EUREKA PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

• Eureka Pumpkin Festival History
• Eureka Pumpkin Festival Queens & Attendants

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Pumpkins, Parades, & Pies:
Eureka's Pumpkin Festival Past, 1939-1961

​In 1939 the Eureka Community Association had an idea - hosting a community celebration to promote Eureka businesses as well as boost community spirit after the long, hard Depression years. In October of 1939 the first of twelve Eureka Pumpkin Festivals was held and Eureka was crowned the "Pumpkin Center of the World." The festivals averaged 50,000 attendees and brought national attention to this small Midwestern town.

The Pumpkins, Parades, and Pies: Eureka's Pumpkin Festival Past, 1939-1961 project is preserving the memory of this community festival through the digitization of photographs and souvenirs pertaining to the festival. The images are generously being contributed by individuals, Eureka College, Advocate Eureka Hospital, Woodford County Farm Bureau, and the Woodford County Historical Society. 

The digitial images are available in an online collection through the Illinois Digital Archives website - available for anyone, anywhere to view, use for research, and enjoy.

Click here to access the Eureka Pumpkin Festival collection.

​Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). For more information, visit https://ilsos.gov/ or www.idaillinois.org.

Clarabell Garber, 1949 Eureka Pumpkin Festival Queen. Image courtesy Woodford County Historical Society.

why pumpkins?

​The first canning factory in Eureka was established in 1895, a time when many small factories were established throughout the Midwest. In 1898 this cannery was purchased by Roger B. Dickinson and operated by his sons Eugene and Richard. The first season they had approximately 50 men packing corn, beans, and tomatoes. In 1902 Dickinson and Company made a small experimental pack of canned pumpkin. The experiment was successful, and the company added pumpkin to their annual products. In 1909 the company built an additional canning factory in Washington, Illinois, and in 1925 they built a factory in Morton, Illinois.

On May 1, 1929, Libby, McNeill, and Libby Company purchased all of the Dickinson and Company business holdings. Libby, McNeill, and Libby was founded in Chicago in 1869. The company began with canning meat and expanded to fruits and vegetables after the turn of the century. As part of their expansion, they purchased a number of small canneries - including the plants in Eureka, Washington, and Morton. Along with the plants, they also purchased Dickinson's pumpkin canning process. This was the start of the traditional Thanksgiving favorite - Libby's canned pumpkin.

1923 Dickinson and Company Pumpkin Cookbook. Item courtesy of Eureka Public Library.

Libby's Pie Label, circa 1950s. Item courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

Dickinson and Company Eureka Canning Factory Postcard. Item courtesy of Dawn Maloney.

The festivals

The Eureka Community Association was the starting point of the festivals. Organized in January of 1939, the association took leadership in community improvement projects as well as promoting local businesses. They decided the town needed a community celebration. As pumpkin was one of the major autumn crops being canned in Eureka, the Eureka Pumpkin Festival was born. The first festival was held on October 13 and 14, 1939. Effective regional publicity touted Eureka's position as "Pumpkin Center of the World." Attended by an estimated 10,000 people (with the town population only being about 1,700 people), the two-day event featured the crowning of the first Eureka Pumpkin Festival Queen, a football game, a large parade, band contest, stage acts, and an evening dance with music by Joe Saunders and the Nighthawks orchestra. The event also included the distribution of 7,500 free personal-sized pumpkin pies.

The first Eureka Pumpkin Festival Queen and attendants, 1939. Left to right: Jane Myers, Mary Lehman, Queen Mary Elizabeth Barker, Marjorie Wilson, and Opal Boyer. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

The Eureka Pumpkin Festival was held annually at first, with festivals in 1939, 1940, and 1941. During World War II the festival was discontinued, but it resumed as an annual festival in 1946 and 1947. In 1948 Eureka's streets were being paved, so the festival became a biennial event starting in 1949.

After World War II, the festivals averaged 50,000 people in attendance and featured queen coronations, massed band concerts, large parades, football games, food stands, carnival rides, exhibits, contests (decorated pumpkins and pie eating contests were the children's favorites), variety stage acts, and the distribution of 10,000 free personal-sized pumpkin pies. The festivals were monumental community efforts led by a festival chairperson, numerous committees, and hundreds of volunteers.

The Eureka Pumpkin Festivals were very well attended - averaging about 50,000 people after World War II. This 1957 photograph of Main Street illustrates the crowds, decorations, and carnival rides. Image courtesy of Joy Eyman.

The biggest festival year was 1947 when Eureka College alumnus and film star, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan, participated in the festival activities. Reagan arrived via train in Chillicothe, Illinois, on Friday, September 26, 1947. He was met by a contingent of festival committee representatives, Eureka Mayor Bryon Britt, and the press. On Friday evening, Reagan, along with Illinois Governor Dwight H. Green, rode on the coronation float from downtown Eureka to the high school football field. Reagan had the honor of crowning Joan Snyder as Queen, and then he did the play-by-play announcing for the first ever Pumpkin Bowl football game. On Saturday, he led the parade on horseback and then sat in the reviewing stands to watch the remainder of the parade. With regard to the parade and estimated 80,000 - 100,000 crowd, he said "This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen! The Eureka I knew was never like this!" Reagan was also presented with his own special pie - a yard in diameter. He quipped, "Some pumpkin . . this pie. What shall I do with it? Will someone wrap it up in a paper napkin for me?"

Ronald Reagan arrives in Chillicothe, Illinois, by train on April 26. 1947. Image courtesy of Eureka College.

Reagan, Queen Joan Snyder, and Illinois Governor Dwight H. Green ride on a float after the coronation ceremony. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

Reagan is presented with a Eureka Pumpkin Festival tie by Eureka Mayor Bryon Britt and Festival Queen Joan Snyder. Image courtesy of Eureka College.

