[NEW] Harrington Homecoming Centennial – 9 August 2025
Harrington Homecoming Centennial – 9 August 2025
Submitted by Liz Dommasch, Archivist
By the early 1900s, many of the children and grandchildren of Ontario’s pioneers had gone far afield to find jobs and farms of their own. As the time and distance grew, it was their desire to see the old homestead and visit family that started the “Old Boys” (or also known as the “Old Boys and Girls”) Reunion Movement. Such events were often held over a 2 to 3 day period and were usually held around a holiday such as Dominion Day or the August Civic Holiday.
On September 7, 1925, one such event occurred in the Village of Harrington with more than a thousand “old boys and girls” flocking to the village to join it the first Old Boy’s Reunion held at the home of Hugh McMurray. According to a newspaper article published in the Woodstock Sentinel-Review, “boyhood friends reviewed the many activities of their childhood”, while hundreds visited the old red schoolhouse.
Aerial view of Harrington - nd. (COA30 Tweedsmuir, p23)
“From morning to night, the program was one continuous festival of frolic” with music supplied by the Ingersoll Pipe Band and the Salvation Army band of Stratford. Scottish dancing was rendered by Miss. Watson of St. Marys, and Helen Weird and Margeret Johnson, of Ingersoll, while the big feature of the program was the rendering of several songs in Gaelic by a choir of fifty voices led by Miss Margaret McKenzie of London.
Speakers at the day’s event included Rev. A.G. McLaughlin, Dr. J. McKenzie, DR. John Mildrum, George Mildrum, Robert Murray, Dr. A. Graham, and ex-reeve George Campbell of Harrington.
To mark this special occasion, the Harrington & Area Community Association held a Centennial Homecoming event on August 9, 2025, with a variety of displays and tours of heritage buildings including the community centre (formerly S.S. #4 West Zorra) and Harrington Grist Mill. In addition, they recreated the famous panoramic photograph taken in 1925 with all those in attendance.
Oxford County Archives was pleased to take part in this event! Check out our display at the Harrington Hall.
