90 Years of Tradition: The Story of the Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper

Some traditions mark a moment in history. Others become part of the history themselves.

This Labor Day weekend, the Pecan Wells community will celebrate the 90th Annual Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper, continuing a Hamilton County tradition that began in 1936.

For generations of families connected to Pecan Wells, the Hunter’s Supper has become much more than an annual meal. It is a homecoming—a time for old friends, neighbors, relatives, former residents, and newcomers to gather, share stories, and continue a tradition that has endured for nearly a century.

It Started with a “Souping”

The story begins during the Great Depression, when many area farmers and ranchers kept goats both for income and to help control the heavy brush covering the countryside. That brush also provided habitat for bobcats, foxes, and other predators that threatened livestock.

After experiencing livestock losses, Foss Kemp asked neighborhood hunters to help control the predators.

Later that fall, Foss and his wife, Ellen Kemp, decided to thank the community by hosting a “souping” at their home. Their neighbors Tucker and Gertrude Menzdorf helped with the gathering, and local businesses and family members contributed to the meal.

Barbara Green and her son Floyd, who operated the grocery store and gas station in Pecan Wells, provided coffee. Foss and Ellen’s son and daughter-in-law, Olen and Ruby Kemp, who owned a grocery store in Mount Olive, furnished the crackers.

With soup as the main course, neighbors gathered together—and without realizing it at the time, they began what would become the Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper in 1936.

A Community Tradition Takes Root

During the following three years, Bill Harrod, Bill Bynum, and Pud Spivey hosted gatherings at their homes and served barbequed goat.

The supper eventually returned to the Pecan Wells community and developed into a more organized annual event during the early 1940s.

Over the years, hosting families included Jim Green, Oscar Hiller, Charlie Ising, Paul Ising, Foss Kemp, Tucker Menzdorf, N.N.N. Newton, Johnny Rudolph, Valentine Sauers, Ira Toney, Ira Toney Jr., L.Y. Weeks, T.K. Whiteside, Bud Witzsche, and Jim Yeager.

Since the mid-1960s, the gathering has been held at the home of Oscar and Ruby Hiller. Following their deaths in 1984, the Hiller Homeplace passed to their daughter and son-in-law, Joy and Gene Payne.

The property became the permanent home of the Hunter’s Supper, held each year on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

When the Hunters Brought Their Dogs

In the early years, the name “Hunter’s Supper” was quite literal.

Hunters and their families traveled from near and far, arriving early in the evening with their prized hunting dogs. Around the campfire, the men exchanged hunting stories and “dog tales”—and occasionally even made a dog trade.

Once the hunt began, the sound of dogs trailing through the countryside could continue into the early morning hours.

Among the early hunters remembered as part of the tradition were Elzie Brown, Bill Bynum, Roy Bynum, Harry Couch, Jim Green, Dick Hurley, Elmer Hurley, Foss Kemp, Johnny Kemp, Bailey Landua, Winsor McPherson, Dave Massingill, Joe Menzdorf, Tucker Menzdorf, Hays Miles, Tex Miles, Esto Newton, N.N.N. Newton, Marvin Scott, Garrett Sparkman, Pud Spivey, Alvin Tulley, Will Tulley, Bill Yeager, Boyd Yeager, and Marvin Yeager.

As the countryside changed, brushland was cleared and predator numbers declined. Eventually, there was no longer the same need for organized hunts.

The hunting dogs stopped coming.

The people did not.

From Barbequed Goat to a Community Feast

During the Depression years, neighbors provided goats for the supper. Butchering took place late Friday, with preparations for the barbeque beginning Saturday morning.

Eventually, beef replaced goat, with the meat butchered and processed locally.

The responsibility for cooking the barbeque has also been passed through generations. Paul Ising cooked for many years before passing the responsibility to his son, Charlie Ising. After Charlie’s death, Garland Yeager and Tom Pierce took over. In more recent years, Tom and Trent Pierce have continued the cooking tradition.

Today, preparing for the Hunter’s Supper remains a true community undertaking.

Early Saturday morning, volunteers gather to arrange tables and benches, prepare lighting, set up the wash pots used for coffee and barbeque, and ready the stone crocks for drinks.

