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Learn a little Ontario history as told through its plaques
Waterloo Pioneers
These two plaques are at the same location.
Both can be seen on this page.
Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted April, 2009
Photo from Google Street View ©2012 Google - Posted April, 2012
Plaque Location
The Region of Waterloo
The City of Kitchener
1 block west of Sportsworld Drive, off King Street East, can be found Deer Ridge Drive. Follow it to Lookout Lane at the end of which is this tower.
Coordinates: N 43 24.025 W 80 24.963 |
Plaque Text
In the year 1800 a small number of Mennonite families arrived from Pennsylvania to settle Block 2, former Six Nation land along the Grand River. Others, mainly Mennonites, following during the next three years until problems regarding ownership of the land curtailed the migration. Representatives were sent back to Pennsylvania to raise the money necessary to secure clear title to the land, with the result that a joint stock company was formed and 24,000 ha purchased. Pennsylvania 'Dutch' settlers quickly took up this land, creating the first sizeable inland settlement in Upper Canada.
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted April, 2009
Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted April, 2012
Plaque Location
This plaque is attached to the wall of the tower.
Plaque Text
In the spring of 1800, Joseph Schoerg and Samuel Betzner, Jr., brothers-in-law, Mennonites, from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, began the first two farms in the County of Waterloo; Schoerg on land adjoining this farm, Betzner on the west bank of the river, 5 km downstream. In the same year came Samuel Betzner, Sr., who took up a farm including this site. Other settlers followed and in 1805 a company formed in Pennsylvania purchased 24,000 ha, the German Company Tract, comprising the greater part of Block 2, Grand River Indian Lands, now Waterloo Township. This constituted the first larger settlement in the then far interior of Upper Canada.
Related Ontario plaque
First Mennonite Settlement
More
Information
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
Posted July 20, 2013
A very well organized and presented overview of the Wilmot Settlement. I am researching if there is a connection between my Cressman/Croessmann ancestors and the Settlement, as well as my husband's Wilmoth/Wilmot ancestors.
Mary Ellen (Cressman) Wilmoth, Waldorf, MD. USA
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