I’ve had this month’s photo in my possession for a couple of years, but only recently came
across a news article that adds a story to it. The image was taken in the autumn of 1914 and
shows Harvey Walker Harmer sitting on the front steps of the old red brick Harrison County
Court House (razed in 1932) with four very large pumpkins that grew from just one vine in his
care. The pumpkins, left to right, weighed 38 lbs, 51 lbs, 67 lbs, and 104 lbs. The total product
from the one pumpkin vine produced a weight of 260 pounds. Mr. Harmer took the largest of
these pumpkins and displayed it at the Clarksburg fair that year. He received much publicity as
well as interested persons wanting to not only see the largest pumpkin, but also acquire a few
seeds from this fruit. A month later, on December 5 th , 1914, Harmer again took the 104 pound
fruit to the Boys and Girls Corn Show event being held in Clarksburg at the court house. At the
show, he challenged every boy and girl who was under sixteen years of age, to raise and exhibit
a pumpkin larger than his at the following year’s corn show. His challenge included a $10 prize
for the winner, which is equivalent to just over $300 today.
At the conclusion of the corn show, Harvey cut open his 104 pound pumpkin and distributed
the seeds to those present who were interested in raising the same.
Many people may associate the name of Harvey Harmer as being synonymous with Shinnston’s
Harmer Funeral Home. While Harvey was a part of the same family, his interests varied and
were not associated with the family establishment. Harvey was born in Shinnston in 1865. His
father was B. Tyson Harmer, Sr., the founder of Harmer’s Wagon Shop, which is today known as
Harmer Funeral Home. Harvey himself was an 1892 graduate of the WVU College of Law. He
setup practice and lived most of his life in Clarksburg, also serving that city as its mayor. He was
a civic-minded man, held several political positions for both the county and state, and also took
an active interest in historical preservation. In fact, Harvey wrote two very detailed history
books that have proven to be invaluable in the research he was able to preserve in book form.
One of these books is Old Grist Mills of Harrison County; the other is Covered Bridges of
Harrison County, West Virginia. He died in 1961 at the age of 96. And that is this month’s story
behind the photo!