Reflections: Mitchell's 'Old Boys and Girls Reunion'
A grand celebration was held in 1923 to mark the 50th anniversary of Mitchell becoming a town
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Mitchell was declared to be a town via an 1873 proclamation by the lieutenant governor that was made official at the beginning of 1874. A grand celebration was held in 1923 to mark the 50th anniversary of the proclamation. Area newspapers described the details of the elaborate decorations for the “Old Boys and Girls Reunion,” noting that:
“Thousands of flags of all sizes and countries, hundreds and hundreds of red, white and blue lights, strung along all the principal thoroughfares, exquisitely dressed store windows, a hilarious midway, decorated motor cars, decorated verandahs, decorated men, decorated women and decorated young girls blend into a whole of vivid picturesqueness. . . . The main business street is a gala sight by day and a veritable Wonderland by night. Lighted by row on row of twinkling, many coloured electric lamps, the beflagged thoroughfares bring a gasp of surprises to the beholder at first sight.”
For days, visitors and residents were entertained with midway rides, dances, parades, horse races, baseball and lacrosse games, church services, plays, pantomimes and more. The grand finale was a band tattoo in Keterson Park with musicians gathered from Galt, Kitchener, Preston and Waterloo. Their performances were followed by fireworks and “comic numbers” with the party going on for some until the wee hours.
As Mitchell and area prepare to celebrate a 150-year long legacy this year and pay homage to the rich history of this community, these photographs from that similar event in August 1923 may be of interest. They are both from the Campbell photograph collection at the Stratford-Perth Archives. The first one is a view of the east end of the north side of Mitchell’s main business block as decorated for the reunion. From the left are the Couch and Schneider general store, the Thorne shoe story, the Corn Exchange, Newton Boyd’s funeral and furniture business, Fred C. Hord’s decorating and stationery store, and the Royal Hotel.
In the second photo, the old boys’ field lacrosse team and others pose behind the grandstand at Keterson Park. Standing, from left, are Warren Thomson, Fred Coppin, Wilfred Race, Lindsay Schafer, Gradon Butler, Jack Martin, Slewey Stewart, Norman Schafer, Tom Jones, Pete Hocking, Hugh Campbell, Narrow Colquhoun, Fish Hocking, Howard Thomson, Billy Stoneman, Bob Davidson and Hosie Thomson. Middle row, from left, are Jim Christie (town clerk 1891-1897), Joe Turnbull, Ted May, Dr. Fred Thomson, Bill Thomson, Monk Lashbrook, Lynde Mortson, Jim McDermid, Yaddie Davidson, Jack Collison and Jim Hill (town mayor 1920-21). Sitting in front are Jersey Graham and Dr. Giles Collison.
The Stratford-Perth Archives welcomes donations to the collection and is open for drop-in research from Tuesday to Friday, as well as other times, including Saturdays, by appointment. For details about what’s available during Reading Room drop-in hours and appointments for in-depth research, please visit www.perthcounty.ca/StratfordPerthArchives, call us at 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or email archives@perthcounty.ca
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