Spring Houses: Keeping Things Cool in the 19th Century

  There was a time when nearly every Pennsylvania German and Mennonite farm in Waterloo County would have had one. Varying in size, design and construction there was one thing they all would have had in common: cold and fast-flowing spring water. Many of them were banked i.e. built into a hillside where temperatures were easier to control. Some were built directly over active springs whereas others simply channeled off a section of the spring and directed the flow of the water into a stone masonry channel where the water would continue to flow, unimpeded by anything in its path. The purpose of the continuous flow of cold water was eminently clear: to keep a number of things cool at a time before the advent of electricity or refrigerator.

A peek into the spring house at the Joseph Schneider Haus Museum reveals stone shelves for holding buckets, crocks and barrels that would have been needed for the task of dairying.

An excellent view of the spring water channel where crocks or buckets of fresh cream or milk would be kept refreshingly cool when lowered into the water. 

The gentle slope belies the banking technique of constructing a building into a small hill. At one time a rivulet of fresh water would have flowed freely through this channel and would have easily been able to provide a channel of water for inside the spring house. Many Pennsylvania German and Mennonite homes had used this same technique. Even barns were banked.

Another view of the water channel. One can see the 90 degree angle through which the water would pass. The foundation of the spring house is stone as are the floors and inner shelves. Dairying equipment such as the Mennonite cheese press(on the left) and the barrel churn (right) were typical of the types of things one might find in use. Cows were milked twice daily in the barn by the women (dairying was considered to be women's work) and the buckets of milk would be carried to the spring house. Here they would be stored for a day or two before being churned into butter or longer if used for making the soft cheeses that the Pennsylvania Germans enjoyed.

Cream would rise naturally to the top of the pan of milk and would be skimmed off and transferred to a cream crock. Once they had enough, it could be churned into butter which would normally be sold for a profit. Here both windows are open and demonstrate how they would have provided ventilation and air flow to keep the cooled air fresh, not stagnant.

Setting up the spring bench once the milk buckets were washed and rinsed. The cleaned buckets would be stored upside down to dry in the warm sun.

 
"Dutch doors" were doors that were split and held the advantage of being able to be closed at the bottom but open at the top. This would also help with the air flow through the building.

Milk and Cream were not the only things that needed to be kept cool. Barrels of cider could also be kept cool in the spring house.

A wooden butter bowl, butter paddles and cream crocks sit along with tin buckets on the stone shelf above the water channel. In the foreground is the wooden cheese press.

                                                                               

 Close-up view of the barrel churn preferred by the Pennsylvania Germans. The cream was poured into the round door and then locked. The barrel sat on wooden legs yet inside paddles were turned to churn the butter by means of a handle fixed to the side of the barrel. Dasher churns were preferred by the British although the Pennsylvania Germans did use them, as well.




As mentioned, the spring house was usually located near a spring or creek, however, it was often one of the furthest outbuildings from the main house. This distance also caused some frustration when a heavy rain threatened to overturn the crocks that had been lowered into them. Louisa Schneider, daughter of pioneer Joseph E. Schneider, complained about how she and her sisters would often have to run out to clean up the mess following a rainstorm when the water level would rise so quickly that it toppled over the crocks of precious cream.

Unfortunately, few examples of early spring houses remain in the Region of Waterloo. Of those that do, only dilapidated and run-down remnants are what is usually left behind. Visible from Bridge Street (formerly known as Country Squire Drive, Waterloo, Ontario) all that remains of this spring house is its shell. The date on its entrance states 1913 but it is believed that is the date of the renovation for the building when key repairs were completed--one of them being a new roof and a concrete exterior patch job that covered much of the original stone masonry.Originally located on the farm of another Schneider family (the Snyder-Gingrich family), the spring house was a fine example of banked stone construction.

A close-up view of the stone work reveals sturdy and exquisite construction. The building was indeed durable and well-made. I often forget that these men who built these were farmers, not contractors.

