Waterloo County was a county in Canada West in the United Province of Canada from 1853 until 1867, then in the Canadian province of Ontario from 1867 until 1973. It was the direct predecessor of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo .
107-694: Situated on a subset of land within the Haldimand Tract , Waterloo County consisted of five townships: Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot, Waterloo, and North Dumfries. The major population centres were Waterloo, Kitchener ( known as Berlin prior to 1916 ), Preston, Hespeler, Blair, and Doon in Waterloo township; Galt in North Dumfries; Elmira in Woolwich; and New Hamburg in Wilmot. All are now part of
214-474: A coal yard , wood yard , flour mill , and stove and furnace foundry . On September 30, 1899 Preston was incorporated as a town with a population of just under 11,000. The Great Road between Dundas and Berlin (Kitchener) as well as the railroad connections helped the community to continue growing into an important industrial centre. Products made here included flour, agricultural implements, furniture, stoves, shoes and textiles. Preston grew and continued to be
321-480: A "Toronto and Lake Huron Railway" was made in August, which was intended to pass through the townships of Dumfries and Waterloo. However, an economic crisis in 1837 delayed railway development, and it wouldn't be until the railway fever of the 1840s that new proposals would emerge. John Eby, druggist and chemist, arrived from Pennsylvania in about 1820 and opened a shop to the west of what would later be Eby Street. At
428-499: A House of Industry and Refuge, agricultural societies and local markets. The Grand Trunk Railway reached Berlin in 1856 and that accelerated the growth of industry. In the next decade factories and the homes of labourers and wealthy owners replaced the early settlers' log houses. A rail line did not reach St. Jacobs or Elmira until 1891. The Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pacific railways provided useful transportation and as
535-501: A direct route to urban centres near Lake Ontario, although it was over a difficult track which passed through many swamps. This "Beverley Road" was the predecessor to the later Highway 8 . Before commercial mills were constructed in the Waterloo area, settlers had to bring their grain in wagons along the road to Dundas to be milled. By the 1830s, the government had adopted a new strategy: the creation of toll roads maintained by private companies. The first such company, incorporated in 1829,
642-652: A farm near what would become the village of Blair. The homes built by the next generation of these families still stand as of March 2021, on what is now Pioneer Tower Road in Kitchener, and have been listed as historically important; the John Betzner homestead (restored) and the David Schoerg farmstead (not yet restored) were erected circa 1830. The German Company, represented by Daniel Erb and Samuel Bricker, had gotten into financial difficulties after buying
749-569: A fishing derby on Canada Day when support is available. The 7.5 kilometre Mill Run Trail runs north-east from the park at Russ Street, along the banks of the Speed River, to Sheffield Street in the town of Hespeler. On its way, it passes through the hamlet of Speedsville, the former site of Idylwild Park and Chilligo Conservation Area . Also in Preston is Linear Park which has extensive trails for walking, running or biking. At certain points
856-607: A foundry, carriage manufacturer, potteries and a furniture company. This was also the year that the Cherry Flour Mills started, which would later become the Dover Flour Mills, a Preston company that still operates today. The Preston Springs Hotel, then called the Del Monte Hotel, was operating prior to 1888, and featured 5 acres (2.0 ha) of grounds with gardens and lawns. The primary attraction
963-596: A land grant in Canada. During and after the American Revolution, American colonists confiscated land and property from those who were Loyalists during the war. The British government compensated both Indian and non-Indian Loyalists with cash payments for their losses. By early 1783, Brant had selected the valley of the Grand River as a place of settlement; in 1784 Frederick Haldimand agreed. The land
1070-505: A loss of business that might ensue from shoppers taking the streetcar to Galt rather than shopping locally. These concerns were partially addressed by having the head office of the railway company be located in Preston, rather than Galt as originally intended. The steam equipment which powered the street railway's electrification system, including the boilers and engines, was supplied by the Goldie and McCulloch Company of Galt. When completed,
1177-522: A metric called the "functional unit" is sometimes used as a measure for the complexity of a settlement. A functional unit is a measure of a type of economic activity, such as milling, banking, or retailing. A single establishment could contain multiple functional units; one example, common in pioneer settlements, is the general store/post office, which would constitute two functional units. For Waterloo County, statistics on functional units are possible for 1864 onward using contemporary data sources. In 1864, Galt
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#17327728655171284-511: A point on the Grand River near where Paris would later be founded, using a road cut through the wilderness the previous year by two Englishmen named Ward and Smith. They then followed the Grand River northward. Joseph Schoerg and his wife settled on Lot 11, B.F. Beasley Block, S.R., on the bank of the Grand River opposite Doon, and Betzner and his wife settled on the west bank of the Grand, on
1391-436: A population of about 600 inhabitants, two churches, a post office that receives mail each day, a steam grist mill, and tradesmen of various types. At the time, there was no significant industry. The Preston post office opened in 1837 and the population continued to grow primarily because of immigration from Germany. Preston was incorporated as a village in 1853. Due to continued growth, by 1879 there were many industries such as
