About nine miles southwest of Gilmer is located the old-settled
community of Pleasant Hill. Back in the 1870’s, 1880’s and 1890’s,
Pleasant Hill was a progressive community. People drifted in here from
Harrison and other counties, and from the old states, and Pleasant Hill
had its beginning. The early settlers and builders of Pleasant Hill were
some of the best people in Texas. John T. Holloway, Madison Read, Joe
Mathis, Henry Bauman and many other noted families settled at Pleasant
Hill.
John T. Holloway, a Christian evangelist, held meetings here and
established a church at an early date. John Mathis ran a county store
and cotton gin and grist mill. Henry Bauman ran a blacksmith and general
work shop.
A building for church and school was erected on a little deviation,
hence the name, Pleasant Hill. The land at that time was fresh and
fertile. The farmers made good crops and were prosperous. Wild game was
plentiful in the woods, which furnished a means of recreation and sport
as well as meat for the settler’s table.
Back in the early days, good schools were scarce. The state had but
little money to finance schools, hence the public schools were poor. Our
best schools were private institutions, financed by private individuals,
by tuition, or by church organizations.
Sometime in the 1880’s, Prof. T. J. Allison established a private school
in connection with the public school at Pleasant Hill. He erected a
two-story frame building, and equipped it for high school work. He
conducted a large school here for several years, with pupils coming from
the surrounding settlements. One particular feature in regard to all
early schools, we note, was the thoroughness of their work. Pupils were
required to master a subject before they passed it. Public examinations
were held at the close of the term, and each class was examined on the
entire term’s work. These public examinations were important occasions
attended by the entire community.
Prof. Allison sold his school to the local community in a few years and
took up the practice of medicine. C. B. Reader succeeded him.
In about the year 1900, the town of Pritchett began to be built up on
the Cotton Belt railroad near Pleasant Hill, and the business and a
number of the citizens of Pleasant Hill moved over to the new town.
Prof. W. W. Saunders established the Pritchett Preparatory Institute in
1891, and the history of Pritchett began. A considerable town was built
up, with a number of nice residences, several stores, a postoffice and a
bank. After the Pritchett Normal Institute ceased to function, the
citizens of Pritchett established a high school which was affiliated
with the State University and received pupils from the nearby districts
whose grades were not taught in their home schools. The school building
was destroyed by fire, and the school ceased to function as a receiving
school. Later, the school united with Gladewater and the high school
pupils are carried to that school. A modern rock school building was
erected at Pritchett, where an elementary school is now maintained.