03/19/2024 Chatsworth Historical Society - Andy Griffith Episode - Skeet Shooting at Chatsworth Park South 1
Andy Griffith Episode - Skeet Shooting at Chatsworth Park South
1961, Gail Davis and Andy
Griffith skeet shooting at the
Roy Rogers Sports Center,
today's Chatsworth Park
South
Gail Davis starred in 81
episodes of the "Annie
Oakley" TV series from 1954
to 1957.
Andy Griffith starred in 249
episodes of the "Andy Griffith
Show" TV series from 1960
to 1968
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In 2016, we made a presentation on "Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center".
This presentation will include a recap of that presentation, followed by a 1961 episode of the
Andy Griffith Show, filmed at the Skeet Shooting range at the Roy Rogers Sport Center.
Portions of three undeveloped homestead parcels were combined from 1951 to 1969 to
create a 127 acre sports center at the west end of Devonshire, on what is today’s Chatsworth
Park South and part of Rockpointe.
The Sports Center included a Shooting Range, Golf Courses, and Fishing Lakes.
This presentation will be posted at our website, chatsworthhistory.com, Digital Archives,
Presentations.
Introduction
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Introduction
1952 aerial of portions of three undeveloped Homestead
parcels.
The first mention of the Aqua-Sierra Club is in an article in
the Van Nuys News in Dec. 1951. The annual turkey shoot
is at the club grounds at the end of Devonshire.
A May 1952 Van Nuys News article introduces Clarence
Palmer as President of the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club;
the club is 3 years old. The article encourages public
inspection of the new range at the end of Devonshire Road.
Dejeremias
Homestead
Butler
Homestead
Hill
Homestead
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The Expansion of Aqua Sierra Facilities - 1955 to 1960
•The Aqua Sierra Sportmans Club facilities began in 1951, but the organization
was having some issues in the early years.
•In 1955/56, Heinrich Berkenkamp (known by all as “Berky”, and one of three
partners of the very successful Oroweat Bakeries) helped out the club by buying
the 230 acre Hill Homestead. The deed granted a life tenancy agreement for
Minnie Hill Palmer to live rent and tax free at her 1913 cottage and surrounding
1.3 acre grounds.
•Coincidentally, in 1955, Roy Rogers moved to Chatsworth from Encino and
bought the 129 acre Paulson Homestead at the end of Lassen, renaming it the
Double R Bar Ranch.
•Both Berky and his wife Charlotte shot at Aqua Sierra. Their son Karl
remembers Clarence Palmer, as sort of a promoter, and that he ran the
operation. Berky bought the land as an investment, but also to help out the
club. Roy Rogers was involved as well in some way, and in 1959 it was
advertised as the Roy Rogers Sports Center.
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Introduction
1959 aerial -- Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club and the
Roy Rogers Sports Center
In 1956, a 2-acre trout lake was completed, with a second
smaller trout lake for kids.
By 1958, the skeet and trap ranges are expanded from
two to five; Roy Rogers is interviewed and shares that he
operates the Aqua Sierra Gun Club, a skeet and trap
shooters dream with a 90-foot Hi-Tower.
By 1959, a nine hole, 27 par golf course and driving range
(the “white” course) is completed.
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Trap Shooting 101 - Introduction
•Before we go further, we need to explain the sport of Trap and Skeet shooting.
•Trap and skeet shooting are two disciplines of clay pigeon shooting (shotgun shooting at clay
targets).
•Competitions involve shooting 25 shots, which is how many shotgun shells are in a box.
•Equipment required is a shotgun, clay targets, and a clay target launcher.
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Trap Shooting 101 - Trap
•In trap shooting, there are 5 shooting positions and one trap. The clay target thrower or trap
machine is positioned in a structure, called the trap house, 2½ feet below the ground, 16
yards in front of the stations. The trap machine oscillates left to right and back, launching a
single clay target, or bird. The five shooting stations or paths radiating out from behind the
trap house are marked with distances from its leading edge from 16 to 27 yards.
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Skeet Shooting 101 - Skeet
•In skeet shooting, there are 8 shooting positions and two traps. Targets are launched from two
"houses" in somewhat "sideways" paths that intersect in front of the shooter. The two traps are
called a “high house” (10 ft above the ground) and a “low house” (3 ft above ground).
•Trap stations usually are combined with a high and low house, so you can shoot either trap or
skeet at a single station.
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Next….. A two-minute
1959 Chevrolet
Commercial
Trap Shooting at the Roy
Rogers Sports Center
Available on YouTube as
“1959 Chevrolet Truck
Commercial Roy Rogers”
https://youtu.be/rBhqFjyLwbc
Note the flag pole in the 1959
commercial, which remains today
in Chatsworth Park South
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A two-minute
1959 Chevrolet
Commercial
Trap Shooting at the
Roy Rogers Sports
Center
On Youtube, search
“chatsworthhistory1”
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1967 aerial -- The 1961 Facilities Overview
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club, Devonshire Golf Club,
Palmer Trout Lakes
In 1961, three additional nine-hole golf courses were
added on the adjacent 52 acre Butler and Dejeremias
homestead parcels. This acreage was leased from the
Scheplers.