1498-556: A result, furniture manufacturing and other industries began to open in Elmira. After about 1850, settlers direct from Germany began arriving to all parts of the county, including Woolwich Township. Waterloo was incorporated as a village in 1857 and became the Town of Waterloo in 1876 and the City of Waterloo in 1948. The population was 38,750 by 1861. In 1864, there were two grammar schools in
1605-647: A set of electric streetcars, while early freight service was provided by a small steam locomotive and boxcar which transported less than carload freight between the Canadian Pacific Railway freight office at Galt and merchants in Preston. Soon, in 1895, the Galt and Preston Street Railway became the Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway , with the authorization of a 3.60-mile (5.79 km) branch line from Preston to Hespeler. The Hespeler branch line
1712-419: A small parcel of land he owned (at the current Queen and Weber streets), this secured the county seat for Berlin. The courthouse at the corner of the later Queen Street North and Weber Street and the county gaol were built within a few months. The first county council meeting was held in the new building on 24 January 1853, as the county officially began operations. The new county council included 12 members from
1819-737: A speech at a council held near present-day Hamilton, Ontario , to deal with land issues, stated, "We are surprised to find that [the] Government says that we own the Lands to the Falls only as we have the Writings to prove otherwise. We have them here and are ready to produce them." Preston, Ontario Preston is a community in Cambridge , Ontario , Canada in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario . Prior to 1973 it
1926-464: A successful industrial area; expansion followed in the 1950s and 1960s. While most of the population of what became Waterloo County, Ontario was Protestant in 1911, Preston had a larger share of Roman Catholics, 844, while 862 were Lutherans, 707 Methodists, 704 Anglicans, and 525 Presbyterians. Located in Riverside Park, Leisure Lodge operated from 1948 until it was destroyed by fire. It
2033-671: Is Belinda Karahalios of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, who was first elected to this position in 2018. Prestion was an independent entity in Waterloo County, Ontario until 1973 when amalgamation created the Regional Municipality of Waterloo . At that time, Preston was amalgamated into the new city of Cambridge. The Region handles many services, including Fire, Police, waste management, community health, transit, recreation, planning, roads and social services. The Region consists of
2140-422: Is Cambridge's largest community park with an area of 256 acres (1.02 km .) The park contains a splash pad, two playgrounds, tennis courts, soccer pitch, a skateboard park, picnic areas that can be reserved, and a multitude of walking trails. The baseball fields are used often and on Canada Day there is always an event at the field whether it is a fair, bands at a bandstand, or fireworks. Riverside Park also hosts
2247-617: Is located in nearby Galt in the Riverside Silk Mill, also known as the Tiger Brand Building. Inside there is a theatre, a fitness room, and the gallery "Design at Riverside", which is one of two publicly funded galleries dedicated to architecture in Canada. The School of Architecture is home to 380 students who live, study, and learn within the Cambridge community. The main park in Preston is Riverside Park. It
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#17327728655172354-688: Is now a part of Kitchener) by Joseph Schoerg (later called Sherk) and Samuel Betzner, Jr. (brothers-in-law), Mennonites , from Franklin County, Pennsylvania . At the time, the upper part of the Grand River Valley was considered deep in the wilderness, and was difficult to penetrate into with wagons due a lack of roads. One Waterloo County historian, W. H. Breithaupt, believed that Schoerg and Betzner, after arriving in Upper Canada, travelled from Ancaster westward through Beverley Township to
2461-754: Is to be entirely discontinued, for, by the King's instructions, no Private Person, Society, Corporation or colony is capable of acquiring any property in lands belonging to the Indians, either by purchase, or grant or conveyance from the Indians, excepting only where the lands lie within the limits of any colony the soil of which has been vested in Proprietaries or Corporations by grants from the Crown; in which cases such Proprietaries or Corporations only shall be capable of acquiring such property by purchase or grants from
2568-570: Is well documented in the Cambridge City Archives. The former Preston is located on the western side of the city at the confluence of the Grand River and Speed River . Downtown Preston is commonly considered to be bounded on the north by the entrance to Riverside Park on King Street, and on the south by the King and Bishop plaza. Preston was originally formed on land belonging to the German Company Tract, along
2675-591: The American Revolution . The area was from Lake Erie to the Elora falls, and the width being six miles on each side of the river. The First Nations soon offered almost half of the upper area for sale. It was divided into four blocks. Blocks 1, 2 and 3 were sold by 1816; this large area became the townships of Waterloo, Woolwich and Dumfries. The western part of this area was initially settled by Mennonites of German extraction from Pennsylvania; most settled
2782-694: The Canada Company headquartered in Guelph. Galt was a friend of William Dickson. During and shortly after the War of 1812 , government expenditures on roads increased dramatically, leading to the improvement and extension of a number of roads in Upper Canada. By 1819, a new road had been constructed, which ran diagonally across Beverley Township from Dundas to Galt. The new road gave pioneers in Dumfries Township (and by extension, Waterloo Township)
