By Ashley Harper Last week, on Wednesday 6 July 2022, residents of Morewood and the surrounding area gathered to mark a monumental occasion: the 101st anniversary and rededication of the Morewood Cenotaph. The stone likeness of Captain Ernest J. Glasgow towered over the crowd from atop the memorial as the evening's speakers recounted the monument's history and praised the community for coming together to maintain it.
Before the monument could be made and installed, the Memorial Association needed somewhere to put it. In fall of 1919, they purchased part of Concession 11, Lot 18 in Winchester Township from Morton Hunter at a cost of $500. A copy of the original deed can be found at the end of this article. With a location secured, the creation of the monument progressed. The stone for the foundation portion was sourced from Stanstead, Quebec and the granite for the statue came from Barre, Vermont. It's unclear who sculpted the Glasgow statue—it may have been Canadian sculptor Tait McKenzie, one of the many Italian sculptors in Barre, Vermont, or someone else entirely.
Sadly, only four of the five founders of the Cenotaph Committee would live to see the monument unveiled—just over six months before it was dedicated, Ezra Countryman died of heart failure on Christmas morning. Two other founders, Allan Smirle and Hector Carruthers, remained members of the committee for decades until their deaths in 1961 and 1972, respectively. Both men witnessed some of the changes that the memorial underwent.
This $70,000 project consisted of a variety of tasks, including cleaning the monument; straightening and re-securing the original brass tablet; replacing the existing flagpole; widening the stone pathway to increase accessibility; burying the wiring from lights used to illuminate the memorial; and adding a name plate for Maurice Cheney, a WWI soldier who was not included on the original monument. The biggest task, however, was erecting 21 black granite monuments around the original cenotaph (10 to the east, 10 to the west, and one to the north). Each marker measures 10 inches square and 40 inches high.
The last black monument stands as a tribute to all those who returned home but later died of physical and mental wounds sustained during wartime. Funding for the project came from two main sources: Veterans Affairs Canada ($25,000) and community donations ($45,000). Some of the community contributions included $6,000 from the Township of North Dundas; $5,000 each from the Morewood Recreation Association and Guildcrest Homes; seven donations by individuals of $1,000 each; and about $9,000 in goods and services. The remaining funds were gathered through smaller individual donations and fundraising efforts, including an online auction, take-out dinner, and book and seed sales. The Chesterville and District Historical Society also commissioned a painting of the monument by local artist Gordon Coulthart in 2018 titled A Fallen Leaf. Money made from the sale of prints went to the Cenotaph Committee. The original now hangs in the Morewood Recreation Centre. The rededication of the revitalized cenotaph and these new monuments was originally planned for the centennial in 2021, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee felt that the community deserved to be involved in the ceremony, so they decided to wait until it was safe for people to gather once again. It was worth the wait—seeing the community join together to mark this occasion was wonderful. Held during Morewood's Meet Me on Main Street event, the rededication attracted a good-sized crowd. It began with the sound of bagpipes. Military Major Savio Fernandes and members from CFS Letrium marched west along County Road 13 toward the monument, coming to stand on Mill Street.
Pastor Debbie Poirier of the United Church said a short prayer, then retired Col. Bill Shearing of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders provided some history about the unit, formerly known as the 154th Battalion CEF, based in Cornwall. Eight of the soldiers commemorated on the cenotaph were at some point attached to the 154th Batt. (WWI) or the SDG Highlanders (WWII). Warrant officer Justin Delorme and Lt.-Col. Roy Clarke of the Highlanders laid a wreath at the base of the monument. The ceremony ended with the singing of "God Save the Queen" by Shelly Hutt. Congratulations to the Morewood Cenotaph Committee on a job well done! Many thanks to the local community for supporting this fantastic project and helping to preserve history and the memory of these soldiers. It's efforts like these that ensure that "Their Name Liveth For Evermore". Names on the Morewood Cenotaph
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By Ashley Harper In the years that followed World War I, communities across the world began building memorials for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Today, most of the towns and hamlets in North Dundas have some sort of tribute – those that are grand structures, like the towering monument at Morewood’s main intersection, and others that are more modest but no less heartfelt. One of the early communities to erect a cenotaph in the district was Nation Valley, a small settlement southwest of Chesterville. The area lost four men during the war: Sgt. Harold Merkley, Cpl. William Moodie, Pte. Howard Hess, and Pte. Henry Coughler. Profiles for each of them can be found at the end of this article.
