The Daily Grind is a blog series all about the historic Morningstar Mill at Decew Falls.

The home of Wilson and Emma Morningstar was the setting for a joyful occasion on Wednesday, September 6, 1911. Surrounded by close family and a few friends, their eldest daughter, Nora, married David Robson.

David was born in Beamsville in 1882 and began working for the Cataract Power Company as an ‘electric labourer’ in 1899. By 1901, he was boarding with a nearby neighbour of the Morningstars, which suggests that he and Nora had known each other for many years.

The wedding took place in the drawing room (parlour), which was prettily decorated with ferns and asters. As Jessie played Mendelssohn’s Wedding March on the piano, Nora – unattended – made her entrance. She wore a white embroidered gown, carried a bouquet of white roses, and was given away by her father. After the ceremony, guests gathered in the dining room for an ‘excellent wedding breakfast.’

That afternoon, Wilson, Emma, and Jessie, with confetti in hand, accompanied the newlyweds by horse and carriage to the train station in St. Catharines. Dressed in a navy-blue suit with a matching hat, Nora boarded the 6 p.m. Grand Trunk Railway train with David, bound for Buffalo and Boston, where they planned to visit family and friends for a few weeks.

The next day, Jessie wrote a lively letter to her sister, sharing details of home life and the ‘costly and valuable’ gifts they had received.

“What do you suppose we had for supper tonight? Well, for one thing, we had some leftovers from the wedding feast, and for another, we had toast made with the new electric toaster. We dined not by the light of the silvery moon but by the glow of the new table lamp.”

She continued, ‘Papa says I’m crazy to tell you this, but I thought it was safe since you’re so far away.’ She explained that they had simply been testing the new appliances and was pleased to report that ‘they work just fine.’

Jessie also mentioned that she and her mother planned to send the wedding announcement to ‘The Standard’ and ‘The Tribune’, that ‘Mamma’ had bought two baskets of Bartlett pears, and that they had canned three quarts of tomatoes. She described the cold wind blowing through her bedroom window the night before and that she missed her sister ‘crowding up to stay warm.’ She writes that she might have to take Margery, the dog, to bed to keep warm. Jessie ended the letter by hoping Nora was enjoying her trip and reminding her not to forget to write back.

Jessie’s letter to her sister, the formal wedding announcement, three newspaper notices, and the electric lamp are preserved in the Morningstar Collection, along with Nora and David’s wedding rings. Unfortunately, there are no photographs of them in their wedding attire. One photograph, likely taken by David Robson, features the Morningstar family, including Wilson’s brother, Wallace, and his wife, Allie. Since Wilson is wearing a suit, tie, pocket watch and hat, it is possible that this photo was taken around the time of the wedding.

Carla Mackie is Historical Services Coordinator with the City of St. Catharines. Historical Services includes the Morningstar Mill, the Lakeside Park Carousel, and the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.