2889-595: The Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway after a branch line was built which connected Preston and Hespeler along the east bank of the Speed River . This system hosted not just passengers and mail, but also full carload freight . In 1904, the railway's Galt–Preston mainline was effectively extended with the construction of the Preston and Berlin Street Railway which, despite its name, took on many of
2996-594: The Lake Erie and Northern Railway , a more modern successor to the Grand Valley Railway which opened in 1916. Taken as a sum, these interurban lines created direct rail connections between Waterloo County, Brant County , and Norfolk County , as well as freight interchange with significant Canadian National Railway , Canadian Pacific Railway , and Michigan Central Railroad lines and intercity stations. In fact, both lines were indirectly controlled by
3103-674: The Speed River , which was purchased earlier from the Six Nations Indians . The massive territory of the Tract had been purchased from Richard Beasley who had acquired it from the British Crown in the late 1700s. The name Preston is named for the hometown of William Scollick, who was surveyor and a native of Preston, Lancashire in England . In the 1800s a group of German-speaking Mennonites from Pennsylvania arrived in
3210-602: The Toronto Star explains that "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A research project by the Laurier School of Social Work has amassed all available data about the House and its former residents, digitized it and made the archive available on-line at WaterlooHouseOfRefuge.ca. According to Sandy Hoy, a director of research projects, the "inmates" included not only
3317-760: The Waterloo Region District School Board , which operates 26 elementary and five secondary schools in Cambridge. Publicly funded Catholic education is available through schools operated by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board . Preston is home to one high school, Preston High ; one public middle school, William G Davis; as well as the elementary schools Preston Public, Coronation Public, Grandview Public, Parkway Public, Blue Heron Public, St. Michael's Catholic and St. Joseph's Catholic. The University of Waterloo School of Architecture campus
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3424-428: The 1830s to 1850s, bringing with them their language, religion and cultural traditions. Waterloo County soon became recognized throughout Canada for their Germanic heritage. The German community became industrial and political leaders, and created a German-Canadian society unlike any other found in Canada at the time. They established German public schools and German language churches. Both the immigrants from Germany and
3531-400: The 20th century under Kitchener Public Utilities Commission management as it had in the 19th century, until its eventual shutdown in 1946. By the turn of the 20th century, interurban railways had begun to spread throughout North America. These were a natural evolution from street railways, but represented a more substantial commitment to regional rail infrastructure. The Grand River Railway
3638-639: The British Isles and directly from Germany, producing a mix of cultures. The first school opened in 1802 near the village of Blair, then known as Shinglebridge and now part of Cambridge, Ontario . The first teacher's name was Mr. Rittenhaus. By the early 1800s, a corduroy road had been built along what is now King Street in Waterloo; its remains were unearthed in 2016. The road was probably built by Mennonites using technology acquired in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, between
3745-913: The British side during the American Revolution . The decree was issued by the Governor of the Province of Quebec , Frederick Haldimand , on October 25, 1784, three days after the Treaty of Fort Stanwix was signed between others of the Six Nations and the American government. The granted land had to be purchased from the Mississaugas of the Credit whose traditional territory spans much of modern-day Southwestern Ontario. On May 22, 1784, Col. John Butler
3852-455: The Cambridge section of the LRT were still in the very early stage. Public consultations were just getting started at the time. Three routes had been agreed on in 2011, with eight "endorsed" stops: at Fairway, Sportsworld, Preston, Pinebush, Cambridge Centre Mall, Can-Amera, Delta and Ainslie Street Terminal. Three others were still being considered. Public English-language schooling is provided by
3959-593: The Canadian Pacific Railway, and starting in 1931, they were managed together as a single entity known as the Canadian Pacific Electric Lines. Ridership on passenger trips declined, and services began to be cut starting in the late 1930s with the cancellation of trips to Waterloo, though the system had a brief swan song in ridership during the Second World War. Regular passenger service ended in 1955. Freight service continued, though
4066-581: The Faith and so forth. Fredk Haldimand By His Excellency's Command R. Mathews Mohawk Joseph Brant and Guy Johnson , who had been ejected from his post as Superintendent of Indian Affairs a few months before, travelled to London, England, in November 1775, on the eve of the American Revolution , to obtain a promise from the Crown that if the Iroquois fought on the British side, they would obtain
4173-552: The German Company from Richard Beasley who had acquired a massive territory. The tract had originally been purchased from the Six Nations Indians by the British Crown in 1784; it was acquired in 1798 by Richard Beasley and two partners who decided to resell land, in smaller parcels. The Tract included most of Block 2 of the previous Grand River Indian Lands . Many of the first farms were least four hundred acres in size. At this time, many Mississauga people still frequented
4280-410: The German Company; (this would later be part of Waterloo Township). He built a sawmill in 1808 and a gristmill in 1816; the latter operated continuously for 111 years. Other early settlers of what would become Waterloo included Samuel and Elia Schneider who arrived in 1816. Until about 1820, settlements such as this were quite small. By 1804, the cemetery in the village of Blair (now part of Cambridge)
