Iroquois

The town of Iroquois is a place with an interesting history. Iroquois was originally a part of the Matilda Township (formed in 1787) in Dundas County. During the War of 1812, the British Government commissioned a fort to be constructed at Point Iroquois (where the Iroquois Locks are today). The American forces had landed at Point Iroquois and the government felt it was a place that needed extra defenses. However, the war ended, and it was never finished. Michael Carman had earned 2,000 dollars in silver for his work on the fort. A second fort, later dubbed Fort Needless, would also be built on the riverbank around the same time, although it would never see action. Iroquois would eventually gain a post office, when it was still known as Matilda. It was the first post office in the two western townships.The village was then incorporated in 1857, albeit with a smaller population than a village would normally need (a special act of incorporation was passed). With the incorporation, the village was given the name Iroquois, previously the village was referred to as Cathcart. Iroquois would prosper with various industries right up until the seaway project. Unfortunately, good times do not last forever. Leading up to the controlled water release on July 1, 1959, most of Iroquois would see some change. The town of Iroquois was poorly situated, almost the entire town needed to be moved or demolished. Today only 3 homes near the river remain on their original stone foundations (Forward House, Carman House, and a residence on Elizabeth Drive). For many, the flooding of Iroquois was not just the loss of a backyard, people ended up in a new neighbourhood with new neighbours. Sometimes they were in new houses when their original homes could not be saved. Many people struggled to accept the changes; having to leave the place they had spent their whole lives and perhaps where their ancestors had lived also. In 1998, Iroquois, along with the rest of Matilda and Williamsburg, would merge into the municipality of South Dundas. Today the effects of the past are hard to see, there is a beautiful part where there once was a thriving town. A lot of the stories of old Iroquois are in writing or available orally from those who lived through the flooding. The current town of Iroquois itself may be completely different from before the seaway flooding, but its past will not be easily forgotten. Sources: Books: Iroquois History : Year of Celebrations, Village of Iroquois 140th Anniversary, New Iroquois 40th Anniversary, (1857 – 1997) Souvenir Book - Village of Iroquois History of Iroquois – Miss Nancy Burleigh Semi-Centennial of Iroquois High School (1845-1895) – Adam Harkness Websites: https://archive.org/details/storyofdundasbei00cartuoft/mode/2up (Digitized book, The Story of Dundas by Carter J. Smith) https://www.ghosttownpix.com/lostvillages/iroquois.html https://web.archive.org/web/20190825235457/https:/greatlakes- seaway.com/en/seaway/history/index.html (archived webpage from 2019, page no longer exists in 2024)