The Poca River Postal Authority
Commemorative Issue

 



The Poca River Pumpkin Races


The Poca Post announces a new issue celebrating 75 years of pumpkin races on the Poca River.

In 1922 Mr. Caldwell Akers of Grimms Landing-on-the-Poca decided that he would institute a pumpkin race on conjunction with the Fish Days Celebrations on the Poca River.  In October of 1922, Mr. Akers organized the first pumpkin race in Grimms Landing.  Mr. Orville Kleeper of Buffalo-on-the-Poca entered a pumpkin that easily won the race that year.  The excitement of the race insured that this would be an annual event, and, indeed, it was until 1943.  The pumpkin races were suspended due to the war effort.  

After World War II the races were reinstituted in 1948, and continue until the present time.  While the Fish Days Celebration is only history, the pumpkin races continue to be a vital part of the lore of the Poca River Valley.  The race of 2001 was won by a pumpkin owned by Harley Sutler, of Buffalo-on-the-Poca, in a very tight contest.  The celebratory stamp depicts Mr. Sutler's stamp crossing the finish line just ahead of pumpkin owned by Mr. Orley Cravens of Eleanor-on-the-Poca. 

This commemorative stamp was issued on 23 July, 2002 in a plate of  15 stamps with a value of 37 poca units.

 


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