Bethel Union is a pioneer cemetery, the final resting spot of both black and white settlers who lived in the area. Almost 80 headstones dot the grounds and more than 100 unmarked graves, many beneath beautiful looking birch trees, containing the remains of blacks that once lived in the community. Many buried in the cemetery are slaves or the descendants of slaves who came to Canada via the famous
Underground Railway. Others came after the American Revolution or following the Civil War, which resulted in the abolition of slavery. During the 1830’s, thousands of fugitive Blacks escaped from bo***ge and found their way to freedom in Canada through the Under Ground Railroad. What isn’t well-known is that many of those freedom seekers settled in the Oro district of Simcoe County and, eventually filtered into what became known as, The SilverShoe Settlement, in Old Sunnidale Township, near New Lowell, Ontario.Less - known is the fact that the freedom seekers were already established in Simcoe Country, soon after the War of 1812. These freedom seekers migrated into the great pine forests of Old Sunnidale Township in search of work. One of the major employers of Blacks in the early years was the Jacques & Hay Company, who operated lumber mills and a furniture factory in the Village of New Lowell. Blacks were employed as choppers, teamsters and hair spinners. Some 25 Black families made their homes in the area. The Bethel – Union Pioneer Cemetery [originally, known as Sunnidale Union] was established in 1855, just south of Concession 7. However, burials were taking place prior to 1837. This is, probably the only totally integrated Cemetery of its time, in the history of Ontario. African – Canadians and Aboriginal burials were normally prohibited in sanctified ground. The Cemetery remained in active use, until the late 1940’s. By 1960, the Cemetery had fell into disrepair. Inmates from a minimum-security prison were used to clear away accumulated debris. Regretfully, bulldozers were used to save time, therefore, destroying many stones and historical information. By the 1970’s, the Cemetery had been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair, yet again. And by 1997, the condition of the Site was disgraceful. During the summer of 1997 a group of volunteers, spearheaded by Jane Cooper-Wilson [a descendant of the first Black to settle in The SilverShoe and founder of The SilverShoe Historical Society] secured permission from the Township of Clearview to restore and maintain the old Cemetery. The SilverShoe Historical Society has diligently and lovingly worked to restore, document and maintain the Site, for the last decade. It is now considered to be one of the most beautiful pioneer cemetery sites in the Province of Ontario. Cooper – Wilson has revealed over 400 documented burials, with an equal amount [or more] still under investigation.
