Hespeler Heritage Centre News

When the first settlers ventured into this area in the early 1800s, the area was known as the “Queen’s Bush”. The earliest were Mennonite farmers from Pennsylvania who came by way of a small number of native trails and a few “slashed” trails into the area along the Grand and Speed Rivers.

As covered in Part 1, St. Like’s Place was unique and one of the first facilities of its kind in Canada. The new concept was a combination of living, recreational, health care…

by Lary Turner Note: This is another in a series on old Hespeler industries. The Hall Foundry Company was founded as the Hall, Zryd Foundry Co. Ltd. in 1907. Zachariah Adam Hall in partnership with...

Gideon Ochs was born Sept. 1, 1836 in Waterloo Township. He settled in Bergeytown, in the early years of the hamlet, and was a cabinet maker and carpenter by trade.

An important anniversary will occur in approximately three weeks!
January 1, 2023 will mark fifty years since the Town of Hespeler ceased to exist and our community was amalgamated into the new City of Cambridge. I felt this would be a great time to look back at Hespeler’s last Mayor.

In 1955, Mary (Stenhouse) Clemens donated part of her parents’ farm to the Hespeler United Church in the hope that “something might happen” with her gift.

The largest family-owned trucking company in Hespeler’s history had a strange and frightening beginning. The story is a testament to one man’s bravery, iron will, strength, hard work, and determination to provide a good life for his family!

The story of mail delivery in our community is one of proud and dependable public service. In the early years of settlement in Waterloo County, mail was delivered weekly by horse ….