A boarded up window

Inside, little of its former glory remain. However, one can still see the water flowing freely and quickly through the channel. It might be abandoned and forgotten but amazingly it still works!

Many spring houses had two stories with the upper chamber being used as living quarters or summer houses.Some even had working hearths. If space allowed, the upper storey could also have been used for cheese and butter making. In this abandoned spring house, the walls have been whitewashed and plastered over the stone exterior walls.

It is sad to see such buildings forgotten in time. My heritage conservation self is committed to preserving the memory of this building--at least in photographs.

A Tale of Two Schneiders

I am always thrilled when people take an interest in local history. What is unfortunate is that local history is not always so accurate beyond local legend or “myth-tory.”

Take the example of two familiar figures in the local history record and lore. Both were known to have made significant contributions to our growing community in its infancy. Both men are the ancestors of hundreds of descendants—many of whom, still live and work in and around the Waterloo Region. The problem?  Both men share the same last name and are NOT related although many think that they are OR that the two men are the SAME man. The answer is a resounding “NO.”

Many local residents of (and visitors to) Waterloo Region are familiar with the name “Schneider.” “Schneider,” itself, is a very common German surname—much like “Smith” or “Leblanc” or “Gonzalez” would be to their respective culture groups. Deriving from the verb schneiden (to cut), a Schneider (German nouns are always capitalized) is a “tailor” or literally someone who cuts [something].  Since many surnames are cultural relics of a time gone by when a person’s name reflected what he did (and yes, usually it was a male), neither of these two men were tailors. One was a farmer although both grew up on a farm, both were businessmen, and one was an injured factory worker who changed careers.  Neither man was related although they were neighbours at one point. Both were men of faith and one of them was a deacon in his church. Confused? I will explain.... 

If you have read this blog, you know that the first group of settlers arrived here in 1800. These settlers consisted mostly (but not all) of Pa. German Mennonites who had made the long journey here from Pennsylvania in search of good (and reasonably priced) farmland.  They had not been persecuted and had not come here as a result of a war. They were, for the most part, farmers. Most of these farmers also possessed valuable (albeit secondary) trade skills that enabled them to augment their income by providing them with the means to earn money during the year when farming was not immediately profitable. Among these trades, one found cabinet makers, blacksmiths, distillers, millers, coopers, etc. Some even rented out their oxen and wagons for other purposes such as transporting goods over difficult terrain or for plowing fields and removing tree stumps (this is something that occurred in Waterloo Region during the War of 1812 but—that is another blog post....).

In 1807, one of these Mennonite farmers, Joseph Schneider (the elder and pioneer from Lancaster, Pa.) settled in Berlin on Lot GCT17 (in what is now downtown Kitchener, ON) on a tract of land that originally consisted of 448 acres. I have written more about him in previous posts but I will re-iterate some of it again for posterity’s sake. The boundaries of Joseph’s 448 acre farm extend to (on the eastern side) to King Street, south approximately as far as to Stirling Avenue, west to between Westmount Road and Fischer-Hallman Road and to the north, approximately almost up to the edge of Victoria Street.  Today, all that remains of the original farm is less than an acre, consisting mostly of the Joseph Schneider Haus Museum & Gallery. A National Historic Site, the museum is owned and operated by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.

                                         A View of the Joseph Schneider Homestead c.1890's

Joseph Schneider’s farm prospered and part of his success came from the saw mill enterprise that he had established some years after he first began to farm the land—some sources say that this might have been as early as 1816, just before the permanent Schneider farm house (that we know today as the living history museum) was constructed.  However, for the purpose of this blog post, we are more concerned with the second generation of Schneiders who lived in the farm house. Joseph Schneider had two sons who happened to be twins: Joseph E. Schneider and his brother Moses E. Schneider (“E” for Eby, their mother’s maiden name). 

