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Minnesota Diamond Badge

 

Established September 9, 1885

The Minnesota Diamond Badge consisted of 26 targets at 16 yards and 12 pair of doubles, for a total of 50 targets. It was considered the Minnesota State Championship from 1885 until 1913


Forest Saunders, 1931 winner

YEAR WINNER SCORE
1885 George Baldwin 43
1886 Thomas Paine 40
1887 George Baldwin 40
1888 George Baldwin 38
1889 John Burkhardt 44
1890 John Pfister 47
1891 J. H. Block 48
1892 John Burkhardt 44
1893 John Burkhardt 45
1894 John Burkhardt 44
1895 George Trent 45
1896 Bill Tabor 38
1897 Bill Shattuck 39
1898 L. E. Parker 47
1899 Herman Hirschy 44
1900 L. E. Parker 49
1901 Herman Hirschy 48
1902 Herman Hirschy 48
1903 Herman Hirschy 48
1904 Herman Hirschy 49
1905 Gus Evander 48
1906 Bill McKinnan 48
1907 W. E. Bowe 49
1908 H. H. Chesterman 47
1909 R. D. Guptill 46
1910 V. M. Sugewe 45
1911 Art White 42
1912 E. J. Goward 44
1913 F. O. Stokke 48
1914 W. P. Brown 47
1915 E. J. Goward 45
1916 George Kepler 49
1917 F. H. Allen 47
1918 W. A. Brown 46
1919 J. W. Jones 47
1920 Matt Youngmann 46
1921 Dave Fauskee 49
1922 E. J. Goward 47
1923 Fred McKay 46
1924 Gus Evander 46
1925 E. L. King 48
1926 Harry Maginnis 47
1927 Les Troeh 50
1928 August Fierabend 46
1929 Jack Cunningham 47
1930 A. M. Wing 48
1931 Forest Saunders 48
1932 Harry Maginnis 50
1933 Martin Lein 49
1934 Dave Fauskee 49
1935 Julius Fierabend 49
1936 Harry Maginnis 47
1937 Forest Saunders 50
1938 Art Finney 48
1939 Junior Dick 49
1940 Horace Aldritt 46
1941 Junior Dick 48
1942 Fred Menth 49
1943 Junior Dick 49
1944 Junior Dick 44
1945 Horace Aldritt 46
1946 Harry Maginnis 48
1947 Ray Zweiner 49
1948 Bill Olson 48
1949 Ray Zweiner 48
1950 Don Graham 49
1951 W. B. Olson 48
1952 Howard Dirlam 49
1953 Junior Dick 50
1954 Bard Higgins 50
1955 Junior Dick 49
1956 Art Finney 49
1957 Ray Zweiner 49
1958 Chet Jones 50
1959 Art Finney 48
1960 Chet Jones 50
1961 Art Finney 50
1962 Art Finney 50
1963 Dallas Holm 49
1964 Jimmy Higgins 50
1965 Jimmy Beuning 50
1966 Lowell Ling 50
1967 Bard Higgins 50
1968 Jerry Ling 50
1969 Richard Moyer  
1970 Richard Hermanson  
1971 Henry Hein  
1972 Allen Heil 50
1973 Paul Robey  
1974 Bill Sorenson  
1975 Paul Robey  
1976 Doug Sundberg  
1977 Doug Sundberg  
1978 Richard Moyer  
1979 John Commers  
1980 Doug Sundberg  
1981 Robert Munson  
1982 Jim Lembke 50
1983 Doug Sundberg 50

 

Article by Jimmy Robinson

The historic Minnesota Diamond Badge has been in competition since 1885.  The first winner was George Baldwin of St. Paul with 43 X 50.  Junior Dick has won it six times while Art Finney and Herman Hirschy have won it five times.  The badge was donated by the St. Paul citizens and was competed for at the State Fair. The badge was an elaborate affair in design, with guns and other sporting designs, carried a perfect one-karat diamond in the center.  It was a perpetual badge never to become the possession of any one individual.  Professionals were barred from winning the badge in 1905.  In 1927 E.L. King and Mrs. King of Winona furnished a solid gold tablet, large enough to engrave the winners and their scores.  It was considered the State Championship up until the American trapshooting began in state championships in 1914.  Trustees of the badge in 1927 were: Dr. Louis Lyons, Pasadena, California: Summer T. Johnson, Minneapolis, secretary; and James E. Kelly, St. Paul. The Minnesota Trapshooting Association is the current custodian and it is kept locked away in a safety deposit box in St. Cloud Minnesota.