Where Southern Gentlemen Gathered
In the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash, twenty-two avid hunters from North and South Carolina purchased property and built a lodge on the shore of lake Mattamuskeet in Hyde County, North Carolina. In 1934, the federal government established a wildlife refuge on the great lake which included 50,000 acres of land that was adjacent to this club. The club charted in 1932 as the Mattamuskeet Goose club. The bylaws outlined that membership was limited to twenty-two. The roster of members included noted businessmen from the Charlotte area, owners of textile mills, successful businessmen, contractors, bankers, and attorneys. One of the founding members, Greg Cherry became Governor of North Carolina in 1946. The members made the two-day journey to Hyde County several times a year to hunt and fish on the largest freshwater lake in North Carolina. Many business “deals” and partnerships were completed in this remote area of eastern North Carolina. The annual meeting of the membership was conducted on the first Tuesday of October and was, by statue, held in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Gastonia was home to the founder and club President Ernest “Pet” Sumner, a successful cotton broker and avid hunter. Sumner also owned hunting lodges in North Dakota and South Carolina. For hunting and fishing, the members could each bring one guest per trip and these guests were required to register with the official Mattamuskeet Goose Club caretaker, Jeremiah Lytton. He lived on the property year around and assisted with the hunts and maintaining the property. During the winter hunts, thousands of Canadian geese, mallards and snow geese were in abundance on the lake. Over 800 species of wildlife call Lake Mattamuskeet home and fishing is plentiful year around.
The club built a wooden camp, although it was underutilized until after the war. In 1945, the club added an extra bedroom and indoor plumbing to the Lodge. In 1946, Samuel Lytton and son Jeremiah built a setter pen. Many award-winning field setters trace their lineage to the club. The proud English Setter became the mascot of the club, and many members began to travel back and forth with their favorite field partner. The club flourished through the 1940’s, 50’s and early 1960’s. In 1964 the iconic club closed after many of the founding members had passed away or could no longer make the trip. The club records, bylaws, and photographs are now in the possession of the club’s founder grandson, Michael Sumner.
In the fall of 2022, the younger Sumner discovered and purchased the original club house. He is now refurbishing the club back to its glory days. Membership will be required, and the club’s first order of business will be reinstating the original club charter and renewing the club’s bylaws. To honor the heritage of the glory days of one of the first hunting clubs in the state the founders are proud to introduce the Mattamuskeet line of clothing, hunting attire and gift items. “It’s about remembering what actually happened out in Hyde County”, said Sumner. He continued, “it was a time of fellowship and integrity that has just gone away, and I want these leaders, they all were true gentlemen, to be remembered.”