Reagan led the Eureka Pumpkin Festival parade on horseback. Image courtesy of Eureka College.

This newspaper image shows Reagan taste testing his oversized pumpkin pie. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

Another big festival year was 1959 when Eureka celebrated its centennial anniversary. The festival was expanded to three days, and floats and decorations featured historical themes. All men in town were urged to grow beards and women wore historical-style dresses, petticoats, and bonnets downtown during the festivities. ​

The 1959 Eureka Pumpkin Festival featured many special centennial souvenirs. This small, ceramic, pumpkin-shaped planter was likely made by the Morton Pottery Company. Item courtesy of Dawn Maloney.

Rose and Joe Wettstein were eager participants in the 1959 Eureka Pumpkin Festival - Eureka Centennial event. Joe won the beard growing contest. His prize was an electric razor. Image courtesy of Donna Lou Wettstein.

Souvenir plates were also sold during the 1959 event, marking Eureka's 100th anniversary. Item courtesy of Laura Siscoe.

In November of 1960 Libby, McNeill, and Libby Company closed the Eureka plant in favor of their more modern facilities in nearby Morton. The last Eureka Pumpkin Festival was held in 1961. In 1967 Morton began hosting its annual Pumpkin Festival, and it has been a successful annual September event in Morton ever since.

If you would like to see more images of the Eureka Pumpkin Festival, click here to go to the Illinois Digital Archives to see all of the photographs and items shared by people and organizations for this special online collection.

Decorated pumpkins on Eureka Pumpkin Festival stage, 1955. Image courtesy Woodford County Historical Society.

​If you have items from the Eureka Pumpkin Festivals you would be willing to have scanned or photographed to include in this unique online collection, please call the library at 309.467.2922.

1939

Queen - Mary Elizabeth Barker
Attendants - Jane Myers, Mary Lehman, Opal Boyer, and Marjorie Wilson

Left to right: Jane Myers, Mary Lehman, Mary Elizabeth Barker, Marjorie Wilson, and Opal Boyer. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1940

Queen - Sue Rinker
​Attendants - Bernadine Warnke, Betty Bechtel, Mary Hendricks, and Helen Wuethrich

Left to right: Betty Bechtel, Mary Hendricks, Helen Wuethrich, Bernadine Warnke, and Sue Rinker. Image courtesy of Dorita Bechtel.

1941

Queen - Alphalee Alexander
​Attendants - Betty Drefs, Phyllis Haecker, Margaret Stover, and Lillian Klaus ​

Front row, left to right: Alphalee Alexander and 1940 Queen Sue Rinker. Middle row, left to right: Lillian Klaus and Betty Drefs. Back row, left to right: Margaret Stover and Phyllis Haecker. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1946

Queen - Joanne Wargo
​Attendants - Shirley Keller, Verna Martin, Berdina Remmert, and Maryellen Jeck

Left to right: Shirley Keller, Verna Martin, Joanne Wargo, Berdina Remmert, and Maryellen Jeck. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1947

Queen - Joan Snyder
​Attendants - Audrey Hagan, Leanna Garber, Nila Mae Koch, and Barbara Dickinson

Left to right: Leanna Garber, Barbara Dickinson, Joan Snyder, Audrey Hagan, and Nila Mae Koch. Image courtesy of Carol Burton Sebastian.

1949

Queen - Clarabell Garber
​Attendants - Annette Hartter, Peggy Ulrich, Virginia Sutter, and Delores Krumholz

Left to right: Annette Hartter, Peggy Ulrich, Clarabell Garber, Virginia Sutter, and Delores Krumholz. Image courtesy of Annette Schurter.

1951

Queen - Anne Linsner
​Attendants - Sue Klopfenstein, Jane Brown, Wilma Zimmerman, and Connie Siverly

Left to right: Connie Siverly, Wilma Zimmerman, Anne Linsner, Jane Brown, and Sue Klopfenstein. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1953

Queen - Mary Chianakas
​Attendants - Bonnie Miller, Mary McCutcheon, Connie Noecker, and Donna Klopfenstein

Left to right: Bonnie Miller, Mary Chianakas, Mary McCutcheon, Connie Noecker, and Donna Klopfenstein. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1955

Queen - Mary Ann Spaulding
​Attendants - Linda Otten, Evelyn Dubree, Allene Gooding, and Madelyn Wyss

Left to right: Evelyn Dubree, Madelyn Wyss, Mary Ann Spaulding, Linda Otten, and Allene Gooding. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1957

Queen - Joy Myers
​Attendants - Mary Alice Lott, Janice Billbrey, Betty Brubaker, and Merna Grusy

Left to right: Merna Grusy, Mary Alice Lott, Joy Myers, Betty Brubaker, and Janice Bilbrey. Image courtesy of Joy Eyman.

1959

Queen - Sharon Durst
​Attendants - Joyce Boyer, Becki Barker, Marleah Guengerich, and Ginger Wuethrich

Left to right: Ginger Wuethrich, Becki Barker, Sharon Durst, Joyce Boyer, and Marleah Guengerich. Image courtesy of Woodford County Historical Society.

1961

Queen - Phyllis Moreland
​Attendants - Mary Lou Emerson, Bonnie Turner, Joan King, and Phyllis Farrens

Left to right: Jerry Getz, Bonnie Turner, Jerry Leman, Joan King, Michael Dawson, Phyllis Moreland, Phyllis Farrens, Bob Hohulin, Keith Cable, and Mary Lou Emerson. Image courtesy of Mary Lou Aeschleman.