In the Mennonite tradition, the youngest son was usually the one who took over control of the family farm. In this case, we know that Moses, who was a day younger than Joseph E., married and moved several miles west of the Schneider family farmstead. It was Joseph E., Moses’s twin brother, who took over the family farm and it was he who raised his family there—preferring to operate the mill and conduct business rather than farm, although he also continued to work the land for a number of years until his two sons were grown. The elder Schneider retained control over most of his original tract until Joseph E. took over but, along with his brother-in-law Bishop Benjamin Eby, the elder Schneider had already sold some smaller portions of his 448 acres to local businessmen in the early 1830’s. (Most of the land he sold ran along King Street between Queen and Ontario Streets—in and around where the present-day Walper Hotel is today).  His brother-in-law Benjamin Eby’s land was adjacent to Joseph’s and today would be across the other side of King Street, facing Joseph’s land.

As stated, Joseph E. Schneider continued to work the farm and sawmill for many years following his father’s death in 1843. He went on to raise seven girls and two boys in the large Georgian-style home that serves today as a living history museum. Joseph began his life as a Mennonite but over the years, as a liberal-minded but devout man of God, he was deeply affected by the religio-political tensions that threatened to split the Mennonites into different groups—whereby some adherents espoused a strong conservative biblical (read literal) interpretation and others, a more liberal or “modern” interpretation. (It should be noted that at this point in time, there were no Old Order Mennonites, only Mennonites). As technology and scientific discoveries advanced, there were those among the Mennonites who regarded science and technology as ideologies that promoted a prideful existence, closely akin to consumerism and materialism—something most Mennonites believed was counter-intuitive to God’s biblical mandate for humility and detachment from the material wealth of this world.

Joseph was born in 1810 (three years after his parents had arrived in Canada) and grew up on the family farm.  He was raised Mennonite but by the time of his death in 1880, he had left the Mennonite church and became a member of the Brethren, for whom he served as a deacon.  His was a life well-lived and well respected. As a deacon in his church, his Queen Street home was often the scene of many happy community gatherings. In their diaries, his children--daughter Lousia especially--spoke highly (and fondly) of him and referred to his kind and loving nature when they needed comfort. Today, the museum reflects the home of Joseph E. Schneider as it would have been in 1856—the second generation of Pennsylvania German farmers who prospered and contributed to the early growth and settlement of the area. 

                                          Joseph Schneider Haus Museum & Gallery Today

Indeed, the 1830’s and ‘40’s had brought significant changes to the ever-expanding community of Berlin, ON. Over time, more and more factories and manufacturing shops had been established and provided a steady supply of work for the influx of European immigrants to the area—many of whom were German-speaking, just like their Pennsylvania German neighbours. One of these immigrants was 16 yr old Johann Christoff Schneider who arrived in Berlin, ON in 1847 (just four short years after the elder Joseph Schneider had passed away). Christoff was from a village near Baden, Germany and had been drawn to the area by its reputation for the availability of good work opportunties and its large German-speaking population. Young Christoff found work as a carpenter and later as a mechanic. In 1857, he married a local woman, Anna Elizabeth Metz, and established himself as a successful contractor a year later (1858). Christoph contributed to the built heritage of Berlin and helped to construct some of the notable business buildings of the era—notably the Waterloo County Court House and the Breithaupt Tanneries. Their first child of seven, a son, was born in 1859. His name was John Metz Schneider or as he is more commonly known locally—JM Schneider.

**Note: It is interesting to note that although he was making a living as a contractor, Christophe purchased a 100-acre farm in 1860 (in the area that is now the Victoria/Lawrence St. area of Kitchener, ON which would have placed it just beyond the boundary of Joseph Schneider’s farm). Over time, Christophe cleared his land and spent the next thirty-seven years on it as a farmer. He was a founding member of the Church of the New Jerusalem, a Swedenborgian congregation, joining the likes of John Hoffman (see earlier post). According to his obituary in 1900, Christophe was politically “a staunch supporter of Reform principles.” These are significant facts insofar as JM Schneider was clearly influenced by his father’s example: politically, JM was a forward thinking man and spiritually, he was a practicing follower of the Church of the New Jerusalem. I say “practicing” because JM, espousing his faith and its teachings, was also known for his humanitarian work— both in his community and with regard to the treatment of his meat packing plant employees (see below for details).

