Settlement in Block 2

Less than a century after their parents and grand-parents had arrived in Pennsylvania from war-torn Europe, our ancestors began the difficult trek to Upper Canada. Most came with their goods and kids packed in Conestoga wagons, but some came on horseback, and others walked the entire 500-or-so miles. It was an arduous journey of 4 to 8 weeks through the margins of European settlement and over the Allegheny Mountains in northern Pennsylvania and through the devastated homelands of the Six Nations in upstate New York. (I. C. Bricker, in another article in the 1934 Waterloo Historical Society Reports, details the route, mile by mile.)

To open a map of the journey from Pennsylvania in a separate tab, click here.

Depending on the route they took from the present-day Batavia, New York, about 80 km east of the Niagara River, they crossed the river either from Lewiston to Queenston or from just north of Buffalo to Fort Erie. At both of these crossings, there was already a regular ferry service by 1805. Those who arrived in Fort Erie traveled along the west side of the river, past the falls, to Queenston.

From Queenston, they traveled west to The Twenty, then on to Dundas at the head of Lake Ontario. They then followed the Governor’s Road west to the juncture of the Nith and Grand Rivers (present-day Paris), where they turned north along the east bank of the Grand on what was a well-used First Nations trail roughly widened to accommodate their wagons. (There is no evidence that anyone before the War of 1812 crossed the Beverly Swamp between Dundas and the confluence of the Speed and Grand Rivers, as described so romantically by Mabel Dunham in her Trail of the Conestoga.)

My Mennonite grandparents—Chris’s father, Elias Martin, and Leah’s parents, Lovina Martin and Peter Martin—are descended from Mennonites who immigrated from Pennsylvania and, for the most part, settled in Block 2 (later known as Waterloo Township). They arrived in the period of highest immigration, between 1802 and 1820. We know very little about their journeys, but we do know where they settled when they got here.  

It was, of course, all forest, with no roads or communities that we would recognize. All of the roads and villages mentioned in the following are simply to help us orient these people’s properties within the present-day Waterloo Region.

Great-Great-Grandfather Joseph B Snyder Clearing Land
circa 1900

To open the map of Block 2 settlement in a separate tab in your browser, click here. You can then refer to the map to see where each of the families settled. Homesteads are numbered in the order the families arrived, as follows.

In 1802, Joseph and Magdalena (Allebach) Bechtel were the first of our ancestors to arrive and the only ones who came before the German Company purchase. They settled on the east side of the Speed River where it joins the Grand in what is now Preston in the city of Cambridge. Part of their land (at the end of Westminster Drive South) is now a park called Settlers’ Fork, which is a lovely spot that is frequented by birders. Joseph Bechtel was ordained a minister in the Mennonite church in 1804 and served as the first minister of the Preston meeting house (known as Bechtel’s or Hagey’s, built by John Erb around 1814, and located at the top of the Kress Hill on the road to Berlin, now Kitchener). The Bechtels are ancestors of Chris’s father, Elias, and of Leah’s mother, Lovina.

Site of the Bechtel’s Homestead

In 1807, two years after the German Company purchase, Christian and Elizabeth Schneider purchased 177 acres from John Biehn near the junction of Schneider Creek with the Grand River, in what would eventually become the village of Doon. Elizabeth was a sister of the Erb brothers who were instrumental in forming the German company, as well as founding the villages of Waterloo and Preston. Christian and Elizabeth’s house no longer exists, but it was situated near 1314 Doon Village Rd, close to the intersection of Homer Watson Blvd and Doon Drive. There is a monument to them at the back of Doon Presbyterian Cemetery. They are ancestors of Leah’s mother, Lovina.

