It’s that time of year again – the time for hayrides, pumpkin patches, and pumpkin carving. But among the pumpkin frenzy, not much thought is typically given to the history of the pumpkin itself.
University of Delaware Professor of History and Material Culture Cindy Ott delved into the pumpkin’s complicated past for her book, Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon.
For this month’s History Matters, produced in conjunction with the Delaware Historical Society, Delaware Public Media’s Megan Pauly sat down with her to discuss how the pumpkin’s image has shifted over the years from a vegetable of last resort to the pie of preference in many homes for Thanksgiving dinner.