                                                                 John Metz Schneider

As a child, John Metz (JM) Schneider, also grew up on his family’s farm, doing chores and no doubt assisting with the butchering and dressing of hogs and other livestock. While I do not feel that it is fitting to call him a butcher by trade, one can certainly make the argument that he learned his valuable meat processing skills from the ground up and from actually doing the work. As a young man, he found work as an assembly-line worker at the Dominion Button Works Factory, working a 10-hour day/6 days a week for the sum of $1.00/day.  In 1883, at age 24, JM married a local girl, Helena Ahrens and they began to raise a family. Three years later (1886), JM injured his hand at work and he was forced to stay home for a month.  

With a family to feed during a time when there were no social programs to assist injured workers,  JM, his wife and his mother began to grind meat and make sausages from a family recipe right in his own home kitchen.  In the beginning, he sold these sausages door-to-door in order to survive but after returning to work in the factory, he would come home and together they would work into the night making sausages to fill orders for a growing clientele. In time, he was able to sell his sausages to local market butchers and grocers until he was eventually able to quit work at the factory in 1890 and launch his full-time meat packing business.

His home became the centre of production but by 1891 a two and a half story structure was erected near his home on Courtland Avenue (which was located just around the corner from the Joseph Schneider Haus Museum). In time his operation expanded and continued to prosper. During the Depression, many businesses lost money and went out of business. Schneider was also hard hit by the Depression but was not deterred. He came up with a plan and appealed to his workers. By enlisting the help of his employees he (and his son, who by now was also working with him in the family business) were able to reduce some of their overall operating costs, thereby keeping his meat packing plant employees working— even when other businesses had closed.

JM Schneider was always a hands-on boss and continued to show up for work every single day well into his ‘80’s until his death in 1942 at the age of 83. His sons followed him into the meat packing business. For more information, see the link below.
 

 CTV News Report: A Look Back at Schneiders in Kitchener

  

A "Man Without A Story" No More: Part II

This is probably going to go down in history as the world's longest individual blog post. As always, if you have any comments, questions or new information (aka corrections!) feel free to contact me.

I must confess that I have struggled for a way to accurately represent Levi’s “life facts.”  I eventually decided that a timeline might be an effective way to get the ball rolling. My caveat here is that this is very much an ongoing and progressive timeline—insofar as I am continuing to work on it (off-line) and will update it as new information comes to light.

 
 In the meantime, I will also post insights and comments on the life and times of this early Waterloo County settler and long-time occupant of the 1820 log schoolhouse. 

What has continued to surprise me (and warm my heart) is how Levi has been mentioned by other notable (historic) citizens of the time who were his contemporaries, neighbours and (obviously) friends who remembered him and his family members fondly and with respect whenever they did speak of him.  And so, without further adieu:

LEVI CARROLL—A Preliminary and Approximate Timeline

                        (Timeline also includes related data on the schoolhouse and local history)

·         Born c. 1799-1805 Maryland Levi’s parents are listed as: father-- Russ/Ross Carroll and his mother-- Mary M. Sims

Note:  There were Sims listed in Wellesley township –the Queen’s Bush area—a possible family connection?  (Further research needed).

·         1807 Abraham Weber/Weaver arrives in Waterloo County, Lot 16 and establishes his homestead. This is the Abraham Weber who employs Levi some years later (timeline pending further research).

