The Wilmington Trapshooting Association traces its roots to the Du Pont Gun Club. The Du Pont Gun Club was founded on the modern day site of the DuPont Experimental Station with the backing of the DuPont Company, T. Coleman du Pont (1863-1930), and Victor du Pont (1882-1943) in November of 1910. The DuPont Company employed nearly twenty men with the sole responsibly of promoting the building of gun clubs, so it was only right to have one on the banks of the Brandywine. DuPont Company President, T. Coleman du Pont, pledged an annual gift of $200 for awarding trophy spoons to tournament champions. In its early months, membership reached over one hundred members, within a year, totals were over five hundred. The club threw over one million targets in its first year of operation (contractors are reported to have reclaimed nearly twenty-three tons of lead from the first one inch of earth that year). Lights were installed in 1915 for the allowance of night shooting, eventually leading to the beginning of the end of the club.

Even after night shooting was stopped late in 1915, a suit was filed in Delaware courts due to complaints of noise. The case was heard in court where it was testified about not only the noise, but also shot fall onto local roads. The club was closed in 1916. However, many members formed a new club, the Wilmington Trapshooting Association. The club was originally located near Bellevue, Delaware on land owned by Alfred I. du Pont (1864-1935). Organized in November of 1916, the first officers of the club were: William Highfield (1884-1943) as President, C. Thorpe Martin (1880-1955) as Vice President, E.R. Galvin (dates unknown) as Secretary, and finally William G. Robelen (1876-1949) as Treasurer. The new club was formed as a share holder organization with members each holding stock, in this case, each member typically held five shares, with the exception of Alfred I. du Pont who held two thousand five hundred shares. Other shareholders of note were: William Coyne (1866-1933), T.E. Doremus (1874-1962), Alexis I. du Pont (1869-1921), Irenee du Pont (1876-1963), Philip du Pont (1878-1928), Victor du Pont, William du Pont (1896-1965), E.R. Galvin, Miss Harriett Hammond (1878-1969), T. Clarence Marshall (1885-1969), John J. Raskob (1879-1950), and J.T. Skelley (dates unknown). The first clubhouse of the organization was built in 1917, likely with the backing of Alfred I. du Pont who late in 1916, was issued over $10,000 in additional stock in the club. In the early days of WTA, Alfred I. du Pont was the patron saint of the club. He frequently made donations whenever WTA needed financial assistance. By the end of 1932, discussion was being had within the club about moving the club to New Castle, Delaware. In September of that year, club officials met with the New Castle Commons Commissioners regarding a tract of land located off of Basin Road. A thirty-six acre parcel located on the New Castle Commons, which had been referred to as the Stockton Farm, was finally negotiated between trustees of the Commons and WTA for a period of ten years at a cost of $500 a year. Shooting continued here continued, even on a limited scale through World War II. In 1956 the club lost its lease on the Basin Road site and moved to Minquadale, Delaware at the site of the Petrillo Brothers Quarry. Trap and Skeet Shooting at this location commenced early in 1958. The club remained at that site until the 1970s when it moved to its current location along Pulaski Highway near Newark, Delaware.