Grave of Laura Secord, Heroine of the War of 1812 - Niagara Falls, ON, Canada - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

A life-size bronze bust of Laura Secord was created by Mildred Peel and unveiled on June 22, 1901. It depicts a young Laura Secord from the chest up. She is wearing a blouse and a cape held around her neck with a rope with tassels. Her hair is parted in the middle as she looks straight ahead. The bust rests on a bronze plinth set on an 5' high, two-tiered, granite base.

The side of the monument is inscribed:

HERE RESTS
LAURA INGERSOLL
BELOVED WIFE OF
JAMES SECORD
BORN SEPT. 13, 1775
DIED OCT. 17, 1868
AGED 93 YEARS

Laura Secord has been described as the Paul Revere of Canada. Born Laura Ingersoll on September 13, 1775 in Great Barrington, MA. The Ingersoll family moved to Upper Canada in 1795. In 1797, she married James Secord.

James Secord served in the 1st Lincoln Militia under General Isaac Brock when the War of 1812 began. In October 1812 Brock was killed at the battle of Queenstown Heights and James Secord was wounded in the leg and shoulder during the battle. Laura heard of his predicament and rushed to his side to rescue him from the American forces.

Later, on May 27, 1813 the United States launched an attack across the Niagara River into Canada. They captured Fort George and then the Queenston and the Niagara area fell to the Americans. Next, the Americans were planning to attack the British positions. Laura Secord learned of plans and began her famous journey that made here the heroine of Canada. Her heroic journey is described on her monument:

TO PERPETUATE
THE NAME AND FAME OF
LAURA SECORD

WHO WALKED ALONE NEARLY 20 MILES BY A CIRCUITOUS, DIFFICULT AND PERILOUS ROUTE THROUGH WOODS AND SWAMPS AND OVER MANY ROADS TO WARN A BRITISH OUTPOST AT DECEW'S FALLS OF AN INTENDED ATTACK AND THEREBY ENABLED LIEUT. FITZGIBBON ON THE 24TH, JUNE, 1813, WITH LESS THAN 50 MEN OF H.M. 49TH REGT., ABOUT 15 MILITIAMEN AND A SMALL FORCE OF SIX NATION AND OTHER INDIANS UNDER CAPTAINS WILLIAM JOHNSON KERR AND DOMONIQUE DUCHARME, TO SURPRISE AND ATTACK THE ENEMY AT BEECHWOODS (OR BEAVER DAMS) AND AFTER A SHORT ENGAGEMENT TO CAPTURE COL. BOERSTLER OF THE U.S. ARMY AND HIS ENTIRE FORCE OF 542 MEN WITH TWO FIELD PIECES.

Description: see long description Date of birth: 09/13/1775 Date of death: 10/17/1868 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight Hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log for waymarks in this category, you must have personally visited the waymark location. When logging your visit, please provide a note describing your visit experience, along with any additional information about the waymark or the surrounding area that you think others may find interesting.

We especially encourage you to include any pictures that you took during your visit to the waymark. However, only respectful photographs are allowed. Logs which include photographs representing any form of disrespectful behavior (including those showing personal items placed on or near the grave location) will be subject to deletion.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   10/01/2023 Keldar5 visited it 07/08/2022 rrrparker visited it 08/06/2019 Timo Explorer visited it 10/18/2016 stinger503 visited it 01/17/2016 petendot visited it 12/09/2011 jiggs11 visited it 04/19/2010 SweetPea57 visited it

View all visits/logs