On August 12, 1940, the following Stewartstown area residents (now all deceased) met to discuss the feasibility of starting a sportsmen’s club in the area. The members of the group were: Ross K. Trout, D.S. Bell, Frank McConnell, Eugene Hall, J.C. Anderson, Melvin Hannigan, Harry Wilson, Arthur Druck, and Fay Shaw. A decision was made to form a club and the name Hopewell Fish and Game Association was chosen.
The first formal meeting was held at Roy’s Hotel in Stewartstown on August 20, 1940. The Association met at various organization’s facilities in the ensuing years. The last regular meeting place was the now non-existent Stewartstown Gun Club building.
In January of 1963, the Association purchased approximately 20 acres from the farm of William Brose, which is now the core of the property.
A 31’ X 48’ club house was built in 1964, which was later doubled in size including a kitchen in the 1980’s. The former’s owners house is currently used as a caretaker’s residence has been remodeled on several occasions with the most recent renovations made in 2009.
Noteworthy Milestones –
When the Stewartstown Gun Club property was sold in 1965 the Association granted permission to use the HF&G building and grounds for their 5 traps.
In 1967, after determining the club property was suitable, Hopewell Fish and Game became the first club in York County to become a sponsor in the Pennsylvania Trout Co-Op. A raceway was built, and the Association was established as a trout nursery. Each year we raise and stock approximately 7,500 fish in area streams open to public fishing.
An additional 18 acres was purchased from William and Ann Blevins in 1991. The acreage was used to set up a new Archery range and extend the rifle range out to 300 yards.
A 22 ½ acre tract was purchased from James Duncan in 2005, which brought the total club property up to nearly 80 acres.
