Laura Ingersoll Secord 1775-1868

Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Laura Ingersoll came to Upper Canada with her father in 1795, and settled in this area. About two years later she married James Secord, a United Empire Loyalist, and within seven years they had moved to this site from nearby St. Davids. From here, during the War of 1812, Laura Secord set out on an arduous 30 km journey to warn the local British commander, Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, of an impending American attack. The courage and tenacity displayed on this occasion in June 1813 places her in the forefront of the province's heroines. Mrs. Secord's house, a simple frame building, was restored (1971-72), and remains as a memorial to the exceptional act of patriotism.