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A Brief History of the Pigmy Pouter Clubs:
The first Pigmy Pouter Club - From the American Pigeon Keeper of "March 1st, 1900.
The first Pigmy Pouter Club, was formed at the residence of Edward Schmidt, 712 Twelfth St. N. W., in Washington, D.C., February 7th 1900. The name of the new Association is the American Pigmy Pouter Club.
Albert E. Smith of Brookline, Mass. says: "All the breeders were located along the Eastern Coast, from Buffalo, NY. and East at that time and some real hot times were had at all meets. Real fellowship, real friendliness, real interest in the breed.
Later a Western Club was formed and there were two club meets each year and I attended both of them, exhibited at both of them and helped to finance both of them.
The Western club referred to in the above was the National Pigmy Pouter Club, which was formed at the Chicago show of 1908. The primary purpose of the new club was, "To move the activities and meets of the club West to cover more territory than had been covered by the original club."
For about ten years, the two clubs functioned, in a friendly manner and about the time of World War One 1918), the International Pigmy Pouter Club was formed representing both clubs.
From 1918 to 1922 the two clubs operated as one unit, but at the Cleveland show in 1922, the National breeders withdrew and reformed National Pigmy Pouter Club. The American members regrouped and from 1922 to 1938, both clubs were active, with some breeders loyal to both clubs.
In early 1938 plans were formed to organize an association of all Pouter breeders, representing all types of Pouters, for the sole purpose of showing together in one big combined meet, the association to be known as the Pouter Exhibition Association of America. This combined meet proved very successful and shows were held in Cleveland in 1938, Chicago in 1939, Cleveland 1940 and in Sturgis, Michigan in 1941.
Due to war conditions the Association drifted apart, the National gradually just faded away, and only the American
Pigmy Pouter Club continued to function.
The American Pigmy Pouter Club has served the breeders well over the years, its aims and goals set forth by its founders, -- real fellowship, real friendliness, real dedication by its members, and real interest in the "World's Greatest Show bird," the Pigmy Pouter. It is this type of teamwork that has held the organization together for 69 years. (1900-1969).
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