4387-795: The Grand Duchy of Baden founded the village of Baden in Wilmot Township and started a foundry and machine shop. Jacob Beck was the father of Sir Adam Beck . The first newspaper of the county (first issue dated August 27, 1835) was the Canada Museum und Allgemeine Zeitung, printed mostly in German and partly in English. It was published for only five years. The land which now makes up the township of Woolwich , including communities such as St. Jacobs and Elmira , were first settled in
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4494-408: The House of Industry and Refuge that accommodated some 3,200 people before being closed down in 1951; the building was subsequently demolished. It was located on Frederick St. in Kitchener, behind the now Frederick Street Mall and was intended to minimize the number of people begging, living on the streets or being incarcerated at a time before social welfare programmes became available. A 2009 report by
4601-418: The Indians could not lease their land since British subjects could lease land only from British subjects. Brant considered the right to lease or sell land as a litmus test for Indian sovereignty. The Crown said that the grant was for all members of the Six Nations, but Brant said the land should be only for members of the Six Nations who lived on the land. Although the overall limits of the lands mentioned in
4708-497: The Indians were very numerous and if kindly treated would never injure anyone," noting that "perhaps these men did inadvertently displease the Indians." The majority of the settlers of the Lower Block along the Grand River (including areas such as the current Freeport and Hespeler) were also Mennonites from Pennsylvania often called Pennsylvania Dutch although they were actually Deutsch or Deitsch, German. Others immigrated from
4815-439: The Indians." Government officials originally interpreted the grant as prohibiting the Indians from leasing or selling the land to anyone but the government. Joseph Brant countered that Haldimand had promised the Indians freehold land tenure equal to that enjoyed by the colony's Loyalist settlers. As freeholders, the Indians could lease or sell land to the highest bidder. In 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe stated that
4922-594: The Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron". In fact, the head of the Grand River is located some thirty miles beyond the limits of land that the Crown maintained that it had previously purchased from the Mississaugas. In 1791, at the request of the Six Nations, an initial survey was completed. It was agreed between Joseph Brant, Henry Tekarihoga, and other chiefs with the Nassau District land board that
5029-468: The Lower Block of Block Two. In 1835, approximately 70% of the population was Mennonite but by 1851, only 26% of the much larger population were of this religion. This was due to the large wave of new German migrants from Europe, particularly between 1830 and 1850. The Wellington District and Waterloo County were formed in June 1840 from territory transferred from certain other districts: The district town
5136-494: The Mennonites from Pennsylvania spoke German of course, though with different dialects such as Low German or the incorrectly called Pennsylvania Dutch , actually Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch (German). (This dialect is different from Standard German with a simplified grammatical structure, some differences in vocabulary and pronunciation and a greater influence of English.) The combination of various types of German-speaking groups
5243-825: The Regional Municipality. Waterloo County was once one of the most densely wooded sections in North America. Oak trees three to four feet in diameter, maple, beech, elm, ash oak and great pines were common. The county, located in the northerly edge of Attawandaron land, was excellent for hunting and fishing. In 1784, by way of the Haldimand Proclamation , the British Government granted the Grand River valley to Iroquois confederation refugees from central and western New York State, indigenous peoples who served as allies during
5350-426: The area and purchased land in the area. Among the first settlers to arrive in what was later to become Preston was John Erb, a Mennonite from Lancaster County, who arrived in 1805. He bought 7,500 acres (30 km ) including land at the confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers in what later became Preston. The first school opened in 1802 near the village of Blair, then known as Shinglebridge. The first teacher's name
5457-718: The area had eight hotels and taverns. Some of these hotels, such as the North American Hotel (later called the Kress and still standing) from the 1840s and the later Del Monte (most successful in the 1890s) and the Sulphur Springs, were built to accommodate visitors who arrived via the Great Road to benefit from the mineral springs. The high sulphur content was believed to be useful for those with arthritis and rheumatism. The Canadian Gazetter of 1846 indicates
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#17327728655175564-419: The area that would become Kitchener, St. Jacobs, Elmira and surroundings. The southern part (now Cambridge) – as well as areas that would become Fergus and Elora, just outside Waterloo County – were settled by Scots. Except for grist, woolen and saw mills, there was little industry in any of these area until about 1870. Settlement of the what later became the Township of Waterloo started in 1800 (in an area that
5671-738: The area. Recorded history documents that the relationship between the Mississaugas and early settlers could sometimes be strained. In one case, a John Erb (likely the same John Erb who built the first mills at Preston ) was shot and wounded by a Mississauga man in Haldimand County in 1804. Ezra E. Eby, whose history of Waterloo Township was based on oral family histories of early settlers as well as written history, highlights positive social relationships between early settlers and indigenous people, describing frequent trade between them, that settlers' children and indigenous children would play together, and that indigenous people would sometimes stay overnight in settlers' houses. However, in one surviving document from
