The Town of Hespeler2

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Title:	The Town of Hespeler2
Document Type:	Original Document
Keywords:	Wm. Crooks, Geo. Guenther, Isaac Groh, Chas. Miller, John Groh, Jos. Zryd, Jeremiah Pickup, Jonathan Topham, Abram Glick, Thos. Tremble, Hespeler, village, historian, record, Robert W.S. MacKay, Messrs. H. Parsell, W.H. Breithaupt, Wm. W. Evans, Waterloo County Gazetteer, directory, Joseph Shantz, J.J. Ashworth, Alex W. Brodie, O. S. Eby, Thomas Arntfield, J.D. Ramsay, Jacob Hespeler, Michael Bergy, Bergy-town, W.A. Kribs, Abram C. Clemens, Cornelius Pannebaker, Joseph Oberholtzer, George Randall, Lewis Kribs, Archibald Brydon, Andrew B. Jardine, Canada Machinery Corporation, Hall-Zroyd Foundry Co. Limited, The Hespeler Furniture Co. Limited, The Stamped and Enamelled Ware Co., The Universal Lightning Rod Co., The Robt. Stewart Lumber Co. Ltd., The Hespeler Wood Specialty Co., Brown-Proud Rug Co., The Hugo Brix Slipper Mfg. Co., W. A. Coward, The Hespeler Toy Company, Adam Shaw, Conrad Nahrgang, David Rife, Charles Karch, Col. George Hespeler,
Author/Source:	Mayor D.N. Panabaker
Transcribed Text:	Continued from The Town of Hespeler1 lage of Hespeler, its industries, its churches, then four in number, which the cost details and date of erection of each, the names of the civic officials, and the members of the Hespeler brass band, which included apparently most of the village “notables” among them the reeve who was also the post-master, (Nahrgang), two councilors – Messrs. C. Pabst and J. Zryd, and eleven others whose musical talent seems to have placed them among the eligibles, Mr. Valentine Limpert, being the leader. The life story of anyone of the fourteen band members of 1864, now all but one departed, would make much more interesting reading than any of the popular novels which have appeared since that year. In addition to those named the members were as follows: - Wm. Crooks, Geo. Guenther, Isaac Groh, Chas. Miller, John Groh, Jos. Zryd, Jeremiah Pickup, Jonathan Topham, Abram Glick and Thos. Tremble. Without attempting to mention all the more recent sketches of Hespeler history, the very interesting Illustrated Souvenir issued in 1901 by Mr. O. S. Eby (now registrar of Waterloo County) then editor of the Hespeler Herald, should be mentioned. In the same year January 1st. 1901, the Galt Reporter devoted an eight page Souvenir Supplement to the newly incorporated town of Hespeler, which was edited bu the local reported, the late Thomas Arntfield. In this Reporter Supplement, Mr. R. H. Knowles, (now of Toronto) then Public School Principal, contributed an interesting article, headed “Old School Days” and Mr. J.D. Ramsay, the president Principal, outlined the municipal development of the place in an article headed “Hespeler As It Is.” Mr. Ramsay is the only member of the council of 1900 now residing in Hespeler, and that council, of shich he was “acting reeve” during the last quarter of the year, was distinguished by having passed more progressive measures than any previous local municipal body had done. Some of these may be mentioned as outstanding features of the progressive spirit which characterized the then “budding town.” Mr. Alex W. Brodie had been elected reeve for 1900 but removed from Hespeler before the close of the year. The principal of municipal ownership, was applied for the first time in Waterloo County, as we believe, when the Hespeler council took over the electric lighting equipment, previously operated by Mr. Joseph Shantz in connection with his chopping mill to the west of the twn, and engaged Mr. J.J. Ashworth of Toronto, to supply engineer’s plans and specification for the remodeling and extension of the p[lant,. Top provide an all-night service. 214 The first permanent improvement undertaken in Hespeler were also commenced in 1900 by the laying of granolithic walks and curbs and the macadamizing of Queen St. between Guelph Ave. and Cooper St. A further marked step of progress in 1900, was the founding of a Free Public Library, which took over the property of The Mechanic’s Institute founded in 1871. It is somewhat if a co-incidence that Mr. Ramsay is the chairman of the present Public Library Board which in this year 1922, is completing the erection of a Carnegie Library Building, at an expense of upwards of twenty thousand dollars. This building will add beauty to the town-hall square on which it is located, as well as greatly improve the facilities of this institution. A by-law passed by the 1900 council made the keeping of pigs within the corporation limits unlawful, and since that time the only modification of this enactment was permitted during one or two years of the Great European War, when the necessity of encouraging food production was considered of sufficient importance to warrant the raising of porkers if not kept within one hundred feet of any dwelling house or street. The closing business of the council in 1900 was the introduction of the necessary measures for the incorporation of the town, so that the status of a town, symbolized perhaps by the growing youth appearing in his first suit of long trousers. It is however with the “swaddling clothes and romper period” of the place to which we must devote most of our space, and perhaps at some future time details of the later period may be dealt with. Hespeler in its infancy was called “Bergeytown” for reasons which will presently be made clear, but in 1835 it reached the “romper stage” and for some reason not very obvious, was called “Hew Hop.” In 1858 when the place was incorporated as a village the name was again changed to “Hespeler” in honor of the late Mr. Jacob Hespeler, to whom no doubt, credit was largely due for the progress the place began to make from the year of his arrival. We cannot dwell at length upon the picturesque location of the Town, which has been commented upon by every writer in the publications previously referred to. On writer 215 Continued on The Town of Hespeler3
Language:	English