Reflections on the Labor Day Pigeon Shoot

There was a time that "Labor Day" meant "Coleman Pigeon Shoot." This article was first published in the Pottsville Free Press Labor Day, 2004. This one is dedicated to Michael Vicks.

The summer of 2004 is coming to a close without the anxiously awaited St. Clair Bikini contest being held; and the official reason given was that “it would be offensive to the senior citizens of the community.” My, how the passage of time changes people! Some of these offended St. Clair AARP members probably forgot that they were young adults when Brian Hyland crooned his hit, “Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” forty-four years ago. while they frolicked about in Wolf Creek. These seniors probably still have some that swimwear in their closet. Why the turnaround? I just don’t buy into that reasoning.
Looking back, Schuylkill County has had many controversial fund-raising events over the years. I have been reading about them at the County Historical Society and came away with a deeper understanding. For instance, in the early nineteenth century, City founder John Pott, known to town folk as Pott Diddy, started the city’s first Wet Moustache Contest. That event would be attacked in the newspapers, despised by the fairer sex and held up to constant ridicule. “Grown men should not have their God-given facial hair dampened by beer!” Despite such criticism the contest persisted for decades. It wasn’t until the suffragettes won the battle for the vote that the contest was open to city women as well as men. But with the arrival of electrolysis, women’s participation faded as did the contest.
Did you know that in the 1930’s Shenandoah was the scene of the controversial Wet Babushka Contest that was held every Fourth of July at Sandy Beach? However, when Hitler invaded Poland and World War II erupted, a significant shortage of nylon, silk and rayon occurred, crippling the babushka production in northeast Pennsylvania and the contest abruptly ended, never to resume.
The most contentious of all fund-raising events was the infamous Gary Coleman Pigeon Shoot that was held in Hegins every Labor Day. Yes, the star of “Diff’rent Strokes” had this controversial gun shoot named after him. He never attended, but again, the great athlete, Jim Thorpe, never visited Mauch Chunk that was later renamed in his honor. Apparently, the west-enders were simply in awe of the little television star, and it was their way of expressing appreciation. But it was certainly a weird way to show appreciation when you think about it.
The event was based on having diseased, flying vermin imported from Philadelphia to be shot out of a box, one at a time, as each bird tried to fly back to Manayunk or South Street. After being shot or wounded, young boys, preferably those with weaker immune systems than adults, both picked up the carcasses of these dead disease-ridden birds and rung the necks of the wounded ones (always ringing in a clock-wise direction). All the while, the women of Hegins swayed back and forth, performing the frenzied sacrificial ritual dance so often associated with the event; a ceremony reminiscent of the native dance on Skull Island in the King Kong movie.
Philadelphia city officials was so amazed that there was a market for both its waste and vermin in Schuylkill County, that deals were entered for the construction of more landfills to hold not only the imported trash that was in great demand in this area, but also for city vermin. Before all hell broke loose over the Shoot, city rats were on the negotiation table.
Yes, the Gary Coleman Pigeon Shoot was to end in the midst of riot and mayhem. It was inevitable, as even the lowest of God’s creatures have their protectors - be it the rat, the pigeon, or even the whole-life insurance salesman. Word got around the nation via pigeon carriers of course, that birds were being kidnapped off the statues in Philadelphia, blindfolded, and then loaded on boats to sail up the Schuylkill to the west end of our county, to face death by firing squad. Soon the pigeon rights protestors chartered the next canal boat and landed to hold large demonstrations - the likes of which were not seen since the days of the Civil War draft riots in Cass Township. The demonstrations continued for many years, with scores arrested for various offenses such as disorderly conduct, simple assault or impersonating Gary Coleman without a license.
High-level negotiations were held in the county court house to bring tranquility back to Hegins Valley. In fact, Henry Kissinger was called in as a special mediator. With his skills, a truce was signed between the organizers and the demonstrators. No longer would pigeons, rats or whole life insurance salesmen be imported into the County, while at the same time landfills would be increased in size to accept the sought- after urban trash,waste and garbage. Unreasonable demands, such as limiting the size of a pigeon family to two, and having “Diff’rent Strokes” declared the county television show, were withdrawn, making it possible for the historic peace treaty to be signed in the Schuylkill County Courthouse. “Peace with Honor,” declared Dr. Kissinger to the hundreds of news reporters that were camped outside. “Both sides came away from the table with something to crow about,” proclaimed the former secretary of state, who loved a good pun as much as he did the county Bavarian Festival.