5778-528: The census tracts covering the majority of Preston reported a population of 20,008 as of the 2016 Canada Census . The first mayor of Cambridge was Claudette Millar . There was considerable resistance among the local population to this "shotgun marriage" arranged by the provincial government and a healthy sense of rivalry had always governed relations among the three communities. Even today, many residents refer to their area of Cambridge as being Galt or Preston or Hespeler. Each unique centre has its own history that
5885-430: The characteristics of an interurban. It featured two new freight yards , one in Berlin and one in Waterloo. These systems were gradually consolidated over several years and by 1914, they were known under the unified name of the Grand River Railway , which dispensed with street railway nomenclature. The Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway, in contrast, never lost its street railway traits and continued to operate similarly in
5992-411: The cities of Cambridge, Kitchener , and Waterloo , and the townships of Woolwich , Wilmot , Wellesley , and North Dumfries . Since 2000, public transport throughout the Region of Waterloo has been provided by Grand River Transit , which was created by a merger of the former Cambridge Transit and Kitchener Transit . GRT operates a number of routes in Cambridge, four of which travel outside of
6099-419: The city ordered an emergency demolition in late December 2020 for reasons of public safety; the work began on 30 December. Various interurban and street railways connected Preston to neighbouring towns over the years. The Galt and Preston Street Railway was chartered in 1890, but disputes over construction and management delayed the start of construction until 1894. In particular, Preston merchants feared
6206-437: The city: presently the 206 (Previously the 52), 61, 72, and 111 buses run to southern Kitchener , while the iXpress limited-stop express route runs from the Ainslie St. Transit Terminal (Galt) through Kitchener to the north end of Waterloo . In June 2009 Regional Council voted to approve a plan to construct a light rail line, which has been named the Ion rapid transit . The first phase would run from Conestoga Mall in
6313-457: The county entered an era described by the geographer Fred Dahms as one of "competition and centralization". Between 1871 and 1881, the rural population decreased while the urban share of total population increased by nearly 30%, despite a total population growth of only 6.2%. The total number of settlements with functional units increased between 1864 and 1881, reaching an all-time peak of 44, and communities were widely dispersed. The result of this
6420-403: The county, at Galt and Berlin, three Roman Catholic Separate Schools in the township of Wellesley, and two others in the township of Wilmot. By 1871, the largest ethnic groups in the county were Scots (18 per cent of the population), Irish (8 per cent), English (12.6 per cent), and German. At that time, those with German roots (direct from Europe or from Pennsylvania) made up nearly 55 per cent of
6527-409: The development of the "streetcar strip" – highly developed urban commercial corridors – in contrast with older downtowns, which were usually less linear in form. With King Street already dominant as a linear commercial corridor, it was natural that early street railway development would connect two of the county's urban centres (Berlin and Waterloo) along this established route. This came about in 1888 in
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#17327728655176634-512: The early 1800s. The early settlers were primarily from England or Ireland but after 1830, Mennonites from Pennsylvania formed a significant proportion of the population. The area still retains much of its traditional character. Old Order Mennonites can still be seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation. By 1835, many immigrants to Waterloo County were not from Pennsylvania. Many settler came from England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany to areas such as New Germany in
6741-414: The early attachment to his cause manifested by the Mohawk Indians, and of the loss of their settlement which they thereby sustained—that a convenient tract of land under his protection should be chosen as a safe and comfortable retreat for them and others of the Five Nations, who have either lost their settlements within the Territory of the American States, or wish to retire from them to the British—I have at
6848-517: The earnest desire of many of these His Majesty's faithful Allies purchased a tract of land from the Indians situated between the Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron and I do hereby in His Majesty's name authorize and permit the said Mohawk Nation and such others of the Five Nation Indians as wish to settle in that quarter to take possession of and settle upon the Banks of the River commonly called Ours [Ouse] or Grand River, running into Lake Erie, allotting to them for that purpose six miles deep from each side of
6955-439: The facility remained successful as a health spa until 1940. After the war, it closed for some years, eventually becoming a retirement and care facility, until closing in 1990, when the building was boarded up, and remained vacant. The building was vacant since 2012. The city considered issuing a demolition order but in June 2020, the matter was referred to a provincial tribunal that handles disputes on heritage properties. Finally,
7062-473: The five townships and two villages; Doctor John Scott was appointed as the first warden (reeve). Though the courthouse has since been replaced with a modern structure, the gaol and adjacent governor's house remain to this day under historical designation; they have been repurposed for further legal capacities (courtrooms and prosecutors' offices). In the following years, various County institutions and facilities would be created, including roads and bridges, schools,