At the beginning of the month, it had been announced that a monument would be erected for soldiers from Chesterville and the vicinity, but it is unclear weather the article was referencing the cenotaph in Chesterville or Nation Valley, or a joint project. A list of donors published in the Record included residents of Chesterville, Nation Valley, Bethune Bush, Dunbar, Grantley, and other areas, which gives support to the theory that one community cenotaph may have originally been planned, but more research is required to know for sure. Whatever the situation was, that memorial was put on hold at the end of December 1921 due to funding issues.
The monument, made of black and grey Egyptian granite, stands over six feet tall. Small maple leaves adorn the corners of each side, and a wreath of them is displayed on the cap of the stone.
The ceremony was performed by Rev. William Brown, the Methodist minister from Chesterville. Local dignitaries were present, including Dundas MP Preston Elliott and MPP W. H. Casselman, Grenville MPP Howard Ferguson, and Winchester merchant Aaron Sweet, the latter of whom served as chairman of the ceremony. Ontario Premier E. C. Drury was also scheduled to be there. After the dedication, attendees were served lunch at George C. Merkley's grove, which adjoined the school property. It was estimated that 500 to 600 people, young and old, were present that day. The Chesterville Citizen's Band provided music and sports were held for the children, including a baseball game between Winchester Springs and Morewood. In the fall of 2014, the North Dundas Township Council discovered that the land where the monument was located was privately owned by the Munro family; a few years after the school closed in 1966, the school board sold the land to them. To ensure that the public would always have access to the cenotaph, the Munro family worked with the Township and the Chesterville Legion to have it moved to Veterans Memorial Park on Queen Street East, where Chesterville's own war memorial was (and still is) located.
Soldier Profiles Sgt. Harold Adam Merkley (1895-1918)
Cpl. William Brown Clark Moodie (1883 - 1917) William Brown Clark Moodie was born on 12 December 1883 in Winchester Township to James Moodie and Bethia Barbara Clark. He and his family lived with his maternal grandparents, Rev. William and Elizabeth Clark, at Lot 10, Concession 2 of Winchester Township. He remained there until at least 1901, but by 1906, he and his older brother Frank were living in Calgary with their uncle, Walter Moodie. William was working as a carpenter and living at 818 7th Ave. West in Calgary with Frank when he enlisted on 8 May 1915. He was originally attached to the 56th Battalion but later transferred to the 49th Battalion in January 1916. In September of that year, he was promoted to corporal. A month later, he suffered a gunshot wound to the neck but recovered and resumed duty. No photos have been located of Cpl. Moodie, but his attestation form described him as 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 165 pounds with a dark complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair. By the time of William’s death, his parents were living in Vancouver and most of his siblings had married and moved away from the district. The only one to remain was a brother, Norman Moodie, who resided on the family farm. Pte. Ransom "Howard" Hess (1899-1918)
Pte. Henry Coughler (1885-1918) Henry Coughler was born on 27 August 1885 in Winchester Township to William Christopher Coughler and Agnes Rosetta Beckstead. As a boy, he lived with his parents at Lot 7, Concession 3. He eventually moved Shaunavon, Saskatchewan and enlisted in Regina on 27 November 1917. While overseas, he served with the 28th Battalion and the 1st Depot Battalion (Saskatchewan Regiment).
No photos of Pte. Coughler have been located. His attestation form described him as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 140 pounds with a light complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair.
