(19 March 1868-5 April 1948), general contractor. (Louie Merpaw) Born at Glen Walter, GC. Parents: Joseph Merpaw and his wife Mary Ann Lalonde. He moved with his parents to Grants Corners and then to St. Andrew’s. For many years he lived at St. Andrew’s, but settled in Cornwall in 1919. He was active in hockey and football, but was especially involved with lacrosse. He was apprenticed in cheesemaking to John B. May. For some 9 years he was a cheesemaker, for D.M. Macpherson and others, but thereafter followed a varied life as a carpenter, builder and general contractor. As a contractor, he was a very small-scale businessman, but extremely active. He built concrete bridges in Charlottenburgh and Cornwall Tps, barns in various places, also many houses in Cornwall and in the Cornwall area. He built the West Front School, Cornwall, and the Sacristy of Nativity Church, Cornwall. For a short time he was involved in subcontracting in railway-building with John R. McDonald of Glenbrook. With apparently the same John R. McDonald, he built bridges for McDonald and Dibblee. (See entry John R. Mcdonald for several men of that name) Also, Merpaw operated an ice-cutting business in Cornwall in the winter. On 9 Sept. 1889 Merpaw was married to Marie Louise Primeau. He died at Hotel Dieu Hospital, Cornwall. Roman Catholic. In 1934 he was called “one of the best known men in Stormont and Glengarry.”

Standard Freeholder 6 April 1948 * “‘Louie’ Merpaw Exponent of Feats of Strength and Skill,” interview article (much information on his career and on Glengarry-area sports history), DTL, SFH 9 Feb. 1934 (QF) * partner in bridge building on Delisle River, GC, Glengarry News 22 July and 28 Oct. 1910 * death of (presumably) his father, Joseph Morpaw [sp sic], born at Glen Walter 1841, Cornwall Standard 4 May 1906