PUMPKIN HOOK

Inscription

PUMPKIN HOOK
IN EARLY 1800S, PUMPKINS
WERE STOLEN OR “HOOKED”
FROM A VISITING FARMER’S
WAGON AND SET ON PORCHES
AROUND HAMLET AS A PRANK.
NEW YORK FOLKLORE SOCIETY
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2017

The name Pumpkin Hook is associated to the community itself. In the early 1800s, the area was known for its pumpkin fields. In 1833, it’s said that a local politician penned a number of articles protesting the readjustment of county lines. He wrote the articles under the pseudonym, “Pumpkin Hook.” Lore says that the pumpkins were stolen – or “hooked” – by locals and put on porches as a prank. Later when people would travel to New Salem it was asked, “Are you going to Pumpkin Hook or the Hook?”