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The historic site that’s all locked up
Posted By TONY RICCIUTO
It’s designated as a national historic site. There’s even a commemorative cairn erected on the property on Highway 3, near Ridge Road in Fort Erie.
A sign on the quaint little cabin that sits there declares it’s the Ridgeway Battlefield Museum – but if you try to drop in for a visit, the door is closed.
The Battle of Ridgeway, which happened there in 1866 as part of the Fenian Raids, was a watershed moment in Canadian history. It convinced politicians of the day that Canada, as it stood then, was vulnerable to invasion from the United States.
A year later came confederation. Canada was a country and the rest, as they say, is history.
But these days, visitors to this historic site are greeted by a locked door.
Another sign near the front door notes the first record of the building dates to 1822 when Zachariah Teal bought it from John Silverthorn. In 1916, the Roadhouse family bought the house and later donated it to the Bertie Historical Society in 1975.
The Town of Fort Erie took over operation in 1976 with the appointment of a museum board and with assistance from the Ridgeway-Crystal Beach Lions Club, the house was moved to its current location and renovated.
The Ridgeway Battlefield site marks the location where Irish-American veterans of the U.S. Civil War, the Fenians, fought British forces to gain Ireland’s independence from England in June, 1866.
More than once, the issue of why the museum is never open has been raised at town council.
Erin Wilson, curator of structural heritage for the Fort Erie Historical Museum, said they have no environmental control at the Ridgeway Battlefield Museum.
That’s why nothing of significance can be kept there, for fear of it being damaged. Also, because of its remote location there is concern for security and vandalism.
The museum was open in June 1991, when the fields surrounding the Battlefield Museum were the scene of a 125th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Ridgeway.
Anyone interested in seeing historic, original paintings depicting that battle should stop in the Fort Erie Historical Museum on Ridge Road in Ridgeway.
There’s a collection of watercolour paintings by war correspondent Alexander Von Erichsen. He travelled from battlefield to battlefield, documenting many of the events of the era. Von Erichsen had accompanied the Fenian army from Buffalo to Canada. After his death, someone in the military went through his collection of paintings and was able to identify quite a number.
However, there was a small group of paintings that couldn’t be identified so they called in a uniform expert.
He was able to connect those paintings to Ridgeway and the Fenian raids.
“We had no idea these existed,” said Wilson.
“It was an unbelievable find. They are just fabulous pieces. They were done in 1866, but the colours are so vivid.”
It turns out 16 British fighters were killed at the Battle of Ridgeway. Two more died later of their wounds and two from heat stroke. There were 74 wounded and six captured.
It turned out to be a glorious battle for the Fenian raiders, though they didn’t win Ireland’s freedom.
Some of their buttons were embossed with the initials IRA – the Irish Republican Army.
What needs fixing in your neighbourhood? We want to know. Phone Tony Ricciuto at 905-358-5711, ext. 1132 or e-mail tricciuto@nfreview.com
Article ID# 817526
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