Men of Might Tug-of-War Trophy, 1893.

Men of Might Tug-of-War Trophy, 1893

Brought to Oxford County by its Scottish inhabitants, tug-of-war has been a popular sport in the area since the 19th century. Requiring only a rope, it places two teams against each other in a test of strength and determination.

Back Row: Alex Clark, Robert McLeod, Ira Hummason. Front Row: William. R. Munro, Ebenezer L. Sutherland Captain Robert. McIntosh Anchor.

In the late 1870s, a team of farmers from Zorra — Alex Clarke, Robert McLeod, Ira Hummason, William Munro, Robert McIntosh, and their coach, Ebenezer “Little Abe” Sutherland — travelled through southern Ontario winning local championships. In 1888, they entered a competition in Buffalo, New York, and won the American championship. At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, they competed in the World Championship. By this time, they were all in their late forties and significantly outweighed by the American champions, the Humboldts. However, they were victorious and the Mighty Men of Zorra returned home as World Champions./p>

The tug-of-war continues to be a crowd-pleaser at the annual Embro Highland Games, hosted by the Zorra Caledonian Society every year on July 1, just north of Woodstock. M

Adam Pollardis the Collection and Exhibit Coordinator at Woodstock Museum National Historic Site.