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Groundhog Day History from Stormfax® 2008    Copyright © 1996-2008 STORMFAX, Inc.Origins | The Movie | Facts | Year-by-YearPunxsutawney Present Weather | 5-day Forecast n 1723, the Delaware Indians settled Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. The town is 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, at the intersection of Route 36 and Route 119. The Delawares considered groundhogs honorable ancestors. According to the original creation beliefs of the Delaware Indians, their forebears began life as animals in "Mother Earth" and emerged centuries later to hunt and live as men.The name Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name for the location "ponksad-uteney" which means "the town of the sandflies."The name woodchuck comes from the Indian legend of "Wojak, the groundhog" considered by them to be their ancestral grandfather.When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known as Candlemas Day, which has an early origin in the pagan celebration of Imbolc. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Superstition held that if the weather was fair, the second half of Winter would be stormy and cold. For the early Christians in Europe, it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of Winter. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the home. The day's weather continued to be important. If the sun came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather.The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate." According to the old English saying:If Candlemas be fair and bright,Winter has another flight.If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,Winter will not come again.From Scotland:If Candlemas Day is brightand clear,There'll be two winters in the year.From Germany:For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,So far will the snow swirl until May.For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day,So far will the sun shine before May.And from America:If the sun shines on Groundhog Day;Half the fuel and half the hay. If the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of Winter. Germans watched a badger for the shadow. In Pennsylvania, the groundhog, upon waking from mid-Winter hibernation, was selected as the replacement.Pennsylvania's official celebration of Groundhog Day began on February 2nd, 1886 with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney Spirit by the newspaper's editor, Clymer Freas: "Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow." The groundhog was given the name "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary'' and his hometown thus called the "Weather Capital of the World.'' His debut performance: no shadow - early Spring.The legendary first trip to Gobbler's Knob was made the following year.  ince the 1993 release of the film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray as a TV weatherman (who wakes up and it's Groundhog Day over and over again!) and Andie MacDowell as his puzzled producer, attendance at the real event has expanded. In 1997, there were 35,000 visitors in Punxsutawney, five times the Jefferson County town's 6,700 population.The Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 1992 were joined by Bill Murray studying for his role in the movie. Then, Columbia Pictures set out to recreate the Punxsutawney Groundhog Day down to the smallest detail. There were, however, many changes made. Columbia Pictures decided to film the movie in a location more accessible to a major metropolitan center. The highways in and around Punxsutawney were few, so Woodstock, Illinois was chosen as the site. Unfortunately, Woodstock's landscape doesn't have Pennsylvania's scenic rolling hills. Nevertheless, adjustments were made for the production. The actual Gobbler's Knob is a wooded hill with a beautiful view; the Gobbler's Knob in the movie is moved to the town square. The Punxsutawney Gobbler's Knob was recreated to scale in Woodstock's town square based on detailed notes and videos the crew made on it's visit to Punxsutawney. [Photo: © Columbia Pictures]The movie's script was changed to include the elaborate ceremony of the Inner Circle on Groundhog Day. The original groundhog cast for the movie was considered to be too small.Some of the store names in Punxsutawney were used in the movie, such as The Smart Shop and Stewart's Drug Store. Punxsutawney's police cars were also recreated for the movie. The groundhog-head trash cans and Groundhog Festival flags that line the streets of Punxsutawney were displayed. Folks traveling to Punxsutawney to see the "Punxsutawney" they saw in the movie wonder why it looks "so different, yet seems so similar." he groundhog, also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax), is a member of the squirrel family. Groundhogs in the wild eat succulent green plants, such as dandelion, clover, and grasses. According to handlers John Griffiths and Ben Hughes, Phil weighs 15 pounds and thrives on dog food and ice cream in his climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library.Up on Gobbler's Knob, Phil is placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on stage before being pulled out at 7:25 a.m. to make his prediction. © Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce The groundhog's seasonal forecasting accuracy is somewhat low. Phil's Winter prognostications have been correct only 39% of the time.1887Shadow; first official trip to Gobbler's Knob.1888Shadow (Six more weeks of Winter!)1889 no record1890NO Shadow (early Spring!)