The History of Morson, Ontario, Canada

At the turn of the century, the area now known as Morson was covered with forests. The earliest inhabitants were Ojibway Indians whose existence depended largely upon wild game, fish and furs. Blueberries and wild rice were among their staples. They used the bark of the birch trees and leather made from animal hides. Centuries old Indian rock paintings on Lake of the Woods stand as remnants of the area's earliest inhabitants. Indian rock paintings on Lake of the Woods are believed to be almost 1,000 years old and still mystify historians and chemists. Even though the art is considered primitive, the materials used by the early artists to create it have not been equaled in modern times as evidenced by their durability through centuries of exposure to the climate. On an overhanging cliff on Painted Rock Island is one of many sites of the rock paintings that are known to exist on Lake of the Woods. They can be viewed from a boat in the channel between Painted Rock Island and Splitrock Island.

French fur traders arrived in the late 1600's and by the early 1700's Lake of the Woods was part of a busy water route between Winnipeg and Lake Superior. As the 1800's came to a close, land grants being offered by the government attracted many Scandinavian settlers to the area. The need to clear land in accordance with the guidelines of the grants was the start for the timber industry and the agricultural development in and around the communities of Morson and Bergland. A surveyor, in 1908, noted that "the overland route to Morson was, in some place, little more than a footpath through the swamps."

The busy water route carried passengers between Rainy River via Lake of the Woods to ports along shores to Kenora. Lumber companies used the route for towing logs. It was the lumber companies who complained that night travel on the lake was nearly impossible. In response, the Tomahawk Island Lighthouse was built in 1900. Lighthouse keepers operated the lighthouse until 1946, when it was converted to automatic equipment. In 1963, it was sold to the Pentney family and moved to its present location at the end of Lighthouse Road. The lighthouse has been restored and converted to a museum with artifacts pertaining to early lake travel.

The era of the steamships moved to a close when the railroads came through. Ernie Calvert established the first tourist resort sometime between 1910 and 1920 on Cedar Island. His guests were transported to the island by boat from the town of Rainy River in the early years of operation. In 1928 the Township of Morson was incorporated and in 1929 a road was built to Taylor Bay. During the next decade, several resorts were established, and tourism gained a firm foothold in the Morson economy. In the early 1940's the road that is now Highway 621, was extended to the present day location of the Government Dock at the end of Hanson's Bay. Hydroelectricity was installed in 1952 and telephone service in 1964. Morson's immediate access to vast wilderness areas and its outdoor recreational activities have made it an increasingly popular vacation spot.

On January 1, 1998 the Townships of Morson and McCrosson-Tovell amalgamated to form our present municipal boundaries, Lake of the Woods Township. The annexation of a portion of the islands on Lake of the Woods was incorporated into those municipal boundaries in 1999. The new millennium brought the construction of two bridges on Highway 621, one to cross the Big Grassy River and the other to cross Eleanor Lake to bring you to the heart of Morson. Morson isn't very big - there are only about 200 residents that live here year-round. Although there are no busy shopping malls, four-lane highways or tall skyscrapers, we offer a wonderful world away from the hustle and bustle of mainstream life.