Historical Clark County farm life is on full display this fall at Pomeroy Farm during its Pumpkin Lane seasonal celebration.
The farm was established in 1910 along the East Fork of the Lewis River and has been passed down through five generations to Megan Miller, the director of Pomeroy Living History Farm.
“It was kind of a personal self-sustained hobby farm for years and years. It got shuttered there for a time and then kind of revitalized,” Miller said.
In 1989, Miller’s uncle turned the place from a hobby farm into the Pomeroy Living History Farm, a nonprofit organization that teaches what life was like on farms before electricity.
The farm hosts classes of students, giving opportunities to teach about the labor required to live on a farm in those days.
“We have the kids come out and they churn butter. They wash clothes by hand. We wear historical dress for some of the programs and show them 1920s era living. Try to give them an idea of where our food comes from,” Miller said.
Alongside the educational opportunities, the farm hosts events, from weddings to the well-known Pumpkin Lane fall festivities.
“Between our programs and weekend visitors, we see around 10,000 visitors in October,” Miller said.
The farm started its pumpkin patch in the mid-1990s, when they hosted a pumpkin festival for one week during October.
Due to some miscommunication at the time, residents of the surrounding area were told the patch was open every weekend during the month.
“We thought, ‘oh, we better jump on that and be open every weekend,’” Miller said.
Patrons interested in history can see the historic house built in 1920 and an old blacksmith shop that operates during the weekends of Pumpkin Lane while children have the choice of trying out the hay bale maze or a grain bin in the gathering area.
The signature hay ride also brings joy to visitors.
“I really enjoy driving the hay rides. It’s just so peaceful,” Miller said. “You can hear the kids behind you commenting on all the pumpkin scenes and getting excited about that.”
The hay ride features several preset scenes of pumpkin people, some of them based on national or international figures, some on historical moments and some that are personal to the owners of the farm.
“They are public figures, historical events, book characters, movie characters. Some of them are actually family members that no one else would recognize,” Miller said.
While people wait for their turn to go down Pumpkin Lane, patrons can play lawn games, grab food from the vendors or enjoy a warm drink such as coffee, hot chocolate or apple cider.
Keeping in step with the vintage aesthetic, the farm has an area where kids can use an old water pump to float rubber ducks down a gutter.
“There aren’t a lot of living history farms in the area,” Miller said. “We’re able to provide that unique connection to what the average person in Clark County was, how they were living life in preelectric times. That’s just a unique thing we have to offer and we love for people to come out and see it and experience it.”
The farm is located at 20902 NE Lucia Falls Road, Yacolt. Learn more and plan your visit at pomeroyfarm.org.
