For Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Bro. Gary Robbins, Pastor, welcomes members and friends of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Mission to the Annual Wild Game Banquet.

Diners eagerly lined up in the newly renovated Pleasant Hill Baptist Mission Fellowship Hall to sample exotic foods at the Wild Game Banquet.

Pleasant HillRamblings
Jean Clark
Chroniclecontributor
Thebuilding at the corner of Browntown Road and Main Street in Pleasant Hill hasbeen transformed over the lastfew months from a food market to a FellowshipHall. The PH Baptist Mission folks have been diligently hammering,painting,cleaning, and constructing to make this place a welcoming Hall across fromtheir Church on Browntown Road.Major work by contractors and members, replacedplate glass store windows with an enclosed wall and attractive door.Theoutside bathrooms were removed, indoor ones added along with a kitchen, stage,new ceiling, walls, and lights. Tablesand chairs provided seating for around160 as members, guests, and friends gathered to admire this newly refurbishedfacility and taste a variety of wild game with fixins’ on Saturday evening, May20. The town of Pleasant Hill marked off acrosswalk so pedestrians parking inthe church lot could safely cross Browntown. There was plenty of parking aroundtheHall, on the freshly paved lot covering the removed gas tanks.
Some of thewild game may have been harvested locally, but others I don’t think are foundin these here parts. Apopular dish, venison chili was in large quantitiesaccompanied by a variety of homemade corn breads. Deer bacon wraps,deer roast,deer jerky, and wild turkey may have been caught locally. Perhaps the deepfried rabbit, rabbit sausage withrattlesnake in jalapeno and chardonnay saucecould have been from someone’s back yard. Some people could have caughtthe friedcrappie, put grasshoppers in chili seasoning, prepared frog legs, or evenmanaged wild boar sausage (I haveseen a wild boar in the County).It’s not likely, however, that the buffalo sliders,barbeque buffalo, camel meatballs, elk, wild caughttuna, and alligator meatcame from nearby. There was also fried chicken, which kind of looked like theColonel’s.Mashed potatoes, and potato salad accompanied the meats andyummy homemade desserts filled up anyone still hungry.Door prizes were anadded bonus.
PleasantHill townies have been thrilled to see the work that has been going on toprepare this addition for the PHBaptist Mission. The Village Market has beenclosed and abandoned since it was auctioned off, some preliminary repairsmadeby new owners who were unable to complete it because of unexpected illness. Therehad been a store of some typeat the corner of Browntown Road and Main Streetin Pleasant Hill since before the town was incorporated. The Rev.LafayetteSmith, known as Fate, bought a house, farm, store and sawmill at that site in1902. The sign, “L. F. Smith andSon General Merchandise” remained long afterhis death when his son, Albert Smith became the main proprietor untilFebruary20, 1968 when the store burned to the ground. The current building wascompleted in June 1973 built by C.T.Mathis who operated it for several yearsas the Mathes Village Market. It changed hands many times. Ronney and PamWinningham owned it after Mathis and then sold it to David and Norma Hyder whoran it until around 1984 when it wasbought by Roy and Sara Anderson who werethe proprietors until Norman and Andria Cunningham purchased it in October2001.
Cunningham,a Disciples of Christ pastor, refused to sell beer and lottery tickets and withthe fluctuation in gasolineprices stopped providing gas as well. Competitionfrom the Town and Country Market on Hwy 70 and a new Dollar GeneralStore didin the Village Market. It was finally sold at auction since no buyers had comeforth and work proceeded tomodernize the building for another market, untilthe owner fell ill. Now the building, owned by the PH Baptist Mission shows new life. What a pleasure to see this local landmark reincarnatedasa place for fellowship and usefulness.

This week in Pleasant Hill:

Mon, June 5, 1-7:30 pm,World Environment Day Film Festivalin Room 4, PH Community Church, UCC Main Street& ChurchDrive in Pleasant Hill.

Mon, June 5, 2:30 pm May Cravath WhartonAssociation Annual Meeting. Program:“Introduction to Pioneer Hall”videoand election of officers & coordinators in Adshead Hall ofFletcher House. Craft items will be for sale.

Wednesdaysfrom 10 am - 4 pm. Sundays from 2 - 5 pm Pioneer Hall Museum open for yourvisits until the endof October. If you have visitors at any other time, feelfree to call Sharon at 277-5226, Jeanne at 277-3111, orChris at 277-3742. Theywill try to arrange a special tour.

Wed, May 31, 5:30 pm,documentaries about the potential crisis in Russia-USA relations in Room 4, PHCommunity Church, UCC Main Street & Church Drive in Pleasant Hill.

Thurs,June 1, 2 – 3 pm, Erin and Will Siler will provide musical entertainment withguitars and a sing-a-long atWharton Homes in Munson Home (1).

Fri, June 2, 10 am, Tour of Wharton Homes,begin at Braun Home (#1).

Sun – Thurs, June 4 – 8,Vacation Bible School at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Mission at 39 Browntown Rd nearMainSt. Theme: “Hero, Discover your Strength in God”. Register at

Jean Clark

931-277-5467