Photo of two women, Lavinia (left) and Harriet "Hattie" (right) Orchard (aged 80 and 72 respectively), at the Stroud School Centenary in 1938. They were the daughters of Robert and Sarah (maiden name Soules) Orchard. Lavinia is dressed in a long-sleeved floral patterned dress and Hattie in a long-sleeved polka dotted dress. Hattie was a Women's Institute worker, historian and librarian. She housed the Stroud library in her home on Victoria Street for many years, beginning in 1921. The books were housed in her hallway and she was described as being ever ready to welcome members into her home and recommend a good book.Born in 1866, Harriet was the youngest of five daughters. Her father was a teacher, but passed away before her birth. Harriet remained dedicated to the care of her mother and an active member in the Salvation Army and the Methodist Church. She later joined the Stroud Women’s Institute and became secretary. As a passionate historian she collected the remembrances and stories of the community and made donations of antiques to the fledgling Simcoe County Museum. On 18 August 1950, Hattie Orchard passed away. Her contribution to the history of Stroud and her compilations of stories for the Tweedsmuir Histories of the Women’s Institute meant that “she has left her footprints, indelibly, hereafter, on the sands of Stroud Community” - Mrs. Dwight Nelson, A Tribute to Miss Orchard, Tweedsmuir Histories, August 20, 1950.
