The Founder of Preston
Text from the plaque
Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, John Erb (1764-1832) was a Mennonite of Swiss ancestry. He came to Upper Canada in 1805, acquired 3035 ha of land from the German Land Company, and settled on the site of Preston. The following year he built a sawmill and in 1807 a grist-mill around which the community grew. The numerous descendants of John Erb and his relatives have played an important role in the development of Waterloo County. This town, known as "Cambridge Mills", was renamed after Preston, England.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The Region of Waterloo
The City of Cambridge
On the northeast corner of
King Street East and Waterloo Street North
Also recorded for this place: Cambridge
N 43 23.838 W 80 21.652
Recorded March 2004. Check current access before visiting.
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