7169-423: The form of the Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway . It initially started operations with horsecar service before later owners electrified the line and began using electric streetcars . The next street railway system to be constructed in the county was the Galt and Preston Street Railway in 1894, which, similarly to the Berlin and Waterloo, connected the existing urban centres of Galt and Preston. It soon became
7276-562: The history of Kitchener, Joseph Schneider of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (son of immigrants from southern Germany) bought lot 17 of the German Company Tract of block 2 in 1806. While farming, he helped to build what became "Schneider's Road" and by 1816 built a sawmill. Years later, Schneider and Phineas Varnum would help form the commercial centre of Ebytown. The War of 1812 interrupted settlement. The Mennonite settlers refused to carry arms so were employed in non-combatant roles in camps and hospital and as teamsters in transport service during
7383-407: The land in 1796 from Joseph Brant who represented the Six Nations . The payment to Beasly, in cash, arrived from Pennsylvania in kegs, carried in a wagon surrounded by armed guards. Other settlers followed mostly from Pennsylvania typically by Conestoga wagons . Many of the pioneers arriving from Pennsylvania after November 1803 bought land in a 60,000-acre (240 km) section of Block Two from
7490-440: The late 1790s and 1816. The log road was buried in about 1840 and a new road built on top of it. A historian explained that the road had been built for access to the mill but was also "one of the first roads cut through (the woods) so people could start settling the area". Later declared the founder of the city of Waterloo, Abraham Erb, a German Mennonite from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, bought 900 acres of bush land in 1806 from
7597-445: The latter completed a full survey in 1834 and convinced the Erbs to rename the Cambridge Mills area to Preston. After Erb's death in 1832, a son sold off property on both sides of the Speed River. What eventually became Preston started as a large settlement on the north side. There were only 250 inhabitants in 1836, many from Pennsylvania, but the population had reached about 1600 by 1855, with some 70% originally from Germany. By then,
7704-730: The line was extensively relocated to make room for highway expansion in south Kitchener during the 1960s. While German-speaking settlers from Pennsylvania were the most numerous until about 1840, a few Germans from Europe began arriving in as 1819, including Friedrich Gaukel , a hotel keeper, being one of the firsts. He would build what later became the Walper House in Berlin. Two streets in present-day Kitchener, Frederick and Gaukel streets, are named after him. Other German-speaking immigrants from Europe arrived in Waterloo County during
7811-579: The middle of the grant should not follow the exact windings of the river, but that it should be drawn from an easterly bend near the river's mouth straight to the Mohawk village. Although the government alleges that the Six Nations agreed to the accuracy of the information gathered during the 1791 survey, the resulting documentation in the form of a map signed by the Land Board and the Six Nation chiefs
7918-496: The north of Waterloo , to Fairview Park Mall in the south of Kitchener . The second phase of the line would run from Fairview Mall to the Galt area of Cambridge. Mayor Doug Craig was a determined opponent of the plan. He felt that a series of buses would be just as effective but much less expensive. As of late February 2017, the Kitchener-Waterloo portion was well into the final phase of construction, but plans for
8025-406: The nucleus of Berlin. The home was renovated over a century later and still stands. The village centre of what would become Berlin (and later, Kitchener) was established in 1830 by Phineas Varnum who leased land from Joseph Schneider and opened a blacksmith shop on the site where a hotel would be built many years later, the Walper House. A tavern was also established here at the same time and a store
8132-476: The period, a group of settlers in "Beasley's Township" (the name used before Waterloo Township was adopted) petitioned the Upper Canada legislature in 1808 to ban the sale of spirits to indigenous people, citing social disorder and "bad behaviour" including the shooting of another settler. Another, later historian, Angus S. Bauman, points out in his own history that Ezra Eby may have been aware of these incidents, highlighting Eby's comment that "[i]n those early times
8239-403: The poor nearby, including "inmates" of the House who had died. Although railways had arrived in Waterloo County in the 1850s, street railways only arrived several decades later. Urban railways offered a number of advantages to developing communities, but required a serious infrastructure investment which often fell to local municipalities or private businessmen. Street railways tended to lead to
8346-481: The poor, "but folks with disabilities, women, children. Some were single women who had been servants and became pregnant; in fact, many were single mothers of all types. The archives also indicate that in addition to food and shelter for "inmates", in return for labour in the house and on the attached farm, the House also donated food, clothing and money for train tickets to enable the poor to reach family that might be able to support them. There were also two cemeteries for
8453-498: The population count was 4424. In 1846 the village of Waterloo had a population of 200, "mostly Germans". There was a grist mill and a sawmill and some tradesmen. Berlin (Kitchener) had a population of about 400, also "mostly German", and more tradesmen than the village of Waterloo. At the beginning of 1852, the County was divided into three, forming the United Counties of Wellington, Waterloo and Grey: The County of Waterloo
