CIRCLEVILLE — Hundreds of thousands of people come to the Circleville Pumpkin Show to experience it in person but there’s one man who has helped document it for both posterity and the world.
kAmy24< |256C[ fg[ 2 7@C>6C k6>mr:C4=6G:==6 w6C2=5k^6>m #6A@CE6C[ 92D D6CG65 7@C 2E =62DE E96 =2DE `d J62CD 2E E96 !F>A<:? $9@H’D @77:4:2= G@=F?E66C A9@E@8C2A96C] %9:D J62C[ 4:E:?8 286 2?5 962=E9 :DDF6D[ |256C 92D E2<6? 2 DE6A 324< 2?5 :D EFC?:?8 E96 C6:8?D @G6C E@ @E96C[ J@F?86C A9@E@8C2A96CD]k^Am
kAmq2CCJ z6==6C[ G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 r:C4=6G:==6 !F>A<:? $9@H[ D2:5 |256C :D @?6 @7 E96 =@?86DE D6CG:?8 G@=F?E66CD E96J’G6 925]k^Am
kAm“w6 92D 366? 2 G6CJ 565:42E65 2?5 =@?8 E:>6 G@=F?E66C[” z6==6C D2:5] “w:D D<:== :D H@?56C7F= 2?5 96 AC@G:56D E96 :>286D E@ @FC (63>2DE6C] w6’D 366? E96 36DE D@FC46 7@C @FC H63A286D 7@C >2?J J62CD E2<:?8 A:4EFC6D 2E E96 ;F58:?8[ A2C256D[ E62C 5@H?[ D6E FA 2?5 >@C6] pD 2 G@=F?E66C 2== H6 42? 5@ :D 8:G6 9:> 2 A9@E@ 4C65:E] w6’D G6CJ AC@F5 E@ H62C E96 @C2?86 ;24<6E 2?5 H9:=6 96’== DE:== 36 2C@F?5 96 H@?’E 36 5@:?8 2== E96 6G6?ED E9:D H66<]”k^Am
kAm|256C DE2CE65 9:D E:>6 2D 2 !F>A<:? $9@H G@=F?E66C 2D 2? 2??@F?46C :? `heh H96? 2 76==@H 2??@F?46C H2?E65 2 ?6H A2C256\2??@F?4:?8 A2CE?6C]k^Am
kAm“q24< E96? E96 2??@F?4:?8 A=2E7@C>D H6C6 AC:>:E:G6 @=5 72C> H28@?D E92E 925 366? DACF465 FA 2 3:E[” |256C D2:5] “%96 @?=J =:89E:?8 H6 925 H6C6 2 DEC2?5 @7 32C6 3F=3D @? 2 EH@ 3J 7@FC] %96 AC@3=6> H2D H96? :E H@F=5 C2:? @C :E 8@E 4@=5[ E96J H@F=5 6IA=@56]k^Am
kAmxE H2D E96 D2>6 E9:?8 H:E9 E96 @=5 E:>6 2>A=:7:6CD[ :7 J@F 8@E 2 =@E @7 H2E6C :? E96> E96J’5 3=@H FA]”k^Am
kAm|256C D2:5 27E6C 2??@F?4:?8 @? !:?4<?6J $EC66E 7@C 2 ?F>36C @7 J62CD 96 >@G65 E@ uC2?<=:? $EC66E :? 7C@?E @7 u:EKA2EC:4<’D !2:?E6CJ[ 367@C6 E96 DE286 >@G65 @? 5@H? E@ E96 r@C?6C @7 !:4<2H2J 2?5 uC2?<=:? $EC66ED]k^Am
kAm“x H2D E96C6 F?E:= E96J >@G65 FD 5@H? E@ uC2?<=:? 2?5 !:4<2H2J H96C6 E96 ?6H DE286 H2D[ :E H2D E96 7:CDE @7 E96 ?6H DE286D 2?5 92D 96=5 FA G6CJ H6==[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|256C D2:5 96 H2D?’E DFC6 E96 6I24E J62C 96 DE2CE65 5@:?8 A9@E@8C2A9J 3FE 96 H2D 5@:?8 :E 7@C E96 `__E9 p??:G6CD2CJ[ H9:49 H2D :? a__e]k^Am