Old Photo of the Christian Schneider House (KPL photo)

In 1807, Christian’s brother Joseph Schneider and his wife Barbara Eby purchased lot 17 of the German Company Tract, which runs mostly west from King St in downtown Kitchener on both sides of Queen Street. Their land included what is now Victoria Park (my property on Heins Avenue is just on the other side of their back fence). They first built a log cabin where the Barra Castle Condos now stand on Queen Street, then,in 1816, the large Georgian house that is now the Joseph Schneider House Museum. Schneider had mills on Schneider Creek and sold much of the east end of his property to merchants along what came to be King Street. Barbara was sister to Bishop Benjamin Eby, who lived on lot 2 just to the east and started the first Mennonite church in the County (now First Mennonite), as well as one of the first schools. Their daughter Veronica married Daniel Z. Martin (son of Peter Martin); they are ancestors of Lovina.

Joseph and Barbara’s House: the Schneider Haus Museum

In 1809, Abraham Clemens and his second wife Mary “Polly” Custer bought 100 acres southeast of Preston from Mrs Catherine Gingerich. This land was part of lot 1 in Concession 1 of Beasley’s Lower Tract (land Beasley didn’t sell to the German Company). In 1818, they moved to lots 9 and 10 in the third Concession: this is the land where the downtown of Hespeler village developed. The Clemenses are ancestors of Lovina (and, it is suggested, distant relatives of Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain).

Nathan Clemens (son of Abraham and his first wife Rebecca Miller) was 19 years old when he arrived in Canada with Abraham and Polly. He married Veronica Bechtel (who immigrated in 1802 with her parents Joseph and Magdalena Bechtel) and settled on the eastern half of his parents’ lot 9, just northeast of old Hespeler village. Nathan was struck by lightning and died on his farm in 1832. Nathan and Veronica are ancestors of Lovina through their daughter Mary (also known as Polly).

I was surprised to discover that the Clemens family can be traced back to Clement of Toft, who was born around the year 1500 in Lincolnshire, England. His great-grandson, Gregory Clement, was a Puritan who was one of the signatories to the warrant for the execution of King Charles I in 1642. Gregory was beheaded in 1660 when the monarchy was restored. His son Jacob and his wife Maria, also Puritans, fled England for Holland, where they changed the name to Clemens. Their son Gerhardt Clemens married a Mennonite woman, Anna Reiff, and emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1709. Abraham Clemens, who came to Canada, is Gerhardt and Anna’s great-grandson. So, we have some quantity of English blood in our veins.

In 1810, Henry and Anna (Mosser) Wanner settled on lots 10 and 11, Concession I of the Lower Tract. This land is west of Hespeler, on both sides of Maple Grove Road, from Speedsville Road to Beaverdale Road, including the land where Wanner Mennonite Meeting House and cemetery stand. The Wanners are ancestors of Leah’s father, Peter, through their son Tobias.

Arriving with the Wanners was Arnold Stricker—and perhaps his second wife Barbara Hershey (who, at 16, would have been 43 years younger). The Stryckers (as they came to be known) settled on lot 12, Concession III of the Lower Tract, which is along River Road north of Hespeler right on the river near the intersection with Townline Road. Arnold Strycker is an ancestor of Peter, through his daughter Catherine, who married Tobias Wanner in 1820 (see below).

In 1812, David S and Mary (Bechtel) Bauman bought part of lot 15 of the German Company Tract (originally owned by Abraham Erb). This land lies east of King Street and south of William Street in present-day Waterloo. The intersection of Union and Moore lies on what was their land and the old railroad (now a trail) runs across the corner of it. Mary was the daughter of Joseph and Magdelena Bechtel. The Baumans are ancestors of Elias.

From June 1812 to December 1814, the United States and Britain were at war. America declared war on Britain for several reasons: the British were commandeering American merchant ships in their blockade of France during their war with Napoleon; and the British were actively supporting First Nations’ resistance to American westward expansion beyond the Allegheny Mountains. Between 1812 and 1815, no Mennonites immigrated from Pennsylvania.

Britain exempted the Mennonites, Quakers, and Tunkers from combative service in exchange for an annual fine (as they had done in Pennsylvania prior to the Revolution). In 1813, however, about 20 young men from Waterloo County were impressed as teamsters to transport materiel in General Proctor’s retreat from Detroit.