8560-465: The population. That was much higher than the 10 percent typical in the rest of Ontario. The first hospital in Waterloo County opened in 1890 as Galt General Hospital. Additional buildings and facilities were added in the early 1900s. By 1918, the facility had an X-ray room, a 27-room nurses' residence and was also a nurse training school. By 1911, there were nearly three times as many Lutherans as Mennonites in that area, for example. In urban studies ,
8667-412: The proclamation were clearly defined, "extending in that proportion to the head of the said river", the Crown contended that the grant was limited by the extent of land they had previously purchased and that they could not grant land which they did not already own. In May 1784, Haldimand had purchased a tract of land from the Mississaugas, which was referred to in the grant as generally "situated between
8774-480: The result was a 4-mile (6.4 km) line running from the Great Western Railway station in Galt along Water Street, then alongside the road between Preston and Galt (now Concession Boulevard), then along the centre of King Street in Preston, crossing the Speed River using a timber trestle bridge . The line terminated in the vicinity of the Del Monte Hotel. Passenger service on the line was provided by
8881-565: The river beginning at Lake Erie and extending in that proportion to the head of the said river, which them and their posterity are to enjoy for ever." Given under my hand and seal at arms, at the Castle of St Lewis at Quebec, this twenty-fifth day of October one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four and in the twenty-fifth year of the reign of Our Sovereign Lord George The Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of
8988-541: The seven cities and townships, and eight additional Councilors - four from Kitchener and two each from Cambridge and Waterloo. Ken Seiling has held the position of Regional Chair since 1985. Cambridge is represented in Ottawa by Bryan May (Liberal), the federal member of Parliament who defeated the previous incumbent MP ( Gary Goodyear , Conservative – 2004 to 2015) in the October 2015 election. The MPP for Cambridge
9095-535: The time, it was common for settlers to form a building "bee" to help newcomers erect a long home. Immigration from Lancaster county continued heavily in the 1820s because of a severe agricultural depression in Lancaster County. Joseph Schneider also settled in that area and built a frame house in 1820 on the south side of the future Queen Street after clearing a farm and creating a rough road. A small settlement formed around "Schneider's Road" which later became
9202-492: The trail gives a perfect view of the confluence of the Grand and the Speed Rivers. This traditional downtown core area remains quite vibrant and through the B.I.A. has organized a closely knit group of merchants providing a wide range of goods and services in office-related industry, business service industries and licensed restaurants. The target market area is predominately the immediate surrounding residential area, which
9309-408: The war. William Dickson of Niagara purchased land in the township of North Dumfries and South Dumfries. With his land agent, Absolom Shade, he located a town site on the Grand River. Settlers were attracted, largely from Scotland with the price of land being about four dollars an acre. Years later (1827), this village would be named Galt for John Galt , the British author and then Superintendent of
9416-459: Was Guelph . Records indicate a population of 13,782 in 1841. The Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846 states that the Township of Waterloo (smaller than Waterloo County) consisted primarily of Pennsylvanian Mennonites and immigrants directly from Germany who had brought money with them. At the time, many did not speak English. There were eight grist and twenty saw mills in the township. In 1841,
9523-445: Was Mr. Rittenhaus. It was John Erb who bought the 7,500 acres (30 km ) of land and settled it in 1805. He later built a sawmill in 1806 and a gristmill in 1807. This settlement became known as Cambridge Mills . Even in the early 1800s, the area included homes, a store, an inn, small shops operated by artisans and craftsmen, mostly immigrants from Germany. The Erb sons had hired William Scollick for their development business and
9630-456: Was a notable factor in the history of Waterloo County. The two groups of Germanics were able to understand each other quite easily and there was no apparent conflict between the Germans from Europe and those who came from Pennsylvania. Haldimand Tract The Haldimand Proclamation was a decree that granted land to the Mohawk (or Kanien'kehà:ka) ( Mohawk nation ) who had served on
9737-458: Was acquired from the Mississaugas in May 1784, with Lieutenant-Colonel John Butler acting as an agent of purchase on behalf of the government. Later, the Crown adopted the position that it had failed to obtain title to the entire valley at the time of its purchase from the Mississaugas. On April 26, 1784, Frederick Haldimand wrote: "The mode of acquiring lands by what is called Deeds of Gift
9844-601: Was already in use. The next cemetery to be started is the one next to Pioneer Tower in Doon ; the first recorded burial at that location was in 1806. The cemetery at First Mennonite church at 800 King St. East in Kitchener is not as old, but contains the graves of some notable citizens, including Bishop Benjamin Eby who died in 1853, Joseph Schneider, and Rev. Joseph Cramer, founder of the House of Friendship social service agency. In 1807, 45,195 acres (182.90 km) of Block 3 (Woolwich)
9951-506: Was also responsible for the growth of the Mennonite church in Waterloo County; he built the first church in 1813.) Abram Weber settled on the corner of what would become King and Wilmot Streets and David Weber in the area of the much later Grand Trunk Railway station. Benjamin Eby encouraged manufacturers to move to the village. Jacob Hoffman came in 1829 or 1830 and started the first furniture factory. Almost as important as Benjamin Eby in
10058-458: Was an independent town, incorporated in 1915, but amalgamation with the town of Hespeler, Ontario , the city of Galt, Ontario and the village of Blair formed the new municipality of Cambridge. Parts of the surrounding townships were also included. No population data is available for the former Preston since the Census reports cover only the full area of Cambridge, though the combined population of