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1969 aerial -- The decline of the sports center began in
1968, when Rockpointe began development on the
Butler/Dejeremias homestead parcels.
In 1973 the City of Los Angeles purchased the 75 acre
skeet/fishing/golf course site and it became today’s
Chatsworth Park South.
Notice that the Golf Pro Shop was moved to Minnie's 1.3
acre parcel, which is today the Chatsworth Historical
Society Museum.
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A Few Photos from the Sports Center
1965
Devonshire Golf Club
Chamber of
Commerce Book
The site of three
nine-hole par 3
courses, the first
course having been
opened for play in
1958.
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A Few Photos from the Sports Center
1958 - Clark Gable and Roy
Rogers playing golf in Chatsworth
The May 1959 Devonshire Golf Course official opening at Roy
Roger's Sports Center in Chatsworth.
Pictured from left are Pat Brady, Ashley Lofea, host pro; Peter
Graves, Roy Rogers, Pat Knowles and Jackie Cooper.
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A Few Photos from the Sports Center
Circa 1955
postcard of the
Aqua Sierra
Sportsmans
Club
Source: CSUN
digital archives
Five skeet and
trap stations, and
the skeet hi-tower
in foreground.
Notice sidewalk
behind stations,
still in existence
today.
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A Few Photos from the Sports Center
1964
Trap Shooting
Club
from the
Wanamaker
Jerry England
collection
Note the skeet
high house at left,
the skeet low
house at right.
And the trap
house in the
middle.
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Dennis Liff matches a scene to background rocks
The final shotgun match scene, shot in 1961, is
compared to Google Maps today and the 1964
Wannamaker/England collection photo.
Upper right -- The blue and red rectangles in the
photo above match background rocks in Google
Maps in the upper right.
Lower right -- The blue rectangle is identified. And
the location of where the people are standing is the
yellow oval. Which is the right edge of skeet and
trap range #4.
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A Few Photos from the Sports Center
1965
Palmer Trout Lake -- Linda-10
and Bob-8 Schneider with catfish 1962
Palmer Trout Lake aeration pump installed about 1961
Palmer Trout Lakes Open Every Day 8 am ‘til Dark
There was a Fishing Shed where they would rent poles, and
they would clean your fish for you.
There was a small pond for the kids, and a larger pond for
the adults.
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Chatsworth Park South Reopens after 9-1/2 Years! (Source: SSMPA Sept 2017 newsletter)
•Chatsworth Park South (City of LA), at the far west end of Devonshire Street, was closed February 14,
2008, because of reported lead contamination on a portion of the acreage.
•Remediation work (grading, storm water controls, capping the surface soil, and trails improvement,
refreshing of park equipment, etc.) began in early April 2016.
•On August 31, 2017, after 3,485 days of closure, Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks along
with City Council District 12 Officially Re-Opened Chatsworth Park South!
2016-2017 Drone Timelapse of Chatsworth Park South Cleanup Larry Wolff (2 min)
2017-08-31 Chatsworth Park South Grand Re-Opening Mark Hovater (16 min)
2017-08-31 Opening Day Chatsworth Park South Cleanup Project Drone Flyover Larry Wolff (3 min)
left: former SSMPA director Diana Dixon Davis
advocates for reopening of Chatsworth Park
South in 2012.
right: SSMPA director Bob Dager witnesses the
Chatsworth Park South re-opening
ceremony August 31, 2017.
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•Concrete sidewalk behind the shotgun range stations
•Flagpole at clearing behind center shotgun station (also
seen in 1959 Chevy commercial)
What remained of the Shotgun Range in 2016
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What remains of the Shotgun Range in 2024
2024 - Ann standing on the skeet range sidewalk,
leaning on the flagpole. View south through gate
on horse trail.
The same as 2016, after re-landscaping of
Chatsworth Park South….
2024 - Google Maps aerial view of skeet sidewalk in red rectangle
Gate to visit the sidewalk and flagpole circled in red
Closeup of
Ann
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Next….. A 25-minute episode of
the
Andy Griffith Show
"The Perfect Female"
Filmed at the Roy Rogers Sports
Center (today's Chatsworth Park
South)
1961, Season 2, Episode 8
Available on YouTube for
purchase using Paramount Plus,
or DVD set can be purchased
from Amazon.
A four minute video clip of the
episode showing skeet shooting is
available at
https://youtu.be/R3-fT8KXeUQ
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A 25-minute episode of
the
Andy Griffith Show
"The Perfect Female"
Filmed at the Roy
Rogers Sports Center
(today's Chatsworth
Park South)
1961, Season 2,
Episode 8
A four minute video clip
of the episode showing
skeet shooting is
available at
https://youtu.be/R3-
fT8KXeUQ
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Sources and Acknowledgements
•Again, many thanks to Ken Ditto, who helped us identify the features in the various historic aerials.
•The Presentation, Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center Shooting Range, Golf Courses and Fishing Lakes -
1951 to 1969
•Dennis Liff matched the final shotgun scene to background rocks.
•Prepared by Ann & Ray Vincent in March 2024
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Any
Questions?