When the British were attacked and defeated (and their Shawnee ally, Chief Tecumseh, was killed) in the Battle of the Thames near Chatham in October 1813, the Mennonites abandoned some of their horses and all of their equipment as they fled from the Americans (they later received payment from the government for their losses). All escaped unharmed, though Adam Shupe was briefly held by General Harrison. Mennonites in the Niagara region suffered more through confiscation and looting of property and enforced housing of troops.

Memorial to Tecumseh at the Site of the Battle of the Thames

In 1816, Rev Joseph O and Maria (Baer) Bauman bought lot 6, Beasley’s Old Survey in the Lower Tract, which is one of the lots originally purchased by Samuel Betzner Jr in 1800. This land is west of Blair on both sides of Fountain Street west of Dickie Settlement Rd. The farmstead was probably on Old Mill Road.  Joseph had been ordained as a preacher already in Pennsylvania, and he served at Hagey (now Preston) meetinghouse after they came to Canada. Their daughter Salome married Henry H Weber, and their daughter Mary married Joseph E. Schneider, son of Christian Schneider of Doon. They are ancestors of Lovina.

Also in 1816, Rev Henry H Weber arrived in Canada and stayed with his brother Abraham until he married Salome Bauman (daughter of Joseph O and Mary Bauman) on March 11, 1817. They settled on lot 66 of the German Company Tract, which is mostly east of Northfield Drive and south of Country Squire Road (the northern boundary of the township). Part of the Blackberry Tech Park and all of the RIM Park Community Centre and Arena lie on their land. I believe the old homestead was located at 100 Solstice Way, where Hospice Waterloo Region is now located. Henry was the first minister of Schneider’s (or Snyder’s) Meeting House across the Grand River near Bloomingdale (named for and located on the land of Jakob Yost Schneider, brother of Christian and Joseph).

• Henry and Salome’s son Rev Samuel Weber married Anna Martin (daughter of Daniel Z and Veronica Schneider), and they also lived on this property. Their daughter Veronica married Joseph B Snyder, grandson of Joseph E. Schneider (see below) and lived on the property next door. Sam Weber was the second minister at Martin’s Mennonite Meeting House on King St N at Country Squire Road. Sam had a roofing tool fall on his head from the roof of the Waterloo Hotel in 1885 and died at the age of 64. Henry and Salome, Samuel and Anna, and Joseph and Veronica are ancestors of Lovina.

In 1819, Joseph H Bauman arrived as a single man and worked as a cooper for Abraham (Abe) Erb, the founder of the town of Waterloo. In 1825, Joseph married Elizabeth Hoffman (his second wife), and they settled 3 miles northwest of present-day Waterloo on lot 27, which they bought from Abe Erb. This property is on the south side of Benjamin Road (the northern boundary of Block 2/Waterloo Township) straddling Westmount Road, as far south as Northfield Drive. It is not clear when Elizabeth came to Canada, as both her parents seem to have remained in Pennsylvania. Joseph and Elizabeth are ancestors of Lovina.

Also in 1819, Peter and Anna (Zimmerman) Martin and their large family, the first Martins in the county, settled on lot 10, immediately east of Joseph Bauman’s land. The land straddles Weber Street North (formerly Albert Street) from Benjamin Road down to Northfield Drive. Their house, which stood on the height of the hill on Weber Street, is now in Doon Heritage Village. Peter and Anna’s descendants are known amongst Mennonites as the “big feet Martins,” and he was known as a friendly, easy-going fellow. Ancestors of Lovina, through their son Daniel Z. Martin.

Peter and Anna Martin House on old Albert Street

In 1820, Peter and Barbara (Guth) Burkhard settled on part of lot 12 north of Waterloo. Their farm lies from present-day Columbia Street north to Bearinger Drive, between Philip Street and Hagey Blvd. Their property is now part of the University of Waterloo’s North Campus; their house was probably somewhere behind the Optometry building in the middle of the sea of parking. Ancestors of Elias.

In 1820, Joseph E and Mary (Bauman) Schneider, son of Christian Schneider of Doon and daughter of Joseph O and Mary Bauman of Blair, settled on lot 63, immediately west of Rev Henry Weber’s place. They built a log house, which has been moved to the grounds of the St Jacobs Farmers Market.

