Driving down McCredie Road in rural Niagara Falls for the first time, you will come across something you would not likely expect to see. Standing right beside the road is a solitary grave stone of great age — so old, in fact, the inscription has almost totally faded away.

The stone is a mute reminder of a tragic tale that took place more than two centuries ago.

The story begins with the marriage of William Misoner and Mary Van Sickle on March 9, 1801, in Morris County, N.J.

While outwardly the newlyweds likely appeared happy and excited, inwardly each harboured a dark secret they dared not reveal either to their parents or anyone else.

Mary was two months pregnant.

Typical of the time, she and her husband lived in a very conservative society. Behaviour in that society was governed by a strict moral code. If you violated that code, you did so at your peril. Consequently, both were well aware that as soon as it became obvious Mary had been pregnant at the time of her wedding, the couple would face great embarrassment likely coupled with condemnation from family, friends and the community at large.

To avoid this very unwanted situation, William came up with a plan. The couple would travel to Upper Canada (now Ontario) where he had an uncle and aunt, Nicholas and Jane Misoner who lived near the great falls of Niagara. Originally from New Jersey as well, they lived along Lyons Creek on land they had obtained in 1793.

It's possible William and Mary told their parents the trip was for a visit only. But, they had apparently decided to stay in Upper Canada. Given the circumstances, this was understandable.

The journey would have been far from easy, especially for Mary. We don't know the exact route they took but it was likely the same or similar to what most travellers of that era used to reach Niagara from the northeastern United States. That involved first going to New York City where travellers could then board a sloop that sailed up the Hudson River to Albany. From there passengers going to Niagara took a stage coach to Utica, N.Y. The rest of the trip, some 352 kilometres of wilderness, was by horseback.

Once in Niagara, Nicholas and Jane, sympathetic to the couple's plight, took them into their home.

Spring and summer passed as Mary waited for her baby's birth sometime in October.

When that month arrived, however, fate tragically intervened. Mary died on Oct. 17 following complications during or shortly after her baby's birth. She was only 21. The infant did not survive.

Nicholas and Jane arranged for Mary, and likely the baby as well, to be buried in the Misoner plot which was part of the small McCredie Farm Cemetery close to Lyons Creek. A grave stone was erected which, in part, reads: "Here Lies the Body of Mary Misoner, the Wife of William and Daughter of Isaac and Jane Van Sickle. Born November 23, 1779 and Departed This Life October 17, 1801. Here I Lay and Sleep in Peace. Psalm 4, Verse 8."

Some years later, following the construction of McCredie Road (named for another early family in the area), the cemetery disappeared. Fortunately, however, before that happened Mary's stone was relocated to the side of the road, making it much more visible and accessible.

Recognizing the significance of this ancient memorial and the human interest story if represents, the City of Niagara Falls Cemetery Services has recently surrounded the gravestone with handsome new fencing. In addition, a large story board has been erected which details Mary's sad story and provides information about the McCredie Farm Cemetery. The recognition is, I feel, most deserving.

As for William Misoner (the name is now more commonly spelled Misener), he later moved to Jerseyville, just east of Ancaster, where he established a wagon and farm implement business. William died in 1859.