Nancy Paisley recalled snowy winter days at the Keystone Fish and Hunt Club, when members’ children would bundle up to go sledding at the nearby Tamaqua Elementary School.

“The mothers would take turns taking the kids, and when they would come back, they’d put their gloves and hats on the radiator to dry, and we’d have hot chocolate waiting for them,” she said.

What started as a hunting and fishing club for men 75 years ago has turned into a place where people gather and friendships form.

“We’ve all become family here,” said Paisley, the club’s treasurer and bar manager.

To mark its milestone anniversary, the social club at 421 Nescopec St. is hosting a July 23 celebration. The public event will run from 3 p.m. to midnight and will feature music, drawings, raffles and more. Food will be available from The Messy Pig food truck.

Fred Nebula will take the outdoor stage at 3 p.m., followed by Jesse Wade at 5 p.m., and Nate Zeigler with Matt and Sheyann at 7 p.m. The event moves indoors at 9 p.m. with a performance by JJ Hannon from Any Given Thursday. DJ VIP will perform between acts.

The club was founded on July 28, 1947, and has been headquartered at the current site since at least 1953.

At that time, Paisley said, the club was surrounded by a seemingly endless forest.

“The (Tamaqua Elementary) school wasn’t here. It was all woods,” she noted.

Members hunted the land for deer and small game. Photos of some of the early excursions, with men carrying rifles and shotguns hang on a club bulletin board.

Years ago, members would also stock rabbits and pheasants in the area, and catfish at Kellner’s Dam in Tamaqua.

And while stockings have stopped, Keystone continues to make donations to outdoor organizations and local civic groups. It also holds fundraisers for those in need in the community, including those who are battling cancer.

“We try to help out when, where we can,” Paisley said.

When the club began it, was open to men only. In 1993, female members were invited.

Clayton Sherry, the club’s vice president, joined several years ago after returning to Tamaqua.

His father, the late Clayton “Gip” Sherry, was a member, and when he retired, he gathered with others to play the card game “euchre.”

Sherry remembers stopping in to see his father when he played.

“A lot of members had family who belonged here,” Sherry said.

The bar was remodeled in 2020, and when COVID restrictions were in place, the club purchased tables, umbrellas and other supplies so members could gather outside.

And now, they can hold family-style picnics during the warmer months.

Other activities include monthly music performances, holiday gatherings, bingo and special events.

And when they’re not at the club, members often take trips to concerts, white water rafting or escape rooms.

“It’s really like a family place. We pick on each other just like brothers and sisters,” Sherry said. “But we always help each other out.”

The club has 275 members and continues to accept applications.

Officers include Donna Hollywood, president; Clayton Sherry, vice president; Nancy Paisley, treasurer; and Karl Paisley, Frank Wilson and Dave Leibensperger, trustees.