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the Waller Suppers, both Fish and Ham

A strong draw to former residents to come Back Home to Benton, PA, is an event that started in horse and buggy days in a building that is over 150 years old and is still going strong. We'll give you a clue and you should be able to figure it out immediately. At this event as it was conducted each year over most of its life, about 600 pounds of fish would be served, eight dozen heads of lettuce, and about 60 pounds of beans were baked along with 70 loaves of bread. Over 125 pies were donated, five bushels of potatoes were mashed, thirty pounds of butter and sixty quarts of canned corn were used. And it was all washed down with 17 pounds of coffee. And the last clue is that it is held in Waller. It is, of course, the yearly supper at Waller, which started out as a fish supper and has migrated into being a ham supper.

Much of the food over the years was donated, like the pies, relishes, milk and potatoes. The community hall folks prepared the corn the preceding summer. Millard Ash was superintendent of the Waller Sunday school for 28 years and was president of the hall association for many years. Under his direction, the concept of standing outside in line--in rain or the heat of sunshine--was changed so that tickets were purchased in advance. The hungry and impatient people would mill around places like the cemetery and wouldn't hear their numbers called and that brought problems to those who patiently stayed in line. Benches were added where folks can sit and chat, and the old system was put back in place.

The event started in 1900 by the Waller Methodist Congregation as a means of providing some financing for the church program. The Waller Methodist Church is over a century old, built during 1899-1900. Horses and buggies originally brought people to Waller for the Fish Supper over the road between Unityville and Benton that was constructed in 1828. Many came from Jamison City and Bloomsburg on the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad, then rode the rest of the way on wagons courtesy of local friends. Waller itself extends back before 1821-22 when a school opened beside the location of the Union church building.

The fish supper was originally held in the basement of the church. In 1954, the event moved to the Waller Memorial Hall which could accommodate 90 at a time. Services had not been held in the building for a number of years, and the building had fallen into a state of disrepair until some local residents decided to repair and remodel and make it into a community center. The building was originally the Union church building, built in 1854.

The supper--once known as the Jackson Fish Supper--has probably always been held on the third Saturday of June. It was the oldest fish supper in the area and a tradition in the upper Fishing Creek valley. Records show that for the first fish supper, the congregation purchased 25 pounds of fish at 7¢ a pound. By 1958, prices had jumped to 29¢ per pound for fresh mackerel and 550 pounds were purchased.

This year the planning is for serving about 275 but Ruth Ann Allegar, the chairperson of the event, reminds us that starting in 1981 the menu changed to ham. Fish is no longer available, but the homemade mayonnaise recipe hasn't changed in a hundred years and neither has the quantity or quality of food. The group plans to buy about a pound of ham per person and they will ladle out about 25 pounds of baked beans between 4 and 7 PM on June 18, 2005. We look forward to seeing you then and we'll remind you again as we get closer to the date.



The Waller Methodist Church is over a century old, built during the period 1899-1900. The district superintendent reported to the annual conference of the Methodist Church in 1899, "Ground has been bought and a subscription taken for a church at Waller. About two-thirds of the money required for the undertaking has been pledged." The superintendent later noted that on January 7, 1930, the church at Waller was dedicated free from debt. At an original cost of $1,600, the superintendent noted that it "is a beautiful structure, having a commodious auditorium and annex for the Sunday School, and reflects honor on the devoted people who began it in great fear, but giving mastery to faith, completed a better church than they at first conceived possible." Rev. M. L. Smyser, J. H. Bettens and W. W. Evans, the presiding elder, officiated at the dedication service. From 1898 to 1907, the Waller Methodist Church was part of the Waller charge. The ministers who served under the newly arranged circuit were E. E. McKelvey, R. F. Alien, J. H. Bettens, C. E. McKelvey. 0. C. Miller, C. H. Shull, T. M. Phillips and 0. S. Wiester. The Waller charge was discontinued in 1907, and the Waller Methodist Church became part of the Benton charge and additional history of the church can be found as part of the Benton United Methodist Church. The board of trustees, including Millard Ash, J. Britton Hess, Russel Morgan, Elmer Kline and Joseph Mendenhall, arranged for the church sanctuary to be completely renovated. A new chancel and new lighting fixtures were installed and the interior redecorated. The congregation noted that the improvement costs were more than the original cost of the church. Sunday School is held each Sunday at 9 AM and Church is at 10:15 AM. Pastor Calvin Miller ministers at both Benton United Methodist and the Waller Methodist Church.



the Waller Suppers, both Fish and Ham A strong draw to former residents to come Back Home to Benton, PA, is an event that started in horse and buggy days in a building that is over 150 years old and is still going strong. We'll give you a clue and you should be able to figure it out immediately. At this event as it was conducted each year over most of its life, about 600 pounds of fish would be served, eight dozen heads of lettuce, and about 60 pounds of beans were baked along with 70 loaves of bread. Over 125 pies were donated, five bushels of potatoes were mashed, thirty pounds of butter and sixty quarts of canned corn were used. And it was all washed down with 17 pounds of coffee. And the last clue is that it is held in Waller. It is, of course, the yearly supper at Waller, which started out as a fish supper and has migrated into being a ham supper. Much of the food over the years was donated, like the pies, relishes, milk and potatoes. The community hall folks prepared the corn the preceding summer. Millard Ash was superintendent of the Waller Sunday school for 28 years and was president of the hall association for many years. Under his direction, the concept of standing outside in line--in rain or the heat of sunshine--was changed so that tickets were purchased in advance. The hungry and impatient people would mill around places like the cemetery and wouldn't hear their numbers called and that brought problems to those who patiently stayed in line. Benches were added where folks can sit and chat, and the old system was put back in place. The event started in 1900 by the Waller Methodist Congregation as a means of providing some financing for the church program. The Waller Methodist Church is over a century old, built during 1899-1900. Horses and buggies originally brought people to Waller for the Fish Supper over the road between Unityville and Benton that was constructed in 1828. Many came from Jamison City and Bloomsburg on the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad, then rode the rest of the way on wagons courtesy of local friends. Waller itself extends back before 1821-22 when a school opened beside the location of the Union church building. The fish supper was originally held in the basement of the church. In 1954, the event moved to the Waller Memorial Hall which could accommodate 90 at a time. Services had not been held in the building for a number of years, and the building had fallen into a state of disrepair until some local residents decided to repair and remodel and make it into a community center. The building was originally the Union church building, built in 1854. The supper--once known as the Jackson Fish Supper--has probably always been held on the third Saturday of June. It was the oldest fish supper in the area and a tradition in the upper Fishing Creek valley. Records show that for the first fish supper, the congregation purchased 25 pounds of fish at 7¢ a pound. By 1958, prices had jumped to 29¢ per pound for fresh mackerel and 550 pounds were purchased. This year the planning is for serving about 275 but Ruth Ann Allegar, the chairperson of the event, reminds us that starting in 1981 the menu changed to ham. Fish is no longer available, but the homemade mayonnaise recipe hasn't changed in a hundred years and neither has the quantity or quality of food. The group plans to buy about a pound of ham per person and they will ladle out about 25 pounds of baked beans between 4 and 7 PM on June 18, 2005. We look forward to seeing you then and we'll remind you again as we get closer to the date.