Suggested caption: Frank and Ann Cunningham Meisamer with the Pleasant Hill Academy’s symbolic “shy fox” displayed mementoes after showing a video and discussing the coming of Dr. May Cravath Wharton to Pleasant Hill 100 years ago.

Pleasant HillRamblings
Jean Clark
Chroniclecontributor
in a video shown in early November to an interested group of Pleasant Hillresidents, Ann Cunningham Meisamerdiscussed the Pleasant Hill Academy and FrankMeisamer his recollections about early Uplands General Hospital activities.Manyinteresting photographs were shown of early Pleasant Hill. After the viewing,the Meisamers added comments andanswered questions. They set up a display with photographs and carvings from the Academy or Craft Shop. Neitherwere bornyet when Edwin and May Cravath Wharton arrived in Pleasant Hill 100 years agoin 1917, but their memories ofDr. May were strong.

On a wet fall day in 1917, John Frey, local farmer, picked up Dr. May at theCrossville train depot in an old Ford. Because the roadswere fullof mud holes, he zigzagged between stumps and trees through the woods to get toPleasant Hill. After a three-hour bumpy ride amongst the mail and packages, thewelcome lights of the girls’ hall of the Pleasant Hill Academy were abeacon forDr. May. Her husband, Edwin Wharton had come the month before just a few daysbefore the opening ofschool. A monumental task awaited the new Principal andhis wife as buildings and grounds were in a sad state ofdisrepair. TheAmerican Missionary Association had established the PH Academy in 1884 andsupplied the principals andfunds. When Grandview Academy thirty milessoutheast was closed the AMA was able to provide more money and theRev.Wharton began the much needed renovations putting the students to work in improvingtheir school. Unfortunately,Edwin Wharton died suddenly in 1920 leaving therefurbishing to others.

The grieving widow, Dr. May, planned to move back to theNew England area to resume her medical practice. Adelegation of local peoplewith a petition signed by 50 households begged her to stay to continueproviding the badlyneeded medical care in the Pleasant Hill area. Thetriumvirate of Dr. May, nurse Alice Adshead and business manager,ElizabethFletcher went on to establish a hospital, a tuberculosis sanitarium andeventually the May Cravath WhartonNursing Home in Pleasant Hill after thehospital moved into Crossville to become the Cumberland Medical Center. MayCravath was born in Minnesota, spent her early childhood on a farm, until thefamily established a homestead in theDakota Territories. She learned to ride ahorse to herd the family cows. This was good practice later for her ridinghorses ormules on house calls to the almost inaccessible rural cabins in thePleasant Hill area. Her early education began in a one-room schoolhouse, butshe finished high school at Carleton Academy, Northfield, Minnesota andattended CarletonCollege for three years. Her bachelor’s degree was from theUniversity of North Dakota where she was valedictorian. Afterstudy in Europeand university teaching, she enrolled in medical school at the University ofMichigan at age 28.
After May Cravath M.D. was unable to obtain a missionaryappointment, she set up practice in Atlanta, GA. Thereshe met and marriedEdwin Wharton, a successful architect and they continued working in theirrespective fields. They accepted an offerfrom a Cleveland, Ohio settlement house where Dr.May had interned and near Oberlin College where Edwin had studiedfor theministry. However, although the mission there was satisfying, theheavy workload on Dr. May took itstoll and they moved to a peaceful farm inNew Hampshire. Dr. May resumed private practice and Edwin pastored severalsmall churches. When the call came for him to be the Principal of the PleasantHill Academy in faraway rural Tennessee in1917, Dr. May was 44. After all ofthat moving around, Dr. May found her place here and she stayed for 42 yearspassingaway in 1959 at the age of 86.

Frank and Ann Meisamer were both born in thehospital in Pleasant Hill. Ann was delivered by Dr. May at CumberlandGeneralHospital in Pleasant Hill usually called “Uplands”. Both of her parents, AnnDouglas Tanner and Thomas LeeCunningham were students at the Pleasant HillAcademy, married on campus in 1927. Their first homes were inapartments inWheeler and Roberts Halls. Ann’s father, T.L. Cunningham became the AcademyFarm and MaintenanceManager. Ann attended Draughons Business College andworked at Union Carbide’s K-25 Plant in Oak Ridge. She laterattended MartinCollege and TN Tech, receiving a Teacher’s Certificate. Besides teaching in theelementary grades, shealso worked at Cumberland Medical Center.Frank and Ann married July 16, 1949 on thelawn of the Pleasant HillAcademy’s Principals’ home.
Frank’sfather, J. Frank Meisamer Sr. was Business Manager and then Superintendent,first at thehospital, later at the retirement community of Uplands. Hismother, Frances Helena Meisamer was Directorof Nursing. Frank grew up on theUplands campus and Ann on the Academy campus. Both attendedPleasant HillAcademy. Frank went on to graduate from Tennessee Tech with a B.S. inAccounting, laterreceiving a Masters Degree in Hospital Administration. Hiscareer positions included Administrator at TNTB Hospital in Chattanooga andlater CEO of Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville for 20 years. For 10yearshe was Regional Director (six SE states and Puerto Rico) for the AmericanHospital Association inAtlanta.

Theirfrequent trips back to Pleasant Hill, to the PH Community Church, for AcademyReunions, to see family andfriends have kept their ties to the area strong.They feel fortunate to have grown up with folks in Pleasant Hill and nowhavecome full circle in their lives returning to their starting place, buying alovely home on Upper Meadows on July 1,2010.The Conversation wassponsored by the Congregational Life and Care Core Ministry of the PleasantHillCommunity Church, United Church of Christ.

This week in Pleasant Hill:

Tues,Dec 5, Cummins Falls State Park, near Cookeville, 1-mile hike, waterfalloverlook and trail.Meet at 10 am inthe AquaticCenter parking lot on West Lake R. to carpool to the trailhead.

Wed,Dec 6, 1:30 pm, Annie Crabtree on piano for Wharton elders’ sing-a-long atMunson Home #2.

Wed, Dec. 6, 5 pm NOTE:earlier time, Documentary: “Putin’s Revenge” Parts 1 & 2 – come and findthe reasonsfor Russia’s involvement in the U.S. election in Room 4, PHCommunity Church, UCC Main Street & Church Drivein Pleasant Hill.

Wed, Dec 6, Lottie Moon Dinner andAuction, at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Mission at 39 Browntown Rd near MainSt.

ThursDec 7, 2 – 3 pm, Erin and Will Siler will provide musical entertainment withguitars and a sing-a-long atWharton Homes in Munson Home. (2).

Sun, Dec 10 Holiday Dinnerat the Pleasant Hill Baptist Mission at 39 Browntown Rd near Main St.

Mon,Dec 11, 11 am, Tour ofWharton Homes andMemory Care. Meet at Braun Home door, 878 W Main St, Pleasant Hill.

Tues,Dec 12, 6 pm, Pleasant Hill Town Council meeting at PHTown Hall, 351 E. Main St., PH 277-3813.