Morrisburg

     The town of Morrisburg is a place with an interesting history. Morrisburg was originally part of the Williamsburgh Township of Dundas County. A collection of homes and shops, known as West Williamsburgh, formed around a new lock, Number 23. It was granted a post office in 1851 by Sir James Morris, Canada’s first Postmaster General. The village was named Morrisburgh in the same year in his honor. Nine years later, in the year of 1860, the town would officially be incorporated as a village. Another4 years and Morris would gift the town $100 to purchase what would become the bell that is now inside the clocktower in the Morrisburg plaza.“

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     Sir James Morris was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1798 and moved to Canada with his parents in 1801. First elected to the House of Assembly, Upper Canada,in 1837 as a “Reformer” from Leeds County, he became a commissioner for the improvement of navigation of the St. Lawrence River in 1838. He was elected member for Leeds County in the United Canada Parliament in 1841 and was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1844. In 1851, Morris was appointed to the Executive Council and also appointed as Canada’s First Postmaster-General in the same year. He was speaker of the House in 1853-1854 and was government director on The Grand Trunk Railroad from 1852-1854. He was speaker of the Legislative Council in 1858 and was Receiver General for Canada in 1862-1863.Sir James Morris died in Brockville, Leeds County, Ontario, in 1865.” Quote from lostvillages.ca

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     The town of Morrisburg would thrive and act as a growth initiator for the local area, becoming a leader in various areas from industry to education to finance (right up until the seaway project).Leading up to the controlled water release on July 1, 1958, a large amount of time was spent preparing the area, literally moving and, in some cases, destroying family homes and businesses. As well as homes being moved, some historical statues and memorial pieces like the Soldier’s Monument (now near the post office) were also relocated out of the path of the planned seaway. Nearly a third of the town would be completely submerged. At the end of the four days it took for the water levels to rise to the levels we see today, the lives of everyone living in the town were changed forever. In 1998, Morrisburg, along with the rest of the townships of Williamsburg and Matilda, would merge into what we know today as the municipality of South Dundas. This further solidified the local bonds formed over the historic events the area has experienced. Today while the effects of the events of the past are less obvious, you can still see them if you look closely. Going on a trip down Lakeshore Drive you will notice dead end roads that used to lead to Canal Street and many older hotels are now private residences. A majority of these buildings that did not originally sit on waterfront lots, now have the river in their backyard. Even old structures like the old Lock 23 can be viewed by scuba divers. The town may have changed, but the changes brought on by its history will not be so easily forgotten.

 

Sources

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Books:

 

Morrisburg A HISTORY - c. 1784-1958 (James Jordan)

My memories of Stormont and Dundas Counties (Margaret Scott)

Up the front a story of Morrisburg (Elanor Wickware Morgan)

 

Websites:

 

Morrisburg | The Lost Villages Historical Society

stlawrencepiks.com - Virtual Tour of Historic Morrisburg History – Morrisburg.ca (archive.org) (archived webpage from 2022, page no longer exists in 2024)

Seaway history just click away | Cornwall Standard Freeholder (archive.org) (archived webpage from 2016, page no longer exists in 2024)

Seaway System - The Seaway - 300 Years of History (archive.org) (archived webpage from 2019, page no longer exists in 2024)