By Ashley Harper Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been a lot of comparisons between this virus and the Spanish Influenza, which ravaged the world in 1918-1919. Prior to that, most people were relatively unaware that just a century ago, our ancestors lived through the deadliest pandemic in recent history. Contrary to its name, the Spanish Influenza was not Spanish. The pandemic hit during a tumultuous time in our history; World War I had been raging for almost four years when the first cases were reported in early 1918. There was extensive wartime censorship in many countries, which prevented the press from publishing information on the disease. One nation that did not have this issue was Spain, as it had remained neutral during the war. Spain was one of the very few countries that was accurately and openly reporting on this sickness, and as a result, the virus became known as the Spanish Influenza. Much like COVID-19, the Spanish Flu came in waves. The first was in the spring and summer of 1918. Although still deadly, it was comparatively mild to later cases and has been likened to a bad bout of the common cold. Most cases appeared in urban locations, whereas many rural areas were relatively unaffected.
However, the peace and normalcy that this area had enjoyed was soon to come to an end. By the time the second wave hit in the fall of 1918, the virus had mutated. It was more severe and spread quicker than before, making it much deadlier. Those who survived the initial sickness were often faced with life-threatening secondary diseases, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Unlike most illnesses, the majority of flu victims were between the ages of 15 and 45. The Spanish Flu was likely brought to North Dundas by returning soldiers or through travel to and from infected areas. However, it is impossible to know exactly when or how it arrived here as very little was reported until the disease was at its peak. Although it is somewhat gruesome, the easiest way to track the virus in the community is through the local death registry. And unfortunately, it left quite a trail to follow.
Although deaths were on the rise across the country, many people (including health officials) underestimated the seriousness of the pandemic. On September 24th, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. John McCullough, stated, "There is altogether too much made of the seriousness of this Spanish influenza...The epidemic is not so serious as measles." He was soon proven to be very wrong. In the weeks following Mert's death, the number of flu cases skyrocketed across the United Counties. Chesterville doctors Miles and William Brown (father and son) reported that they were handling about 300 cases in a week, and they later became so overwhelmed and overworked that a Dr. Smith from Montreal came to assist them. Doctors and medical officials at the time were faced with a serious challenge. Unlike today, there was no unified health authority for the United Counties—the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Board of Health (predecessor of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit) was not established until 1940. Prior to that, each municipality had their own Board of Health, which meant that practices and restrictions varied from one place to another.
On October 10th, the Chesterville Record announced that the village's Board of Health was closing schools and cancelling public meetings and church services. Similar actions were taken in the rest of North Dundas and some of the surrounding communities. Other places, like Morrisburg, did not enact restrictions for another two weeks. None of the local papers mentioned a mask mandate. As we have learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, having a coordinated response to this kind of public health emergency can have a drastic impact on the effectiveness of the restrictions. Less than a week after restrictions were put in place, North Dundas experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic. October 16th saw the Spanish Flu claim the lives of six residents in just one day. The death rate remained high throughout October as the virus ripped through the area, leaving devastation in its wake. By the end of the month, Winchester and Mountain Townships had lost 31 people to the Spanish Flu, including an infant and three toddlers. J. W. Forrester, the inspector of public schools for Dundas County, and Samuel Doran, Hallville's postmaster, were also among the victims. Five local children were orphaned and dozens more lost one parent.