kAm“,z6==6C. 42>6 E@ >6 2?5 2D<65 >6 :7 x’5 E2<6 D@>6 A:4EFC6D 2?5 AFE E96> FA @? E96 !F>A<:? $9@H H63D:E6 2?5 x E@=5 9:> x 4@F=5 5@ :E[” 96 D2:5] “u@C AC@323=J 7:G6 @C D:I J62CD x 5:5 3@E9 ;@3D[ 2??@F?4:?8 2E uC2?<=:? 2?5 !:4<2H2J 2?5 D9@@E:?8 A:4EFC6D] xE 8@E E@ E96 A@:?E :E H2D 2 5:D2DE6C ECJ:?8 E@ 5@ 3@E9]”k^Am
kAm(96? :E 42>6 E@ E96 A9@E@D[ |256C D92C65 E96 =@?8 9@FCD 2?5 E@F89 52JD :E E2<6D E@ 86E E@ 6G6CJE9:?8 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 :E’D A9@E@8C2A965] xE 368:?D E96 $F?52J 367@C6 E96 !F>A<:? $9@H DE2CED 2?5 8@6D FA E@ E96 6?5 @7 E96 D9@H]k^Am
kAm“x’5 86E FA 2E e 2]>] 2?5 8@ 5@H? 2?5 E2<6 A:4EFC6D @7 E96> =:?:?8 FA E96 3@@E9D[ E96J 92G6 E@ 36 :? 2 C62= AC64:D6 DA@E @C E96 H9@=6 =:?6 86ED >6DD65 FA[” 96 D2:5] “x’5 8@ E@ 49FC49 H96C6 x A=2J E96 @C82? E96? x’5 8@ 324< 5@H? :? E96 27E6C?@@? 2?5 E2<6 A:4EFC6D @7 E96> D6EE:?8 FA E96 AF>A<:? 5:DA=2J] xE’D 2 AC64:D6 H2J E96J 92G6 E@ 5@ E92E] x 7@F?5 @FE E96C6 2C6 `ge AF>A<:?D :? E96 AF>A<:? AJC2>:5] %96? x’5 4CFD6 5@H? E96 H9@=6 2C62 86EE:?8 A:4EFC6D @7 A6@A=6 D6EE:?8 E96 C:56D FA D9@H:?8 9@H E96 D9@H 4@>6D E@86E96C]”k^Am
kAm|256C D2:5 E96 6G6?E C62==J <:4<D @77 H:E9 E96 H6:89\:? 2?5 E96? E96 {:EE=6 |:DD !F>A<:? $9@H 2?5 |:DD !F>A<:? $9@H ;F58:?8 2D H6== 2D E96 (65?6D52J ?:89E A2C256 3FE E96 36DE E:>6 E@ E2<6 A9@E@D :D 5FC:?8 AC6G:6H ?:89E @? %F6D52J] |256C H@F=5 E96? 8@ @? E@ E2<6 A:4EFC6D @7 E96 A2C256D[ 4@?E6DED 2?5 2EE6>AE E@ 86E 6G6CJ 7=@2E :? E96 A2C256D]k^Am
kAm“x =:<6 5@:?8 ?:89E D9@ED 2?5 :E’D C62==J 362FE:7F= D@ x 8@ 2== @G6C E96 2C62 E@ 86E D@>6 @7 E96 C:56D :? >@E:@?[ @C E96 E:>6 6IA@DFC6D 2?5 2== D@CED @7 E9:?8D[” 96 D2:5] “%92E’D E96 @?=J E:>6 E92E x’G6 C62==J 925 E@ 5@ E9@D6 <:?5D @7 A:4EFC6D]”k^Am
kAm|256C D2:5 96’D G6CJ A:4<J 23@FE 9:D A:4EFC6D 2?5 96 DA6?5D 2 =@E @7 E:>6 65:E:?8]k^Am
kAm“$@>6 @7 E96> 92G6 E@ 36 4C@AA65[ D@>6 @7 E96> J@F 92G6 E@ 7:I E96 6IA@DFC6 D@>6 92G6 E@ 36 C6D:K65 7@C E96 H63[” 96 D2:5] “x’> A6CD?:4<6EJ 23@FE E96 A:4EFC6D…E9C@F89@FE E96 H66< x’G6 E2<6? 2?JH96C6 7C@> `[d__ E@ `[f__ :>286D] ~7 E9@D6 23@FE `[___ H:== 8@ E@ E96 H63D:E6]”k^Am
