Minute Man Sportsman's Club
The Minute Man Sportsman's Club, Inc. has its private shooting ground on about a hundred acres of woodland in the south corner of Billerica, where the town meets Bedford and Burlington. It lies behind the industrial lots on the Middlesex Turnpike and Plank Street and is reached from Francis Wyman Road in Burlington. A private track known as Rear Middlesex Turnpike runs through the grounds past the club lodge. The club, which says it was founded in 1934, is a shotgun club; Boston Magazine described it in 2015 as "a privately owned, shotgun-only shooting range."
The land was farm and wood land of Burlington families on the Billerica side of the line. In 1890 Edwin A. and Sarah R. Bennett deeded George H. Bennett land that included a lot of about sixty acres known as "the Wyman and Boggins lot," beginning "at a stone meant for a bound between Billerica and Bedford" and bounded by the lands of several Skiltons and of McIntire. George H. Bennett died without a will, and in October 1920 his heirs, Mary T., Edward D. and Webster Bennett of Burlington and Julia Alice Roper, released the lot to Harold W. Bennett of Burlington.
The club, then "having its usual place of business in Lexington," bought its grounds after the Second World War. By a deed dated May 25, 1946 Harold W. Bennett conveyed to "Minute Man Sportsman's Club, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation," two parcels in Billerica: the sixty-acre Wyman and Boggins lot, "Together with all legally existing rights of way," and a second parcel of about ten acres bounded by land of James A. MacKean, of the late George H. Bennett and of Helen A. McIntire. The club's later land brought its grounds to about a hundred acres.
The industrial district on the Middlesex Turnpike grew up around the club after 1960. In 1971 the club sold land on the turnpike to the International Shoe Machine Corporation, and in November 1972 Raymond Engineering Service of Hudson drew a "Plan of Land in Billerica, Mass." owned by the club, showing Parcel A, 6.98 acres, and Parcel B, the strip that became the entrance of Plank Street; both became part of the Middlesex Industrial Park. In 1997 the club sold for $50,000 about two acres on the northerly side of the turnpike, a fifty-foot right of way excepted from its 1971 deed. In June 2015 Boston 2024, the committee bidding for the Summer Olympic Games, named the club as its venue for the shooting events, with seating for 5,000; board member Hank Garvey said that "Minute Man has 80+ years of promoting excellence in the shooting sports." The bid was withdrawn the next month. The assessors listed the grounds at "Rear Middlesex Tpk" until July 2023, when the address was changed to 56 Rear Francis Wyman Road.
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| 1890 | Deed | Edwin A. Bennett and Sarah R. Bennett | George H. Bennett | 1890 Edwin A. and Sarah R. Bennett deed George H. Bennett the land that included the Wyman and Boggins lot (recital) | 1967/27 (South) |
Dated April 14, 1890; recorded with Middlesex South District Deeds, Book 1967, Page 27. Known from the recitals of 1920 and 1946: the premises of which the 60-acre "Wyman and Boggins lot" at the Billerica and Bedford line was a portion. Not read. George H. Bennett later died intestate (Middlesex Probate No. 123,107).
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| December 9, 1920 | Quitclaim Deed | Mary T. Bennett (unmarried), Edward D. Bennett, Webster Bennett, all of Burlington, and Julia Alice Roper, heirs of George H. Bennett (Nellie L. Bennett, Josephine C. Bennett and William M. Roper releasing) | Harold W. Bennett of Burlington | 1920 the heirs of George H. Bennett release the "Wyman and Boggins lot" to Harold W. Bennett | 637/87 |
Signed October 28, 1920. "For consideration paid", with quitclaim covenants, "the land in Billerica ... Beginning at a stone meant for a bound between Billerica and Bedford," by the Bedford line and the lands of the heirs of John, Thomas and Alfred Skilton, David Skilton and McIntire, "Containing about 60 acres, more or less. The premises are known as the Wyman and Boggins lot. Being a portion of the premises described in a deed from Edwin A. Bennett and Sarah R. Bennett to George H. Bennett, dated April 14, 1890 recorded with Middlesex South District Deeds, Book 1967 Page 27. Said George H. Bennett has deceased intestate. See Middlesex County Probate Records No. 123,107." Book 637, Pages 87-88.
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| 1946 | Deed | Harold W. Bennett of Burlington (Viola Bennett, his wife, releasing) | Minute Man Sportsman's Club, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation, of Lexington | 1946 Harold W. Bennett of Burlington sells the club the 60-acre "Wyman and Boggins lot" at the Bedford line and a ten-acre lot | 1045/201 |
Dated May 25, 1946 (assessor). $1.10 in revenue stamps. "I, Harold W. Bennett, of Burlington ... for valuable consideration paid, grant to Minute Man Sportsman's Club, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation, having its usual place of business in Lexington ... two (2) parcels of land situated in Billerica." Parcel 1: "Beginning at a stone meant for a bound between said Billerica and Bedford," westerly by the Bedford line to the heirs of John Skilton, southerly by the heirs of Thomas Skilton, by David Skilton, easterly to the heirs of Alfred Skilton, northerly and easterly by the heirs of John Skilton to McIntire, and northerly by McIntire to the first stone, "Together with all legally existing rights of way. Containing about sixty (60) acres, more or less. The premises are known as the Wyman and Boggins lot. Being a portion of the premises described in a deed from Edwin A. Bennett and Sarah R. Bennett to George H. Bennett, dated April 14, 1890" (Middlesex South Book 1967, Page 27); "For title to this grantor see deed of Mary T. Bennett, et al to this grantor dated [October] 28, 1920" (Book 637, Page 87). Parcel 2: southerly by James A. MacKean, formerly William Nichols et als, easterly by land formerly of Wyman Skilton, northerly and northeasterly by land late of George H. Bennett, formerly of Amos Haggett, westerly by Helen A. McIntire, formerly of David Fosdick, "Containing ten (10) acres more or less"; title deed of Edwin A. Bennett, Book 664, Page 394. Book 1045, Pages 201-202.
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| July 2, 1997 | Deed | Minute Man Sportsman's Club, Incorporated, of Burlington (Roy A. Duddy, President) | BBB Partners Limited Partnership | 1997 the club sells about two acres on the Middlesex Turnpike, the old right of way excepted from its 1971 deed, to BBB Partners | 8656/1 |
$50,000. About 2 acres on the northerly side of the Middlesex Turnpike in Billerica and Bedford, the "50' Wide ROW" on the 1982 compiled plan for the International Shoe Machine Corporation (Plan Book 138, Plan 40), excepted from the club's 1971 deed to that company (Book 1957, Page 235). Unregistered land that became part of Lot B on Plan Book 196, Plan 66.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.
References
- WBUR, June 15, 2015: Boston 2024 names the Minute Man Sportsman's Club in Billerica, about 100 acres, founded 1934, as its Olympic shooting venue
- Boston Magazine, 2015: "Next Stop on Boston 2024's Bid 2.0 Tour: Billerica?"
- BCAT News, June 30, 2015: could the Olympics come to the Burlington-Billerica sportsman's club; entrance on Francis Wyman Road