New Brunswick has the distinction of being the birthplace of IODE (Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire). The first meeting took place in Fredericton on January 15, 1900, in response to a telegram from Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who aimed to promote patriotism towards the British Empire. Members quickly contributed to an emergency war fund and provided support for soldiers in the Boer War in South Africa. After the war, New Brunswick members broadened their efforts to include education and welfare, with Mrs. Katherine Black serving as the first provincial chapter president.
During World War I, New Brunswick participated in raising $5,500,000 across Canada through IODE and sent supplies to servicemen. After the war, they erected cenotaphs in Fredericton and Moncton and placed the Soldiers’ Memorial in the Saint John Field of Honour. New Brunswick was the first provincial chapter to contribute their entire share to the First War Memorial Bursaries. In the 1930s, members expanded their work by donating food, clothing, and schoolbooks, supplying libraries, and awarding prizes to students at adopted schools.
William George Clark, born in Queensbury, New Brunswick, owned a beautiful home and served as a town councillor for Fredericton Town Council from 1917 to 1925 and as Mayor from 1925 to 1935. He also represented York—Sunbury in the House of Commons from 1935 to 1940. His daughter, Esther Clarke Wright, became the province’s first female pastor and authored books such as Public Opinion (1916) and The Challenge to Canadian Womanhood (1918). She held the position of Vice President for both the National Council of Women of Canada and the Canadian Federation of University Women. Among her most well-known works are “The Loyalists of New Brunswick” and “Planters and Pioneers.”
In 1960, the Provincial Chapter opened IODE Clark House, which provided a home for seniors in Fredericton for many years. The Clark House Trust Fund offered bursaries for students attending New Brunswick community colleges.
Here is an ad produced by Remax when the property was for sale. It gives you a more ind-depth view of the house and property.