For a typical gathering of 200 to 300 people, volunteers prepare approximately 150 pounds of beef, 20 gallons of tea, and 10 gallons of lemonade. Local women prepare beans, while guests contribute salads, vegetables, desserts, and other dishes to complete the meal.

It is quite a contrast to that first simple “souping.”

Powered by Volunteers—and the Passing of the Hat

The Hunter’s Supper has always depended upon volunteer talent, labor, and contributions.

There is no complicated fundraising system behind it. Instead, one of the event’s longtime traditions is simply “passing the hat.”

Contributions from those attending help cover the cost of continuing the supper. Through the years, the community has continued to provide what was needed—a testament to how much the gathering and its heritage mean to the people who attend.

Local musicians and singers have also shared their talents over the years, often performing from a flatbed trailer serving as the evening’s bandstand.

Then, early Sunday morning, volunteers return to clean the grounds, haul away trash, and pack the tables and benches until another Labor Day weekend arrives.

A Tradition That Endured

Across nine decades, remarkably few things have interrupted the Hunter’s Supper.

The gathering was canceled following family deaths in 2016 and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Those three years remain the only cancellations in the tradition’s history.

That continuity is especially meaningful because the Hunter’s Supper no longer exists for the reason it was created.

Instead, its purpose evolved.

From Hunter’s Supper to Homecoming

The predators, hunting dogs, and late-night hunts that inspired the original gathering have largely become memories.

What remains is the community.

Today, people travel from near and far to attend what has effectively become a Pecan Wells homecoming—a reunion of old friends, neighbors, relatives, former residents, and newcomers.

It is a place where people sit down together, slow down for an evening, tell stories, remember those who came before them, and make new acquaintances.

In a world where traditions can disappear within a generation, the Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper has endured because people have continued to show up.

That makes it more than an event.

It is living Hamilton County history.

Celebrating 90 Years

This Labor Day weekend, another chapter of that history will be written as the Pecan Wells community gathers for the 90th Annual Hunter’s Supper.

For current details, including the time, location, and information about what attendees are encouraged to bring, visit the Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper event page on All Things Hamilton.

Whether your family has attended for generations or you are discovering the Hunter’s Supper for the first time, you are welcome to be part of this remarkable community tradition.

Preserving the Story

Preserving local history often begins with someone taking the time to remember—and to share.

All Things Hamilton extends special thanks to Sharon Payne Thompson for sharing the history and details behind the Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper and for inviting us to help tell its story.

The names, memories, and traditions preserved here come from generations of people who have kept the Hunter’s Supper alive. We are grateful to Sharon and to the Pecan Wells families and volunteers who have documented, shared, and passed down this history.

As a Main Street-managed community resource, All Things Hamilton is proud to help preserve and share the stories, traditions, people, and places that make Hamilton and Hamilton County unique.

The Pecan Wells Hunter’s Supper is one of those stories.

And after nine decades, it is still being written.

From Butcher Block to Ballroom: Wenzel Hall Opens in Historic Downtown Hamilton

Hamilton’s Historic Main Street district has always been a place where neighbors gather, celebrate, and build memories. On August 30, 2025, the community will welcome a new chapter with the grand opening of Wenzel Hall—a modern event space rooted in history.

A Legacy on Bell Street

Just steps from the courthouse, Bell Street has long been home to businesses that have shaped daily life. The Wenzel family’s LoneStar Meat Co. at 209 N. Bell has been a Main Street anchor for years. Now, the neighboring buildings at 203 N. Bell—once storefronts serving generations of Hamiltonians—have been thoughtfully transformed into Wenzel Hall, designed to bring people together, just as downtown businesses have always done.

Where History Meets Celebration

With a full kitchen, bridal suites, and a flexible floor plan, the venue supports weddings, reunions, live music, and community events—honoring its historic surroundings while meeting the needs of the modern era.

Community at the Heart

Timed with Dove Festival weekend, the opening underscores what Main Street has always been: Hamilton’s living room. Wenzel Hall carries that spirit forward, offering a new stage where the town’s story continues.

Looking Ahead

By bridging past and present, Wenzel Hall strengthens the fabric of Hamilton’s Historic Main Street—giving residents and visitors another reason to gather in the heart of town.

For booking details and more, visit www.wenzelhall.com.