Pumpkin Center, Comanche County, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pumpkin Center, Oklahoma
|
|
|---|---|
 Pumpkin Center, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
Pumpkin Center, Oklahoma
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Comanche |
| Elevation | 1,161 ft (354 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| FIPS code | 40-61050 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1096955 |
Pumpkin Center is a small place in Comanche County, Oklahoma, United States. It is an unincorporated community. This means it is not a city or town with its own local government. You can find it where two main roads, State Highway 7 and State Highway 65, meet. This spot is about 10 miles east of a city called Lawton. It is in the southwestern part of Oklahoma.
Contents
Other Places Called Pumpkin Center
It is interesting to know that there are other places named Pumpkin Center in Oklahoma! This Pumpkin Center is not the same as the one in Okmulgee County. That one is about 10 miles northeast of the city of Okmulgee. It is also different from the Pumpkin Center in Muskogee County. That community is about 14 miles east of the city of Muskogee. Finally, it is not the Pumpkin Center found in Cherokee County. That one is about 7.5 miles northeast of Braggs.
Why Is It Called Pumpkin Center?
The exact reason for the name "Pumpkin Center" is not fully known. There are many ideas about how it got its name. One popular story says that an old man was taking pumpkins to sell. His truck broke down right in this area. He had to sell his pumpkins to people driving by. This helped him pay for the truck repairs.
The Story of Uncle Josh Weathersby
The name "Pumpkin Center" became very well-known because of a person named Cal Stewart. He was a popular artist in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Cal Stewart made recordings where he told stories. He often played a character named Uncle Josh Weathersby. Uncle Josh was a bit naive and came from a made-up town called "Pumpkin Center" or "Punkin Center."
Cal Stewart's recordings talked about life in this fictional Pumpkin Center. They also described Uncle Josh's funny experiences when he visited New York City. Because of these popular stories, many places across the United States ended up being named Pumpkin Center.
Many Pumpkin Centers Across the USA
Today, there are at least 31 communities in the U.S. named Pumpkin Center. These places are spread across 16 different states. For example, Alabama has 3, Arizona has 2, and California has 2. Other states with a Pumpkin Center include Florida, Georgia, Indiana (2), Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri (2), Mississippi, North Carolina (3), South Dakota, Tennessee (3), and Virginia (2). Oklahoma itself has four places with this unique name!