kAm|256C[ H9@ 42? 36 D66? 5C:G:?8 2C@F?5 :? 9:D 8@=7 42CE E@ 86E 7C@> A=246 E@ A=246 5@H?E@H? E@ D9@@E E96 G2C:@FD 6G6?ED[ D2:5 @?6 @7 9:D 72G@C:E6 E9:?8D E@ 5@ H2D E96 |:DD !F>A<:? $9@H A9@E@ D9@@E %9FCD52J >@C?:?8 H96C6 E96J E2<6 E96 8:C=D 2C@F?5 2?5 E2<6 A9@E@D :? 7C@?E @7 <6J =@42E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%96J 86E E96> 2== 5@H? E96C6 2?5 H6 E2<6 2 =@E @7 D9@ED 2C@F?5 E96 !F>A<:? s:DA=2J[ H6 8@ E@ {:?5D6J’D E@ D66 E96 A:6 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 86ED 2 5@?FE[ H6 8@ E@ #@E2CJ H96C6 E96J 92G6 E96 r9:=: 2?5 E96J 86E 49:=:[ E96 D@FG6?:C DE2?5[ D6G6C2= @7 E96 82>6 4@?46DD:@?D :?4=F5:?8 s62CH6DE6C r2?6D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|256C DA@<6 23@FE 9:D “DE6AA:?8 324<” 7C@> 9:D 5FE:6D 27E6C da J62CD 27E6C 92G:?8 962CE :DDF6D E92E C6BF:C65 DFC86CJ E@ 7:I 2 56764E] %96 AC@465FC6 H@C<65 3FE |256C D2:5 96 DE:== 766=D 72E:8F65 2D 96 92D >@DE @7 E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“x’> DE:== ?@E 766=:?8 2 H9@=6 =@E 36EE6C[ 6G6CJ@?6 D2JD x =@@< 36EE6C 3FE x 5@?’E <?@H H96C6 E96J’C6 4@>:?8 7C@> H:E9 E92E[” 96 D2:5] “x E@=5 ,z6==6C. 62C=:6C :? E96 J62C E92E x H@F=5 ?665 E@ 86E D@>6 96=A 3642FD6 :E’D 86EE:?8 E@ E96 A@:?E H96C6 x 42?’E 5@ :E] %96? x 8@E D:4< 2?5 x 564:565 E@ DE6A 324< 96C6] %96J’G6 8@E EH@ A6@A=6[ @?6 7F== E:>6 2?5 @?6 A2CE E:>6 E@ 7:== E96 5FE:6D]”k^Am
kAm(96? :E 4@>6D E@ A6@A=6 DE6AA:?8 FA E@ G@=F?E66C =:<6 96 92D[ |256C 6?4@FC2865 A6@A=6 E@ 5@ D@]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F =:<6 !F>A<:? $9@H[ 2?5 >@DE A6@A=6 5@[ 2?5 J@F’5 =:<6 E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 :?G@=G65 H6 42? AFE J@F E@ H@C<[” 96 D2:5] “%96C6 2C6 9F?5C65D @7 ;@3D J@F 42? 5@ 7C@> A2C256 A6@A=6[ D6EE:?8 FA 5:DA=2JD[ 2?5 E96J’C6 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 7@C A6@A=6 7@C E96 :?7@C>2E:@? 3@@E9] x 92G6 7@F?5 :E 6IEC6>6=J C6H2C5:?8 2D 2 4@>>F?:EJ E9:?8 2?5 x’G6 C62==J 6?;@J65 36:?8 2 A2CE @7 :E 2?5 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ E96 DF446DD @7 E96 !F>A<:? $9@H]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 |256C :D DE6AA:?8 324< 7C@> 9:D @77:4:2= 5FE:6D[ J@F 42? DE:== 7:?5 9:> E9:D H66< 5@H?E@H? DA@CE:?8 9:D @C2?86 DF:E ;24<6E]k^Am
kAm“~?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 E9:?8D :D 36:?8 5@H?E@H? 2?5 E2=<:?8 E@ A6@A=6[” 96 D2:5] “xE’D =:<6 2 C6F?:@?] !6@A=6 H:== 2=D@ 4@>6 FA H:E9 BF6DE:@?D 2?5 2D< H92E E:>6 E96 A2C256 :D[ H96C6 2C6 E96 32E9C@@>D 2?5 H96C6 :D E96 92?5:42AA65 A2C<:?8] %9@D6 2C6 E96 E9C66 BF6DE:@?D x 86E 2D<65 E96 >@DE]”k^Am