• Joseph and Mary’s son Christian B Snyder and his wife Barbara Bauman took over the farm at some point and built the large brick house that still stands at 305 Northfield Dr (where Timeless Café is located).
• Christian and Barbara’s son Joseph B Snyder and his wife Veronica Weber (daughter of Sam and Anna, who lived next door), were parents of Lovina’s mother, Leah Snyder, who was born in this farmhouse. My mother Leah remembers visiting her grandparents here as a child.

It is unclear exactly when some Schneiders started spelling their name “Snyder” or “Snider,” while others kept the original spelling and pronunciation. It appears that, in some cases, different siblings in the same family chose different forms.

My Mother Leah at Joseph and Mary Schneider’s
Log House, at the St Jacobs Market

Christian and Barbara Snyder’s Brick House
on the Original Homestead

Also in 1820, David and Maria/Magdelena (Guth) Martin and their large family settled on lot 65, immediately east of Rev Henry Weber’s place and running down to the Grand River, on what is now called the Elam Martin Farmstead (a city-owned property) on Park Road behind RIM Park. Grey Silo Golf Club is also on David and Maria’s land. David was a cousin of Peter Martin, though they apparently did not get along well; his descendants are called the “smart (or big brain) Martins,” and he was known as a difficult and cantankerous old bugger. Four of their children—Jacob, Christian, Catherine, and Peter—are our ancestors. Maria was sister to Barbara Guth Burkhard, wife of Peter Burkhard, who immigrated the same year. Maria died just a few months after their arrival in Canada, and David subsequently married her cousin Catherine Guth.¹ David and Maria are ancestors of Elias, Peter, and Lovina (we are thus both big brain and big feet Martins; some of us are friendly and easy-going, while others are a bit cantankerous).

• In 1835, David and Maria’s son Jacob G Martin and his wife Esther Bauman (daughter of Henry H. and Maria Bauman, who immigrated in 1825) took over the farm after they married and David retired. Jacob built the large brick farmhouse that still stands on the site. Their descendants (not our ancestors though) occupied the farm until the city bought it in 1999. Jacob and Esther are ancestors of Elias and Lovina.

The Elam Martin Farmstead: David and Maria’s Farm

Also in 1820, Tobias Wanner (son of Henry and Anna ) and Catherine Strycker (daughter of Arnold and his first wife, whose name is unknown) were married and settled on the easternmost lot of Beasley’s Middle Block, northeast of Hespeler village. Their home was on the south side of Black Bridge Road west of Townline Road and west of the bridge that crosses the Speed River. Tobias and Catherine are ancestors of Peter.

These are all of our immigrating ancestors who settled in Block 2 of the Haldimand Tract (Waterloo Township).

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Notes:

¹ Many family trees suggest that Catherine Guth was a sister of Maria Guth, but I do not find that credible because it would put Catherine’s birth date within 9 months of Maria’s sister Barbara Burkhard’s. Many other family trees suggest Catherine and Maria’s fathers were brothers, Samual and Christian Guth, respectively. Interestingly, both of those brothers married women with the surname Brandt (hence some of the confusion, I suppose), but I haven’t yet found the relationship between them; they don’t appear to be sisters.

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Sources:

Bricker, I. C. “Trek of the Pennsylvanians to Canada, 1805.” Waterloo Historical Society Annual Report, volume 22 (1934).

Bricker, I. C. “Waterloo Township History to 1825.” Waterloo Historical Society Annual Report, volume 22 (1934).

Panabaker, D. N. “Historical Sketch of the Clemens Family.” Waterloo Historical Society Annual Report, volume 9 (1921).

Uttley, W. V. “Berlin, Now Kitchener, In the Beginning.” Waterloo Historical Society Annual Report, volume 20 (1932).

Waterloo Region Generations: A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario (https://generations.regionofwaterloo.ca/). Main source for genealogical information, as well as information about where each family settled.