[Birthdate: Charles Correll ("Andy" on radio's Amos & Andy)]1891 no record1892 no record1893 no record1894 no record1895 no record1896 no record1897 no record1898Shadow1899 no record1900Shadow1901Shadow [Birthdate: Jascha Heifetz, violinist]1902NO Shadow1903Shadow1904Shadow1905Shadow [Birthdate: Ayn Rand, novelist-philosopher]1906Shadow [Birthdate: Gale Gordon, actor]1907Shadow1908Shadow 1909Shadow1910Shadow1911Shadow1912Shadow [Birthdate: Burton Lane, Broadway composer]1913Shadow at 8:08 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Day by John Frampton. 1914Shadow at 9:34 AM1915Shadow at 11:45 AM; named Wiley William Woodchuck!1916Shadow at 9:07 AM; first films of Groundhog Day ceremony.1917Shadow1918Shadow; 18 degrees below zero.1919Shadow [Birthdate: Forrest Tucker, actor]1920Shadow1921Shadow at 7:17 AM1922Shadow at 7:11 AM; Groundhog Holiday Dance.1923Shadow [Birthdate: Liz Smith, gossip columnist]1924Shadow at 7:13 AM1925Shadow at 8:13 AM; [Birthdate: Elaine Stritch, actress]1926Shadow at 9:17 AM1927Shadow at 8:35 AM; [Birthdate: Stan Getz, jazz saxophonist]1928Shadow at 10:00 AM; program with Punx'y Rotary Club on KDKA Radio.1929Shadow1930Shadow at 7:11 AM1931Shadow at 12:27 PM1932Shadow at 9:11 AM1933Shadow1934NO Shadow.1935Shadow at 9:11 AM1936Shadow at 10:27 AM1937Shadow at 9:09 AM; early morning encounter with a skunk![Birthdate: Tom Smothers, comedian]1938Shadow at 9:05 AM; "darkest shadow in history"(The Spirit, Feb. 2, 1938)1939Shadow at 9:10 AM1940Shadow at 9:00 AM1941Shadow at 4:25 PM1942Partial Shadow at 7:40 AM; "War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow."(The Spirit, Feb. 2, 1942) [Birthdate: Graham Nash, guitarist, singer]1943Groundhog did not appear; relied on Quarryville's prediction.1944Shadow at 9:10 AM1945Shadow at 9:00 AM1946Shadow at 7:52 AM1947Shadow at 7:37 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Club at Gobbler's Knob[Birthdate: Farrah Fawcett, actress, model]1948Shadow at 8:46 AM1949Shadow at 7:32 AM1950NO Shadow1951Shadow at 8:41 AM1952Shadow at 7:52 AM; on NBC's Today Show on Monday, February 41953Shadow at 7:38 AM; [Birthdate: Christie Brinkley, Cover Girl model]1954Shadow at 8:03 AM1955Shadow at 8:51 AM; 4" of snow on Groundhog Day;[Birthdate: Kim Zimmer, actress]1956Shadow at 8:33 AM1957Shadow at 7:47 AM; [Birthdate: Brent Spiner, actor]1958Shadow at 8:27 AM; [Birthdate: Holly Hunter, actress]1959Shadow at 8:23 AM1960Shadow at 7:33 AM; forecasts extremely bad weather on the Today show.1961Shadow at 7:41 AM; 25 below zero.1962Shadow at 7:29 AM; [Birthdate: Garth Brooks, singer]1963Shadow at 7:41 AM1964Shadow at 7:35 AM1965Shadow at 7:58 AM1966Shadow at 7:21 AM1967Shadow at 7:25 AM1968Shadow at 7:29 AM1969Shadow at 7:29 AM1970NO Shadow1971Shadow at 7:29 AM; 14 below zero.1972Shadow at 7:30 AM1973Shadow at 7:29 AM1974Shadow at 7:28 AM1975NO Shadow1976Shadow at 7:29 AM1977Shadow at 7:27; in midst of the energy crisis.1978Shadow at 7:28 AM1979Shadow at 7:28 AM1980Shadow at 7:29 AM1981Shadow at 7:27 AM1982Shadow at 7:26 AM; coldest January this Century.1983NO Shadow; predicted an early Spring after a mild El Nino Winter.1984Shadow at 7:04 AM1985Shadow at 7:28 AM1986NO Shadow; visited President Reagan at the White House in March.1987Shadow at 7:29 AM1988NO Shadow1989Shadow1990NO Shadow1991Shadow1992Shadow1993Shadow; the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is released.1994Shadow at 7:28 AM1995NO Shadow; afternoon guest on the "Oprah Winfrey" TV Show.1996Shadow at 7:21 AM1997NO Shadow; 35,000 watched at Gobbler's Knob1998Shadow at 7:20 AM; predicting six more weeks of a mild El Nino Winter!1999NO Shadow at 7:23 AM; 37º rain2000Shadow at 7:28 AM; 12º overcast skies with flurries2001Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º cloudy skies with light snow2002Shadow at 7:25 AM; 19º mist with a record 38,000 visitors driven to Gobbler's Knob by bus for security.2003Shadow at 7:27 AM; 30º overcast skies with PA Governor Ed Rendell attending the ceremony.2004Shadow at 7:27 AM; 17º clear skies with snow on the ground, crowd boos the forecast!2005Shadow at 7:31 AM; 14º clear skies with a wind chill of 3ºF.2006Shadow at 7:23 AM; 36º overcast skies with the crowd cheering the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.2007NO Shadow at 7:28 AM; 26º overcast skies with light snow and mist under a Full Moon.2008Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º fog and mist with the crowd booing six more weeks of Winter.Shadow97NO Shadow15no record9 STORMFAX and the STORMFAX logos are registered trademarks in the United States and Canada. 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