Harrison Stipe originally owned the ground on which S&M Hunting Lodge exists. Harrison Stipe used it as a regulated shooting ground, which I suspect started the 40's. This regulated shooting ground was larger than it exists today. The shooting ground included the land on which the houses are located on Centennial Road. These houses are across the road from our property. The stone farmhouse on Centennial Road also belonged to Harrison Stipe.

When Harrison Stipe died, the land became the property of his son, James Stipe. I think Jim sold the stone farmhouse on Centennial Road and the other land along Centennial Road. Eventually, the remaining property was sold to Straban Investment Company, which consisted of 8 members. Jim Stipe leased the property from Straban Investment Company and tried to run it as a regulated shooting ground but was not successful. He then sublet the land to R&R Hunting Lodge until March of 1976. R&R (Frank Ruth and Peter Rondeau) Hunting Lodge had 15 members who paid a membership fee to hunt.

The fee was $210.00 per year and the guest fee was $15.00. The birds were supplied by P&G (Peter and 

Gloria Rondeau) Pheasant Farms. The P&G Pheasant Farm was located near Hunterstown. I think Peter Rondeau would bring the birds and stock them for the members. Rick Shaffer, our former gamekeeper, informed me that his dad Fred, he and his brothers, worked for Pete Rondeau raising pheasants.

In September of 1977, an organizational meeting was held for S&M Hunting Lodge. Straban Investment Company agreed to sign a one-year option with S&M Hunting Lodge to sell the land to them for the price of $400,000.00. At this meeting, Thomas Zeigler, Paul McLeary Jr., Dave Logan, Ted Rhodes, Peter Rondeau, Frank Ruth, Donald Hershey and Glenn Hamme were the directors of the to-be-formed S&M (Straban and Mt Pleasant) Hunting Lodge. It was decided to incorporate a non-profit organization with 102 shareholders. It was during 1977-1978 hunting season that all this happened. An initial stock offering was made and approximately 51 shares needed to be sold to have the corporation come into existence.

Many of the initial directors bought multiple shares to have the club get it’s start. The stock offering became successful and thus S&M Lodge came into existence. The S&M Hunting Lodge borrowed $114,800 from Adams County National Bank to make the purchase complete from Straban Investment Co. In August of 1978, the Lodge received Tax Exempt Status as a non-profit corporation. The original officers were President - Dave Logan, Vice President - Paul McCleary Jr., Secretary - Ted Rhodes and Treasurer - Peter Rondeau. The original shares were sold in March of 1979. They were sold to Dave Logan, Peter and Gloria Rondeau, Donald and Mildred Hershey, Ted Rhodes, Clark Jacobs, Frank Ruth, Mark Kantarian, Archie Rinehart, Thomas Zeigler and Glenn Hamme.

During the first season, the club stocked 2,434 pheasants, 1904 Quail and 150 Chuckars. The birds were purchased from P&G Pheasant Farm for the 1977-1978 season. Fred worked at a full-time night shift job and stocked the birds in the a.m. and p.m.

During the 1978-1979 season, Dol. Dan Shungel became the gamekeeper. The birds were all purchased from P&G Pheasant Farms. During that season, 4,000 pheasants and 2,500 qual were stocked.

During the 1979-1980 season, Fred again became gamekeeper. We purchased the incubators from P&G Pheasant Farms and moved them to what is now our current cleaning room. So in April of 1979, we started to raise our own pheasants. During this season, we raised 2,619 pheasants and 430 quail. There were 852 member hunts and 322 guests.

During the 1980-1981 season, Donald Hershey made a motion to sell Hunting Rights. The club had many members who did not hunt and the club was not able to collect the dues.

Peg Shaffer became the gamekeeper in 1988 after the death of her father Fred Shaffer.

We have had numerous gamekeepers over the years and we continue to make improvements to the overall operation of the farm.