Note:  According to the Uttley record, Weber “presents” Levi with “a piece of land” for a garden and a cabin following an accident “in the bush”—is this where Levi loses his left leg? In an account years later, Jacob Stroh says Levi “owned several acres between his dwelling and Agnes Street.” King Edward school is located today at the corner of Agnes Street and King Street, Kitchener. Back then, when Levi was living here, this would have been known as “Greenbush.” 

 

·         August 24, 1814 Levi was still living in Maryland when Rear Admiral George Cockburn advanced on Washington, DC. Levi was known to have told a story of his childhood memory when his “owner/master” carried him away (when he was about 5-6 years old) and hid him in a large storehouse to protect him from the British.

    

·         1820 The log schoolhouse is built on land donated by Abraham Erb. 

·         1835-36 Levi’s son Charles is born. Creasia is listed as his mother.

·         1836-37 Female child Carroll is born.

Note: No name or official records found yet. See note on 1861 census records. 

·         c. 1830-45 Levi comes to the Waterloo County area as an escaped slave.

     Note:   As previously posted, the Underground Railroad was known to be active during this period (and in this area). As early as 1829-30, Paola Brown (formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio) led a group of fugitive slaves and free blacks to the Winterbourne, Ontario area (known as "Crooks Tract" in Woolwich Township) and founded a small colony there (more on this in an upcoming post). As this timeline pertains to Levi Carroll, Levi’s approximate date of arrival also corresponds to a statement issued by his Greenbush neighbour, Mr. Henry Bachman (a letter carrier) upon Levi’s death in 1897, whereby Mr. Bachman said that Levi came to the area (Berlin) "some 60 years ago."      

 

·         1842 The log schoolhouse is deemed too small and is moved to Berlin, Ontario (Greenbush area).

          

           February 22, 1846 Levi’s first known marriage.

Note: There is a listing for Levi and Creasia (Lucretia Brooks--some research suggests that her name may have been Brown). The Gore District Marriage Register shows John Low, Wesleyan Methodist minister performs the marriage by banns.  The register states that both (Levi and Creasia) were of Waterloo. Witnesses Samuel Moxley and Joseph Sowder. Creasia’s religion is listed as “Episcopal.”

·       

            1851 census records- Listed Levi, age “30”, wife Creasia, age 50 and son Charles, born 1835-36 (aged 16).  Census says all 3 were born in the USA--- all listed as “Episcopal”. 
      Note: This is interesting not only because Levi is listed as being 20 years younger than Creasia at the point of their marriage but also assuming that Levi is Charles's father, Levi would have been, according to these dates, 14 when Charles was conceived. Clearly not particularly considering the estimate of his birth date at the time of his death and as recorded in other census records. Also, if Levi is Charles's father and if Creasia is Charles's mother then maybe Levi and Creasia were living together for years before being formerly married? Just a thought ...

           Between 1852-1854 Creasia dies-- No official death records found yet. TBD

·         Dec 17, 1854 - Levi marries Anna Emile Timlet , wife #2.

Note: Anna Emile was born c. 1825 so was around 29 when she was married (by Church Banns) by Rev. Wilhelm Friedrich Bindeman, a Greenbush neighbour of Levi’s. Marriage witnessed by Mary France and Rev. Bindeman, Berlin;  Anna Emile must have died before 1861 as she doesn’t appear in the census as having died during the previous year- 1860-61

                                                     Reverend Wilhelm Friedrich Bindeman

·         January 1, 1857 Waterloo incorporates as a “village.”

·         1861 census records Levi is listed as being a shinglemaker, and a widower. Along with him, there is only one child listed as living with him and one 24 year old female who had died in the past year.

    

        Children listed as living with Levi in 1861 census: 

1.       Female Child Carroll born c. 1836-37 (this may have been Creasia’s child and 

               would have been born right after Charles. This child is listed as having died 1860-61 (she

               would have been 24 just as the census lists). There is no mention of Charles who would

               have been c. 26 years old. Upon the death of Levi in 1897, Henry Bachman recalled that

               Levi said his son had been lost in a storm at sea many years before. Would this maybe   

               have been Charles? No records have been found yet.

