Morrisburg is home to several cultural and recreational attractions, including Upper Canada Village, a living history museum that depicts life in the 19th century adjacent to the natural beauty along the Saint Lawrence River.
Morrisburg History
Morrisburg was initially settled by United Empire Loyalists seeking refuge from the United States following the American Revolutionary War. Other immigrants from Scotland, Ireland, and England, joined them in settling along the St Lawrence.
Morrisburg played a significant role in the War of 1812, with battles and skirmishes between British and American forces in the vicinity, in an effort to control traffic along the St Lawrence.
The 11 mile Cornwall Canal built 1834-1843 by the British government to bypass rapids on the St Lawrence with 6 locks which raised and lower ships 48 feet, connecting the lower Saint Lawrence River (and Montreal) to Lake St. Francis and the upper St Lawrence (Kingston and Lake Ontario). This played a crucial role in making Morrisburg a regional trade and transportation hub. Sawmills, gristmills, and other industries began to flourish.
By the late 1800s, the timber industry that harvested trees in forests north of Morrisburg began to decline. Other industries including manufacturing and agriculture, became more prominent in the area.
The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s had a significant impact on the community, with flooding of some riverside areas by new dams flooding of some areas due to the creation of the seaway. The placement of the new Upper Canada Village historical village (Canada around 1867) east of the city, along the new shoreline of the St Lawrence River brought many visitors to the area.