HAWLEY — A 116-year tradition continued Sunday afternoon as approximately 50 people turned out to Hawley Grove to celebrate Hawley Day.
Hawley Day is known by town residents and their family members as a day of fun that brings the small community together and allows them to reflect on their heritage.
The event, which includes a picnic, music, awards and a historical display of antique toys and furniture, is organized each year by the Sons and Daughters of Hawley, a nonprofit historical society. The organization has 312 members, all of whom live in Hawley or have ancestors from the small town.
Will Cosby, a member of the Sons and Daughters’ board of directors, said the annual reunion was first organized more than a century ago to strengthen community bonds in a time when there weren’t telephones, the internet or social media.
“It was to reaffirm the community,” Cosby said. “These types of events made a big difference.”
Furthermore, Hawley Day was a time to step away from the everyday demands of work and family to just have fun.
With a population of around 330, Cosby said Hawley is one of the smallest towns in the state.
“We don’t have a school, we don’t have a post office, we don’t have a store,” he said. So, while a church or store used to be a way to regularly meet other town residents, the Sons and Daughters of Hawley have stepped in to provide community gatherings to fill the void.
The Sons and Daughters of Hawley hold a Mud Party potluck in the spring, a locally-sourced harvest supper in the fall, a caroling and candelighting ceremony near Christmas, regular tag sales, and of course, Hawley Day. The town also has a regular pudding contest, which is being replaced this year by a Gentleman’s Pie Contest, to be held Oct. 9.
The Sons and Daughters of Hawley aim to hold traditional, rural community events. To set the theme, the organization invited “Small Change,” a band from Charlemont that plays old-fashioned, acoustic music, to perform on the lawn outside Hawley Grove.
As part of Hawley Day, all the guests gathered inside Hawley Grove, which serves as the Sons and Daughters of Hawley’s meeting house. Underneath paper latterns and sparkling white holiday lights hung from the ceiling, members of the organization presented a series of awards to the oldest female guest, oldest male guest, youngest female guest, youngest male guest, guest who traveled the farthest, guest who brought the most money to the nonprofit throughout the year and the largest family represented.
Children received stuffed bears, while adults received a bottle of hard cider from Headwater Cider and a gift certificate to Sidehill Farm.
Cosby said a Maryland resident received the award for having traveled the farthest to attend Hawley Day. The event is seen as a way to get in touch with one’s roots.
“There was one woman I talked to who had never set foot in Hawley,” said John Sears, vice president and historian with the Sons and Daughters of Hawley. “But she had ancestors who had lived and farmed here.”
Sears himself has regularly attended Hawley Day for 15 years. The Sears family is well-known in town, as John Sears said his ancestor Rufus Sears first settled in Hawley in 1781.
“Some families have been here for 250 years,” Cosby said.
The Sons and Daughters of Hawley also celebrated the contributions of Donovan Farm, a potato farm on more than 600 acres. Agriculture, Cosby said, is a very important facet of the Hawley community.
“This is a good town,” Cosby said. “We have accomplishments that we should be proud of and that should be recognized every year.”