Note #1: An interesting reminiscence about Levi's son Charles from Joseph Schneider's grandchildren—Louisa and her brothers, Samuel and David.  In later life they gave newspaper interviews regarding their childhood memories and they said that “Charly Carl” (sic) was Samuel and David’s friend with whom they used to play ball. Louisa recalled that they (her brothers) “really liked him” and that he attended school with them and was the only “coloured” (sic) boy in the school. They also said that” Charly” was teased by some of the other children.

Note# 2:  Something else that I have uncovered and find very thought provoking and certainly worthy of further investigation: two US military records for “Levi Carroll” aged 22 (not that far off from what Charles would be at this time), born in Frederick, Maryland who enlisted in the 19^th regiment of the US Colored Infantry on December 31, 1863 for a period of 3 years. His height is listed as 5’6 ½ “and his occupation is “farmer.”

 What is most striking about this information is that this "Levi" Carroll's enlistment birthplace is a close match to that of Levi and that the name “Levi Carroll” for a black man born in Maryland would not have been that common. I personally think that this sounds like Charles may have gone back to fight in the Civil War perhaps in honour of his father, potentially taking his name to enlist. What is also striking is that there is a town in Maryland called after its founder, Carrollton (a white Charles Carroll who did own slaves BUT was very sympathetic to abolition. Charles Carroll was a signatory ("signer") of the Declaration of Independence and therefore an historic figure of significant note. Remember Levi’s story of being protected at a tender age by his owner........? This may also explain where Charles was when the census was taken (in the US) and why he would not be listed as living with Levi. Also, the time period fits, too. Food for thought.

For more information on Charles Carroll, the founder of Carrollton, MD see: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Carroll_of_Carrollton

2.       Elisabeth Ann Carroll born 1852-53

Note # 1:   Presumably Anna Emile Timlet and Levi’s baby since Creasia would have been around 51-52 when this birth occurred and we know that Creasia died somewhere between 1852-54--unless Elisabeth Ann's listed birthdate is "off".  We know that Levi married Anna Emile Timlet in 1854 according to the marriage certificate so perhaps Elisabeth’s birth occurred just before the marriage OR if the dates are off, maybe Anna Emile died in childbirth AFTER the marriage. Another theory is that Anna Emile was really only 24 when she died (and that her birth date estimate is wrong and not c. 1825) insofar as it was she who potentially was the female who died in 1860 at the age of 24.  A death of a female someone, 24 years old,  is registered as having taken place the previous year (1860) due to a "p.sore throat"—strep? Elisabeth Ann is listed as 8 yrs old and as attending school.  Was the 24 year old who died Elisabeth Ann’s mother or sister who died? No records yet to prove any of these scenarios so  with further research pending, results to be determined...

Note # 2: In the 1861 census, another family is listed as living with Levi in the log house: a Henry Scott (blacksmith, 37) and a Mary Scott (22), both Wesleyan Methodist. Levi is listed as Episcopal Methodist.  All are listed as being able to read and write.

·         October 1, 1861 Levi marries wife #3: Margaret Moore Johnston (her parents Robert Moore and Senty Huston from the Queen’s Bush, Peel Township and her first husband was James Johnston, born c. 1822 and was of the Queen’s Bush area). He was 56 and she was 39, born in Montreal, Quebec, about 1822.

             

                  Children Listed as living with Levi:

                   Emiline Johnston “Caroll” born 1854-55(Levi’s stepdaughter, would have been 6-7 yrs)                    John Carrol born 1865-66 (Levi’s son presumably by Margaret)

 

·         1868 The town of Berlin buys two acres of land from John Hoffman (a self-made man and local political figure who owned a great deal of land in both Waterloo and Berlin--more on him in upcoming posts) in order to establish a municipal (Mount Hope) Cemetery.

