Zorra-Now-Fall 2025-WEB

Zorra Now | Fall 2025 35 TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY INFORMATION 34 Zorra Now | Fall 2025 ruraloxford.ca/discover Thank You For Attending Canada's Outdoor Farm Show With Us! Harrington Homecoming Centennial 100 years ago in 1925, 1,000 people or more gathered for a 2-day celebration - the first “Harrington Old Boys & Girls Reunion”. Almost 500 of those attending, both local and from London, Toronto, Niagara, New York state, Michigan and beyond were captured in a panoramic photograph taken on Pitt’s Hill in beautiful Harrington. Our Community Association (HACA) saw a great opportunity to recreate that historic photo and celebrate Harrington’s proud heritage this past August 9th. A rallying cry was splashed across all publicity materials, “Be part of the big picture!” And with a population today perhaps only one-quarter of 1925, the community was able to gather 240 people by the historic stone schoolhouse, with Pitt’s Hill in the background. The Harrington Homecoming Centennial was certainly more than a photo-op. But what a fun photo-op it was! Pipers from the Ingersoll Pipe Band led participants away from “downtown” activities to the photo site. And how appropriate, given our heritage, as one of Harrington’s most famous residents back in the day was Sutherland Ross, a piper whose tunes are still a part of bagpiping repertoire today. Activities included heritage displays upstairs in the Harrington Hall and in the library downstairs; in the restored Grist Mill; and in the schoolhouse. A nature scavenger hunt, a petting zoo, a storyboard walk and, of course, the food truck kept all ages occupied. The streets of the village also were on display with historical signage in front of buildings and sites with historic significance, such as the homes of the village doctor, or shoemaker or tinsmith, or the location of a long- gone hotel, post office or sawmill. The pond and dam were looking spectacular August 9th despite recent droughty conditions. An interesting fact about panoramic photography, then and today, is that crowds would be photographed in sections, with the camera moving and capturing pieces of the final picture that were then spliced together in the darkroom (or on a computer). Fleet- footed youngsters would sometimes start posing at one end of the crowd, then scamper behind the crowd to the other end of the picture, thus appearing twice in the same picture! No such scallywaggery was detected in Harrington on the 9th. But it’s a practice they may want to revive for the 2125 bicentennial. A final note. Pitt’s Hill, named after an early settler, is visible behind the crowd in 2025’s panoramic photo, somewhat ironically as the current owner of the property hopes to turn it into a gravel pit - another reminder that rural life continues to face constant challenges. In our modern age, it takes a real effort to convince people, especially youth, that where they live has a vibrant history where important things have happened and do happen. It’s up to us to remember, to celebrate, to educate and to motivate. The Harrington Big Picture celebration accomplished all that! Photo courtesy of Doris Weir Photography