Nudell Bush

Nudell Bush is situated north of Iroquois and Morrisburg, near the intersection of what is now Nudell Bush Road and County Road 16. The town is named after the Nudell family, who were among the earliest settlers in the northern concessions of Matilda Township. The patriarch of the family, Wilhelm (William) Nudell, was a German Loyalist who served in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York during the American Revolution. He was granted land in Matilda for his service. Additional members of the Nudell family at the time include Nelson E. Bush, Elias Bush, and Warner Bush, who were teachers in the county during the 1860s and Philip Bush, a carriage maker in nearby Brinston’s Corner.

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While the first generation of Nudell's settled closer to the St. Lawrence River, subsequent generations moved into the "bush"—the heavily forested interior of the township—to clear land for farming. This transition from riverfront to inland woods is what gave the area its descriptive name. 

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The Nudell Bush Post Office was established on June 1, 1904. The first postmaster for the community was Henry L. Casselman.​

 

One of the most significant historical markers of the hamlet was S.S. (School Section) No. 13 Matilda, often referred to as the Nudell Bush School. It served as the educational and social heart of the community for several generations.

 

Throughout the 19th century, Nudell Bush functioned as a tightly-knit agricultural pocket. The area was known for its dense timber in the early 1800s, which later gave way to dairy farming. By the late 1800s, the Nudell's and neighboring families (such as the Hares and Straders) were active participants in the local cheese factory system that dominated the Dundas County economy.

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Unlike the riverfront communities that were completely submerged or relocated during the St. Lawrence Seaway project of 1958, Nudell Bush remained geographically intact. However, the project fundamentally changed the region's demographics; as the "Front" towns like Iroquois were moved, many inland hamlets like Nudell Bush saw a gradual decline in their independent community identity, eventually becoming quiet residential and farming clusters.

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Sources:

Chesterville Record

Canadian Official Postal Guide

SDG Counties History

Upper Canada District School Board

Dundas County Directory

The Story of Dundas, 1784–1904 by J. Smyth Carte