Note:  In 1871 Berlin purchases an additional 10.5 acres from him to expand the cemetery (which is really two cemeteries-- the newer one as a Roman Catholic cemetery that was originally operated by Sacred Heart Church and the original (older one) that was located where modern day Grand River Hospital and KCI High School are. This would have also been near where the 1820 log schoolhouse or Levi’s “cabin” was located). As early as 1855 the first Mount Hope Cemetery (originally called Greenbush Cemetery) is listed on the map of Waterloo and was considered to be a protestant cemetery. In 1871 the Ontario legislation regarding schools changed, allowing for upper level grammar schools to become known as “high schools”. Around 1872 transfer of burials from the older Mount Hope Cemetery to the newer section began to take place.

    

·         1871 census records  Levi, labourer-68, Margaret- 53 and Emiline-16. Religion is listed for all as “Methodist” 

·        
            1876 Waterloo is incorporated as a “town.” Berlin High School (modern day KCI) also opens and as noted in the picture of Levi and his family is seen in the background.

·         1881 census records  Children living with Levi, Margaret and Emiline:  Melissie (9 in the 1881 census) and Bismark (5 in the 1881 census).  Emiline is listed as being 27 years old.  

Note: So here is a good question: whose children are Melissie and Bismark? Are they Levi and Margaret’s children or are they Emiline’s? If they are Emiline’s, who is the father?

·         April 14, 1884 Emiline marries James Aylestock/Aylestook, 40, from Elmira, born in USA (who listed his occupation as a barber).

Note: His mother was listed as being Sally Aylestook (sic),” born in slavery”. The marriage certificate says that James did not know his father’s name.   It is also interesting to note that her mother, Margaret, is NOT a witness at her wedding. Levi is listed as a witness along with “Elisabeth Thompson”.  The marriage took place in Berlin and was by license.

·         1886 Emiline and James had a son, William James-- born March 4, 1886

Note:  It is interesting to note that in the 1900 NY census somes years later, it states that James was born in June of 1884 (see below- 1900 NY census)

 

·         October 21, 1886 Death certificate registered in Toronto, Ontario on October 26, 1886 for a Charles David Carroll, aged 55

Note: I am not entirely sure that this is the same Charles Carroll (Levi’s son) but the name fits and the death certificate does state that this gentleman was “negro,” was the age of Levi’s son Charles and that he had been born in the US. It states that he died as a result of heart disease and paralysis (doctor’s notation was that the duration of illness was seven weeks). He had been employed as a waiter and his religious affiliation was Methodist. A (probable/possible) match?

·         September 1, 1890 The town of Waterloo, along with the assistance of the Board of Trade, acquires/purchases Jacob Eby’s 60 acre farm ( some sources say 65 acres) to build its first park (today Waterloo Park originally named “West Side Park”) from Jacob Eby’s widow, Elizabeth, for $74.00 an acre.

·         Feb 19, 1890 Margaret Johnston Carroll dies.

·         1891 census records List Levi, Emiline and William as the only ones living in the schoolhouse.  

Note:  Presumably James Aylestock must have died. No mention of the other two children: Melissie or Bismark, either.

·         1891 Levi, “having fallen on hard times since the death of his wife”, enters the House of Refuge along with Emiline and William.

·         August 7, 1893 Waterloo (West Side) Park opens.

·         1894 The Park Board purchases the 1820 schoolhouse (largely through the efforts of Isaac Erb Bowman who was a member of the Park Board of Management). 

·         1894 the log schoolhouse is moved to Waterloo Park

·         July 15, 1897 Levi Carroll (Karl) dies at noon in the House of Industry (poorhouse)-obituary published in the “Weekly News-Record”.

Note:  I found it interesting that Levi’s obituary is published twice. Once on the day of his death and again a few days later, listing him as someone known to “most citizens” of the area.

