into the early 1900's, do you know if the stories are true and the dates were changed or are they just good fabricated "stories"?

[Liquid Amber]

If you provide me the source of your information, I'll look at it.

David - From what I gather, Gov. Brewster was impressed with the challenging aspect of the bow on the hunt and was real interested in the killing ability of the broadhead, particularly on deer.

[Hobow]

The stories that I am referring to are as follows:

The National Bowhunter;
November 1960, page 9 details a bowhunt in 1902
February 1963, page 11, a hunt in the "early 20's"
June 1963, page 14, "in the 1920's"

I don't have a complete collection of the National Bowhunter magazines, but I do have a copy of Nick Nott's book "From the Den of The Old Bowhunter" which is a collection of Chester's stories;

Page 19, hunt in 1911
Pg 26, 1906 and 1907
Pg 28, 1899
Pg 32, 1900-1905
Pg 37, late 1890's
Pg 43, 1925

I love reading Chet's stories and when I saw the difference in the dates of his stories and his meeting L.L. Dailey, I had to ask...

[Liquid Amber]

I'm impressed with your source list.  Well done.  I really figured that you would quietly disappear as most do when pushed for their sources.      

"..do you know if the stories are true and the dates were changed or are they just good fabricated "stories"?"

Only Chester Stevenson knows the answer to this question.  

The material collected in Nott's book captures less than a third of Stevenson's published material.

If I were to comment, it would be speculation.  I prefer to provide the sources and let you make up your own mind.  I will admit however, that there is more "conflicting" material in Stevenson's case than any well known archer I have researched.

[Tox Collector]

Cliff,  Thanks for the info. on Gov. Brewster -- that makes sense.

[Hobow]

Thank you. I try to stick to the facts, but the facts sometimes seem to change as you dig deeper into a subject...

Chet is a very interesting character who I enjoy learning about, thank you for the info.

I didn't mean to hi-jack your thread and I look forward to any info on Earl Ullrich.

Thank you,

Brad

[Liquid Amber]

Chet published an article about this sketch.  I viewed it in Portland at the PBS Banquet.  It begins in 1931/32.

 

I believe it safe to say at this time, the supporting evidence suggests Stevenson began his archery career in 1931/32 or so.  All this could change with the uncovering of new material.

Another collector I network with had a conversation with the son of a prominent early archer from Oregon who was familiar with Stevenson.  Toward the end he mentioned these early articles on Stevenson and the dates.  His rely to the 1932 date was, "That's about right."

"I try to stick to the facts, but the facts sometimes seem to change as you dig deeper into a subject..."

Well said.

I wrote some stuff based upon second and third hand information years back that turned out to be inaccurate.  It was embarrassing.  Everything I write now is "defendable."    Some times the facts are not so clear and may never be, but if you stick to what you can defend, you will do fine.

The old guys were no different from any other population group and were comprised of the "good, bad and ugly."

[Hobow]

I remember that article of Chet's, what a great artifact to see in person.

"The old guys were no different from any other population group and were comprised of the "good, bad and ugly.""

That is so true and in certain cases the bad and ugly are completely overlooked when it comes to "heroes..."

That had to be a rough situation with the bad info, I will take that as sound advice.

Thank you for sharing.