10165-555: Was authorized two years later, in 1839, for macadamization . The earliest recorded proposal for a railway in Waterloo County was in January 1836; at the time, no public railways existed in Canada, as the first, the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad , was still under construction and would only open later that year. This first proposal was for a long-distance route from Dundas to Goderich, going through Preston. A similar proposal for
10272-631: Was clearly at the top of the county's urban hierarchy, with 23% of all functional units, while Berlin had only 14%. Waterloo, Preston, Ayr, and New Hamburg all followed with between 6% and 10% each; no other community in the county had more than 3.41% of the county's functional units. By 1871, Galt still held the lead, but several small and mid-sized settlements in the county had dramatically increased in total number of functional units, overtaking others. In particular, New Hamburg, Elmira, and Ayr pulled ahead of Preston, while St. Jacobs and Hespeler more than doubled and tripled respectively. From 1871 to 1881,
10379-534: Was constructed on a private right of way rather than running in the street , and the street railway company upgraded its freight service with an electric locomotive provided by the Canadian General Electric Company of Peterborough . A number of industrial sidings were constructed to serve freight customers along King Street, providing street-level urban freight rail service to three large Preston furniture factories, as well as
10486-579: Was noted by rail historian John M. Mills as one of the earliest interurbans in Canada, and "for many years one of the most energetic and progressive." While plans for a northern extension of the mainline never resulted in new construction, a succession of lines provided connections to the south. These were the Grand Valley Railway , built as an extension of the Brantford Street Railway and extended north to Galt in 1903, and
10593-429: Was numerous hamlets with one or two functional units (often a hotel, general store, or smithy) which had developed at road intersections, and a road system which allowed anyone with access to a horse and carriage the easy ability to return from a day trip. Economic functions, however, had already begun to centralize amongst a handful of major settlements. In 1869, the County built a large poorhouse with an attached farm,
10700-399: Was opened. At the time, the settlement of Berlin was still considered to be a hamlet. By 1830 the village of Preston was a thriving business centre with Jacob Hespeler , a native of Württemberg and a prominent citizen. He would later move to the village of New Hope that was renamed Hespeler in 1857 in recognition of his public service and the industries he started there. Jacob Beck from
10807-463: Was purchased by Pennsylvanians John Erb, Jacob Erb and others. Later named the founder of Kitchener, Benjamin Eby (made Mennonite preacher 1809, and bishop in 1812) arrived from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1806 and purchased a very large tract of land consisting of much of what would become the village of Berlin (named about 1830). The settlement was initially called Ebytown and was at the south-east side of what would later become Queen Street. (Eby
10914-680: Was sent to negotiate the sale of approximately 3,000,000 acres of land located between Lakes Huron, Ontario, and Erie for £1180.00 from the Mississaugas of the Credit. Of the land ceded, some 550,000 acres were granted to the Mohawk nation in the Haldimand Proclamation. The sale by the Mississaugas of the Credit is also referred to as the "Between the Lakes Treaty." The text of the proclamation reads: Whereas His Majesty having been pleased to direct that in consideration of
11021-595: Was started by Olaf "Olie" Waimel as a big band music venue and included a massive outdoor dance floor. The local government is the Cambridge City Council consisting of a mayor and eight councillors, each representing a ward . The mayor (2014-2018 term) is Doug Craig. Cambridge is also represented on the higher-tier Waterloo Regional Council which consists of the Regional Chair, the Mayors of
11128-488: Was subsequently "believed lost or destroyed". The Crown's position was that the extent of the land was as determined in the subsequent Thomas Ridout survey of 1821, drawing a northern boundary near the present location of Elora, Ontario , referred to at the time of the survey as " The Falls ". In this survey, the size of the grant was described as 674,910 acres (2,731.3 km ) As early as July 4, 1819, Six Nations chief John Brant ( Tekarihoga ), son of Joseph Brant, in
11235-511: Was the Dundas and Waterloo Turnpike Company. It had a capitalization of CA£ 25,000, almost double the government's expenditure on roads the following year, and was committed to improve and maintain the Galt–Dundas road to a width of 30 feet (9.1 m). Despite these funds, the company struggled financially, and a debenture of another £25,000 was requested and authorized in 1837. A further £8,000
11342-664: Was the mineral baths in the basement, whose high sulphur content was believed to cleanse the body and treat arthritis and rheumatism. A competing facility next door, the Sulphur Springs Hotel, opened in the mid 1890s, and a nearby hotel, the North American (renamed the Kress Hotel in 1900), had opened in 1840. Walder sold the Del Monte in 1903; a later owner, A.R. Kauffman, renamed it Preston Springs, and
11449-437: Was withdrawn from the United Counties in January 1853. There had been some contentious debate between Galt and Berlin (later, Kitchener) as to where the county seat would be located. At the time, Berlin was a hamlet with a population of only 700, as opposed to Galt's population of 2,200. one of the requirements for founding was the construction of a courthouse and jail. When the local Berlin hotelier Friedrich Gaukel donated
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