·         September 1, 1897 Willam Aylestock is discharged from the House of Industry at age 11

Note: William is possibly taken in by family in the Glen Allan area since a Wellington County Museum biography of the Aylestock family says that William was the only child on the 200 acre farm he grew up on but I have not yet found documents to confirm this as of yet. What is known is that William’s dad, James Aylestock, was indeed related to people from Wellesley area so this seems like a reasonable assumption.  

·         1900 census for NY state shows William, aged 16, listed as a servant in Brooklyn, NY.

Note:  The census lists his date of immigration as 1898. It certainly was not uncommon for people to go back and forth to the States during this time period. William would have been about 14 when he went. This same census has stroked out his age of 16 and written 15 beside it. His date of birth is also different: the Canadian birth record states that he was born March 4, 1886. This record says June 1884.

·         1909 William Aylestock, back in Canada, marries Jemima Ridella Lawson-“ Minnie”  (from Glen Allan). They eventually had 8 children. 5 of them were born in Glen Allan, Ontario and the last 3 were born in Lebanon, Ontario (just outside of Listowel, Ontario).

·         1943 Emiline dies in the House of Refuge of a heart attack. Body claimed by Hunter Keffer.

Note:  I will be posting more over time about the descendants of the Aylestock family. Several descendants of note (and incidentally Levi Carroll’s step-great granddaughters) was Addie Aylestock who became the first ordained woman minister of the BME and the first African-Canadian woman minister in Canada. Her sister, Rella Aylestock Braithwaite, an accomplished and celebrated writer/researcher of African-Canadian history, had a daughter, Levi's step-great great granddaughter Diana Braithwaite. Ms. Braithwaite is a  well known Rhythm and Blues musician who is responsible for the "Underground Railroad Music Festival" held at Glen Allan, Ontario in August each year. For more information on the festival, see: 

http://www.braithwaiteandwhiteley.com/music-festival.html

1967 William Aylestock dies in Listowel, Ontario at age 81

More, then, on this fascinating family (ancestors and descendants) in future posts...

A little Detour for Historic Maps, as Promised

As requested, here are several historic maps of the area for perusal:

Village of Waterloo, 1855

It is interesting to note that our little 1820 log schoolhouse, having moved by this point (in 1842) to its location in Greenbush (adjacent to modern day Kitchener Collegiate, KCI) is not immediately identifiable however we can make a guess as to where it was.

 If you look at the right hand side of the map, you will see Mt. Hope Cemetery. This is the 1st Mt Hope Cemetery, not the present day one that is located on Moore Street in Kitchener (behind Central Meat Market grocery store). It was originally called "Greenbush Cemetery" (--more on this in an upcoming post). At any rate, this Mt Hope Cemetery location is where the present day Grand River Hospital is located on King Street and across from Pine Street (see map). Modern day KCI, then, is located just up the street from there (heading toward Kitchener it would be about a block or so up the street to the right of Grand River Hospital (Mount Hope Cemetery on the 1855 map). In the picture of Levi and the schoolhouse we know that it was taken in front of and to the side of the old Berlin High School (KCI). This being the case then, it must certainly have been one of the buildings that are marked above the notation on the map: "To The Grand Trunk Railway." Now looking at the picture of Levi and the map, my guess is that it is one of the clump of three buildings (two others are off-set and further on)--and if I am to go out on a limb, I believe that the schoolhouse (Levi's house)  is the one located at the bottom right hand side of the triangle of the three buildings. I say this because Levi's picture shows a house (building with a chimney) to the right of it and in back of it and another dwelling to the left and in back.
 
Village of Berlin, 1853-4

An interesting note here: at the bottom left and corner of the map, you can see Joseph Schneider's house and even the sawmill is noted. (for more information on Joseph Schneider and the museum, see link at right).

Berlin, 1881

This one appears as if it is on its side but when you read it, it is actually right-side up. An interesting view of how things changed for Berlin about 27 years after the 1853-4 map, above.