On October 31st, the Boards of Health for Chesterville, Winchester Village and Winchester Township declared that all restrictions on public gatherings would be lifted. These announcements appeared in the Winchester Press and the Chesterville Record amid numerous obituaries of flu victims and articles reflecting the ongoing severity of the pandemic. Given the seriousness of the situation, which the Record called "particularly distressing", it is unclear why the Boards of Health decided to lift the restrictions so soon. The restrictions had been in place for a relatively short time—just over three weeks. In comparison to the timeframe of COVID-era lockdowns, that hardly seems like enough time to get the situation under control. While the restrictions did not solve the issue entirely, they do appear to have had a positive effect. Over the next two weeks, only two Spanish Flu deaths were recorded in North Dundas, both of which were in Mountain Township. One fatality in Chesterville (the newborn daughter of another flu victim) is also believed to have been related to the pandemic. During the second half of November, there were no flu deaths in North Dundas. The United Counties saw a similar gradual decline in flu fatalities during this time with some communities recovering faster than others. However, deaths still remained a daily occurrence in SDG and people were struggling to deal with their bereavement. But as things began to look up overseas, so too did the situation on the Homefront. November 11th brought a renewed hope to soldiers and civilians alike. Across the United Counties, people gathered in the streets to celebrate the signing of an armistice between the Allied and Central Powers, bringing an end to four long years of war. The war was not the only thing that ended that day; the devastating streak of pandemic fatalities was broken and for the first time in 33 days, no new Spanish Flu deaths were recorded in the entirety of SDG. This, of course, did not mean that the pandemic was over. However, it was the beginning of a period of considerable progress as the number of flu cases and deaths in the United Counties dropped significantly. Weeks passed without any flu fatalities in North Dundas. Although deaths had ceased in the community during this period, the disease had not entirely disappeared. Social columns from the local newspapers provide helpful insight into which areas had new cases and who had fallen ill. Obituaries of former residents and people from neighbouring areas were published weekly. Unlike in the early days of the pandemic, people knew not to underestimate the virus. Various articles warned not to rush recovery, with one stating, "If you have had the influenza stay in bed as long as you feel you should and then stay three days longer and ask the doctor what he thinks." Despite some lingering cases in the community, there was a lot of optimism. The Great War was finally over and the Spanish Flu was on the decline. It seemed as though the Christmas of 1918 would be a merry one. Unfortunately, the situation began to deteriorate quite rapidly in the days leading up to the holiday and only grew worse in the weeks that followed. On Christmas Eve, North Dundas recorded its first Spanish Flu death in 40 days: Luthera Hummel Froats, who left behind a husband and nine children to mourn her. Next was Daniel Belway of Mountain Township who died on New Year's Eve, one day before he was to be married. The areas surrounding Winchester Township were also hit hard during this time. The Forget family of Crysler lost all five of its members (two parents, a married couple, and a newborn son) within a week. Several people from the Dunbar area died, including Charles McMillan and his one-year-old daughter Clara on New Year's Day and New Year's Eve respectively.
North Dundas experienced 13 flu deaths in the month of January and one in Feburary. The last deaths in this community occurred in March: Norah Casselman Fulton of Maple Ridge died on March 4th and Martha Thompson Barkley of Mountain followed on March 21st. The last death in the United Counties was recorded near the end of April. In six months, the Spanish Flu killed at least 51 people in North Dundas (see Figure 1). As a whole, Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry lost at least 334 people. However, the number of victims may actually be much higher. During the pandemic, there were an additional 103 people in SDG (11 in North Dundas) who died of pneumonia, bronchitis, and related diseases. Because most flu victims died of secondary illnesses, it is possible that some of these deaths are connected to the Spanish Flu. This theory is supported by the fact that quite a few of the possible flu victims were related or lived very close to confirmed flu victims. The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919 undoubtedly left an impact on the residents of North Dundas. With the current state of the world, it is becoming easier to understand what our ancestors may have felt during that time—their fear, their anxiety, their sadness, their loss.
We can learn a lot about them by referencing our experiences in the present, but the opposite is also true: by looking into the past, we can learn about our own situation. If there is one lesson to be learned from the Spanish Flu Pandemic, it is this: our community and the people in it are strong, and no matter how difficult things may be, we will get through this together and emerge even stronger than before. |
CDHS publishes articles about interesting photos, artifacts, people, events, buildings, etc. that relate to the history of Chesterville and District. If there is something that you would like to see, email us at [email protected]
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