When Did Pumpkin Become a Thing?

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against pumpkin, some of my best pies are pumpkin, but, really.

I heard a local anchor, (male,) on TV the other day squealing like a middle school girl about the arrival of fall and, consequently, the availability of all things pumpkin.
It was embarrassing.

We were driving long distance on a deadline last week, and consequently in constant need of warm caffeine, and at one 7-11 or Quik-Chek or Pilot, or somewhere, (why, oh why, oh why did White Hen, the convenience store with the very, very, very  best coffee of all time not flourish? I shall carry the disappointment to my grave, like Lipton's elimination of Amaretto-flavored tea... ah, well.)

Where was I?

Oh, yes, at one stop Himself poured and doctored himself a pumpkin coffee, sitting right there next to the Hazelnut. (There's another one -- how did that become the if-we-only-carry-one-flavor default of coffeedom? it smells like musty-old-lady-musty-kitchen-cupboard musty mustiness.)

I, with my laser wit, and sherlockian skills of observation said.... Oh. You like that?

And he mumbled uh, yeah.

Fifty miles down the freeway, he said, no, not really, just thought I'd give it a try, (which was odd in the first place, because I'm the one for sissy coffees.)

Anyway, it seems that every purveyor of every commodity that has either a taste or a scent offers it in pumpkin, pumpkin spice, or pumpkin pie for at last part of the year.
This site seems to think it began with a Starbucks latte in 2003, but regardless of its origin myths, it is the Borg of flavors.
It's overpowering and positively drowns subtler aromas in the vicinity.

I want it to stop and I want it to stop NOW.

But having said that, Trader Joe's offers a delicious Pumpkin Bread Pudding, not too sweet, not too heavily spiced, not to rich... a lovely desert.