The Haunted Pumpkin Patch (Completed)

History of Oakville, Kentucky

Oakville was established in the 1800s. Aside from conflicts with the Indians, the settlers had other problems of their own. One was superstition. There were legends of goblins in the woods, and ghosts that stalked and terrorized the town.

One of the most famous and well known was the monster in the town pumpkin patch. Every fall the town would get together and plant a community garden. the whole town would help and reap the benefits in the harvest. In the spirit of Halloween, they would plant mostly pumpkins. Leftover pumpkins would go to children to make Jacko lanterns. As the legend goes one year some children were in the pumpkin patch " deciding " which pumpkin they would get. The girl, who is said to be called Hannah, made her way to the middle of the patch and turned to her friends to say something about a particular pumpkin. When all of a sudden Hannah cried out. Her friends started to run to her and that's when they noticed she was beginning to sink intothe earth as if being pulled under. Her friends picked up their pace but it was too late. Her friends searched and yelled in vain for her but there was no answer.

The children finally ran home to get help. The first person they ran into was the mayor. The children quickly told him what happened and soon a search party was sent out. They searched all night and the following morning. Nothing was found, except for a strange hole that was dug at the edge of the woods between the garden and the woods.

No explanation could be given, only theories. Some said a wild animal had dug up under the patch and pulled hannah in and dragged her into the woods. Others believed it was all a prank. But most believed it was a goblin or monster that lived in the woods or the pumpkin patch. No matter the answer, Hannah was never found. Her family eventually moved away. The town was forever leery and by popular demand the pumpkin patch was destroyed and abandoned.

This legend was carried down through the years and still the pumpkin patch was never fixed up. As years went on the town was modernized, and people began to doubt the legend and all others like it.