Kettlefoot Rod & Gun Club was chartered in Tennessee in 1966. The name “Kettlefoot” comes from the legend of a large black bear with paws the size of a “kettle” that once roamed these mountains. The Club was located on property owned by the City of Bristol, Tennessee at the Old Sewage Plant where Beaver and Steele Creek intersect onto Vance Drive. Unfortunately, the club’s original location wasn’t
large enough to support full-sized Trap and S***t fields, Rifle Ranges, or Pistol Ranges. The late Frank Thomas saw a classified advertisement for 100-acres for sale in Washington County, Virginia. The question was how to raise the $16,000 needed to make the purchase. The late James E. Nunley (attorney, friend and neighbor) of Jim Lester suggested that the group form a corporation under the laws of Virginia for the purpose of selling stock to raise the money. So it came to pass that on February 26th, 1971, Virginia’s State Corporation Commission issued a Certificate of Incorporation to “Kettlefoot Recreation, Incorporated“. And on February 27th, 1971, all of the directors named in the Articles of Incorporation held an organizational meeting. On March 22nd, 1971, Kettlefoot Recreation, Incorporated held its first meeting of stockholders. By this time, 154 shares were represented in person or by proxy. Kettlefoot’s first Board of Directors included: K.B. Hurley, Frank Thomas, James Nunley, Dick Wheeler, John Paty, Orahn Peoples, Buck Dunlap, Sidney Wike, Jim Lester, and Elvin Boling. Today, Kettlefoot Rod & Gun Club occupies over four-hundred beautiful acres, boasts a spacious Club House, Trap and S***t fields, Five Stand, Sporting Clays fields, a 300-yd. Main Rifle Range, an Archery Range, the IDPA/Auxilliary Range, 25-yd. Pistol Ranges, a Rimfire Rifle Range, and a membership base of over nine-hundred. Because of the hard work of our founders and numerous dedicated members over the years, we’ve a truly first-class facility. And by virtue of the love given by so many shooters, hunters, and sportsmen, we proudly participate in the proliferation of a small part of our American heritage.
