Carolina "Caroline" Woelfle

Other Events:

• Name: Caroline Woelfle
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-136859
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; [Member of New Jersulem Religion]
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Teacher
• Residence: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Swedenborgian

Other Events:

• Interesting: story, business
• Name: J. J. Woelfle
• Name: Jacob Woelfle
• Name: Johann Jakob Woelfle
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-136854P
• Residence: 1864, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1870, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; plow maker
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Plough Maker
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; [Member of New Jersulem Religion]
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Plough Maker
• Residence: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Swedenborgian

Notes:

The Button Industry

A young German named Emil Vogelsang came to Berlin in 1867 and chummed with Allan Huber, son of H. S. Huber. One day the merchant questioned the youth,

"What can you do, Emil?"
"I'm a button turner."
"Then show us how you make buttons."
"Before I could do that," said Emil, "I'd need a lathe and a batch of ivory-nuts."

Mr. Huber had a lathe made in Waterloo and imported a shipment of nuts for Mr. Vogelsang. The latter leased a room and power from the Simpson Furniture Company and soon was manufacturing first-class buttons. He called his venture, "The Pioneer Button Works." The buttons found a ready sale in Eastern Canada and the United States. His was the first button factory in Canada, if not in America..

Before long Mr. Vogelsang needed a factory of his own. He interested J. J. Woelfle in the enterprise and they awarded Jacob Y. Shantz a contract to erect a $20,000 building on the northeast corner of King and College Streets. Before it was up Mr. Woelfle withdrew. Mr. Shantz then purchased an interest in the button works for a sum equal to the price of the building and entered into a 7-year agreement with Mr. Vogelsang. When that term expired Mr. Vogelsang retired and built another button factory in South Queen Street, which he later sold to the W. G. & R. Shirt Company. (Now occupied by the Fehrenbach Mattress Co.)

Mr. Shantz had not had any practical experience in the manufacture of buttons, yet did not wish to see the employees deprived of their livelihood. He therefore continued manufacturing and after costly experimenting, during which he was assisted by his son, M. B. Shantz, the factory was placed on a sound footing. Mr. Shantz's sons Dilman and John likewise joined him. Jacob Y. Shantz & Sons became the largest employers of labor in Berlin. For a time there were four button factories in the town and it was widely known as "Buttonville." Jacob Y. Shantz entered into partnership also with a Mr. Feick and made felt goods in the button-factory basement.

A History of Kitchener, W. V. (Ben) Uttley, Kitchener, Ontario 1937 pg 169-171

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King Street Kitchener South Side

Gaukel to Foundry Street (now Ontario Street).-After a vacant lot on the corner there was a one and one-half storey frame building with gable facing King Street, occupied by the late Frederick Gaukel in 1852 and 53, when he died there. The building was later moved to the corner and used by Mr. Woelfle as a plough shop. After Mr. Gaukel's death his executors built a one and one-half storey brick house for his widow next to the house just mentioned. This brick house was taken down by Messrs. Brown & Erb who built their glove factory on the site.

Hall's Lane went through to Queen Street. There was for a time a blacksmith shop on the corner of Hall's Lane occupied, if memory rightly serves, by Matthew Strieker.

REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930
__________________________

Queen Street North, East Side.

Huber and Ahrens occupied the corner as a store and had a warehouse at the rear. The first section of the American Block was built in 1862. It contained a hotel with entrance on Queen Street and stores on the King Street front.

A meat shop occupied by one Schaefer and later by Crozier. This building was later occupied by Von Ebenau, a German toy dealer. He also built some sidewalks for the village in 1857.

A long two story frame building originally used by C. Ahrens as a barn and later by John Jacob Woelfle, a plough maker, who had a shop at one end and lived in the rest of the building. He had worked in the foundry on Foundry St. and after this shut down started his own shop. The building was later occupied by Rev. Jacob Wagner, who died there.

In 1858 a two story frame building was erected by Louis Breithaupt as his office and leather store. This was the first building on this site.

A 1 1/2 story dwelling with veranda lengthwise with Queen St. occupied by jailer Walden. Dr. Whiting later lived in this building for a time.

A small house occupied by Mrs. Harbin, (widow of Rev. Harbin who was Swedenborgian minister in Berlin) and her sister, Mrs. Wheeler.

A garden owned by Thomas Sparrow, with balsam trees along the street, adjoining the Sparrow's two story house with gable toward Queen St. and long veranda. Sparrow later moved to Galt.

A two story plaster building painted red with ground floor considerably above the sidewalk level and steps leading up to it, occupied by the Commercial Bank.

St. Peter's Church, formerly a vacant lot belonging to Mrs. Krug. The lot extended to Weber St. and to Mrs. Krug's house on Frederick St. This site was at one time favorably considered for the Central School, but it was decided that the ground would not be large enough. The present parsonage of St. Peter's Church was built by Dr. Eby, a native of Berlin, who had been living in Sebringville. He was the oldest son of John Eby spoken of as on Frederick Street. He married a daughter of Cyrus Bowers.

Weber Street.

County Buildings.

Jail and Jailer's residence with a barn at the rear. The jail was built some time after the Court House, about 1860.

Ahrens Street.

One and a half story frame building painted red, the dwelling of Charles Roos, a cabinet maker in Hoffman's factory.

Frame building, the house of Mr. Stuebing, later occupied by Charles Peterson.

Small dwelling.

Street.

A brick yard operated by Nicholas Zieger who made puddled brick by hand. Later the brick yard belonged to John Dauberger whose house, a red frame building, was on the corner of Ellen and Queen.

REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

John married Elisabeth Dürr 20 Jun 1850, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Elisabeth was born CALC 17 Jul 1827, of, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 17 Jan 1863, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Elisabeth Doerr
• Name: Elisabeth Woelfle
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-42619