The pig and wolf phenomenon began on "a whim" in 2002 when he asked local chainsaw artist Willy Black to make a pig statue for his wife's garden because she "likes pigs," he said.
"I just started moving this pig around the yard," he said. "It became like a Where's Waldo?' experience where people were just watching this pig."
Hammond created the first wolf statue a year later for his wife's birthday, and the couple began "telling stories" with the two animal figures, he said. They enacted the three little pigs and built a straw house, encouraging Hanover residents to participate in the joke, he said.
"The Town of Hanover came over with a building permit to put on the stick house to say it was wolf-rated construction' they were getting in on the act, too," Hammond said. "It was hilarious in a way I couldn't have even expected."
Unlike the original pig and wolf figures, which were made of pine, the 20 statues in town for the 250th anniversary are fiberglass and painted by local artists, according to Hammond.
Although the pig and wolf statues may be the most visible feature of the anniversary celebration, events such as Saturday's fireworks extravaganza were also popular among Hanover residents this year, according to Hammond.
"The fireworks were extraordinary and very well-attended," he said. "They were the most elaborate, most enjoyable, had the most people involved of any recent fireworks shows."
History lectures and reenactments sponsored by the Town of Hanover have also been "very popular" among residents, according to Katie Manchester, anniversary parade committee co-chair. Reenactments have included costumed appearances of Daniel Webster and Eleazor Wheelock.
In addition, Greydon Freeman, a direct descendent of Jonathan Freeman, the recipient of the original Hanover town charter, made an appearance at a historical reenactment, Manchester said.
The College also hosted several events for this year's celebration, such as Monday's "Running of the Bells," which was geared toward Hanover's younger residents. During this competition, children with cowbells raced around the Green before Baker Tower struck 12 p.m.
Other events, including musical performances, food tents, magic shows and auctions, occurred throughout June and July.
Hanover's anniversary celebration culminated on Independence Day with a celebratory parade beginning in the morning. The parade featured floats representing various local companies and historical eras. Specifically, residents created floats depicting each 50-year historical period of the town since its inception, from 1761 to 2011.
"I think connecting to people from the past is important for understanding ourselves," Hammond said. "The community still gets together 250 years later not just as a recognition of what happened historically, but as a recognition of who we are now."
This year's festivities were sponsored by the Byrne Foundation, the Hanover Improvement Society, the Hanover Rotary Club, the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Ledyard National Bank, Mascoma Savings Bank and the College, according to Manchester.
