Elizabeth J. Witter

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-388124

Other Events:

• Name: Clarence Witter
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-221955
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Harold married Mary Almina Rose Hobbs 9 May 1924, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Mary (daughter of John Henry "Charlie Ross" Hobbs and Mary Maria Hilborn) was born 7 Mar 1906, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 1995; was buried , Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Almina Rose Witter
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-203223
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-67994
• Immigration: 1861, , Canada
• Immigration: 1881, , Canada
• Occupation: 1901, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Laborer Moulder
• Occupation: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Laborer, Knife Works
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

James married Rebecca Jane Robb 26 Oct 1882, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada. Rebecca (daughter of James Robb and Ellen Graham) was born 16 Apr 1858, , Ontario, Canada; died 1941; was buried , Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Rebecca Jane Witter
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-67995
• Residence: 1911, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Other Events:

• Interesting: life story,
• Name: Charlie Ross
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-63841
• Occupation: 1896, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Butcher
• Occupation: 1901, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; ?
• Occupation: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Laborer, Odd Jobs
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Roman Catholic

Notes:

John Hobbs was best known to local residents as "Charlie Ross". He came to Galt in the 1870's and seldom spoke of his past life. As a result residents referred to him as Charlie Ross after the missing child of a wealthy American parents. He claimed wealthy parents and a good education.


Cambridge Mosaic , Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [abbreviated snippet from original text in book]

___________________________

The Lost Charlie Ross.

Do you remember Charlie Ross? Not the lost Charlie Ross of Chicago who was never found, but our own Charlie Ross of Doon. "Well" wrote the late Thomas Yates several years ago, "Charlie Ross was an odd somebody. He was almost a facsimile of Charlie Chaplin, only his feet were not so long, and were brooked the other way. His right foot turned to the left and his left foot turned to the left. The result was that is you met Charlie on the street you would sometimes be perplexed as to which side of him you should pass. Charlie never wore two shoes alike. He always had odd ones on, perhaps a rubber on one foot and a boot on the other. His occupation was town chore-boy and handyman and never was there a job too menial for Charlie."

Galt Reporter

Mrs. Florence(Ayres) Hammond, formerly of Doon, says in her book ''Little Apples will grow again", about Charlie's profession; "Charlie took off his coat, laid it on the verandah rail and started to work. He dug a hole a few feet from the outhouse. The depth was waist high on Charlie. He climbed out. Pop hurried over to help him. They moved the outhouse over the new hole. Charlie shoveled the earth he removed from the new hole into the former one and packed it down solid,"

According to one of his daughters-in-law he came from a well-to-do family in Oshawa. After his mother's death his father remarried and Charlie did not like his step-mother so about the age of 17 het left home. So his father wouldn't be disgraced, if Charlie should get into trouble, he decided to use a different name and decided to claim to be the lost Charlie Ross of Chicago. Where he was between the age of 17 and the time he came to Doon , a married man with several children isn't known. He came to Doon from Preston where he had married Mary Hilborn. The lived in the "Old Dan Hamm House" on Old Mill Road now occupied by Edward Kinzie. He had five children, Frederick, William, Violet, Mary and Gordon. He continued working in Preston and each day would walk over to Blair and catch the Grand Trunk train to Doon at 5.30 p.m. The fare was 5 cents. He always carried a sack and said it was filled with stale bread. Sometimes he showed us he was carrying home a cow's head, which it was rumored his wife used in soup.

The only time the older residents saw him shaved and dressed properly, even to a flower in his button-hole was the day he went to the funeral of George Clare, MPP, for South Waterloo. His children all turned out to be good and respected citizens. His son Frederick was twice married and died several years ago, leaving his widow, Bessie Hornblower and a daughter Earla. He is buried in the Doon Presbyterian Cemetery. Charlie's name was John Hobbs.

Womens' Institute Tweedsmuir History Doon and Blair Branch.

John married Mary Maria Hilborn 4 Feb 1896, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Mary (daughter of Jesse Hilborn and Mary Hilborn) was born 19 Aug 1876, Speedsville (Waterloo Township), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Maria Hobbs
• Name: Minnie Hilborn
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-63842
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; United Bretheren
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-73981

James — Ellen Graham. Ellen was born 1 Aug 1831, , Ireland; died 6 Sep 1912, Cockburn Island, Manitoulin, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Ellen Robb
• Occupation: tollgate operator
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-73986

Notes:

Man inherits lock for old Galt tollgate.


The lock Ken Simpson holds is large and heavy, made to withstand the perils of time. It was passed down to him from his father, Oscar, and once secured the tollgate that crossed the old Stone road at the corner of Main Street and the Dundas Highway.

Most people would be surprised to learn that if you lived in Galt in the 1800s, or were a farmer just down the highway towards Dundas, and you wanted to use that road, you were required to pay a toll.

More than a half-century ago Howard Cant discovered A photograph of the old toll gate amongst his souvenirs of the past. The Galt Reporter reprinted it almost immediately, evoking many memories for old-time residents. But by a strange coincidence, 79-year-old Albert Robb was visiting town from Thessalon and had been interviewed by a reporter just days before. It was his first visit to his old hometown in 60 years, since he left Galt at the age of 19 in 1890. As a boy his chore was to open the gate for travellers over the old road.

Albert's mother, Mrs. Jas. Robb, had operated the toll gate before Patrick White. The fee at that time was five Cents. White, who was also a milkman in town, was the last gatekeeper. He lived in close proximity to the tollgate headquarters, in a big white frame house in which his grandson, Ed Taylor, was to inhabit. Pat White's sons, Jim and Ed, took turns as gatekeepers. By then, the fee had gone up to 10 cents a vehicle, though farmers paid a reduced annual fee because of their frequent use of the road to do business.

The old Stone road to Dundas, originally of corduroy construction, was privately built. It had been the main incoming road to Galt since the town was founded in 1816, and it had been difficult to build, as it crossed the Beverly Swamp, where it is said that some people who entered were never seen again.

AS for the lock that came down to Ken Simpson, the story of how it made its way into his hands is rather interesting.

As was noted, Ken inherited the lock from his father Oscar. Oscar was given the lock from Harold Jenkins. Jenkins, who never married, was a local thrasher who went to the Ed Taylor farm (where the Swiss Chalet/Harvey's, as well as South Cambridge Centre are now located) to thrash. Hooked over the granary board in the barn, which became a coal shed, was this lock, a lock that was old even then.

Said Harold to Ed: "If you're going to leave that lock there, then I'm going to take it home."

Replied Ed: "Well, if you're going to take it home, I'm going to get the key for you."

Jenkins had quite a collection of historical memorabilia and wanted the lock to go to Oscar Simpson, who farmed out near Branchton. Among the Jenkins' memorabilia was a bike that his older brother once rode over a high wire stretched across Niagara Falls. For years, recalls Ken, the bike sat collecting dust up in the hayloft of the Branchton Hotel barn that Harold's mother had run. She was a Hammer stein from the States, and related to the musical Oscar Hammerstein of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame.

Journalist Dave Menary is a lifelong residence of Cambridge. His column runs every Tuesday.

Cambridge Times 14 Jan 2003

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-462434

Richard — Charlotte. Charlotte died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Charlotte Hobbs
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-462435

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-9967
• Residence: 1867, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Labourer
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; W. Methodist
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; United Bretheren

Jesse married Mary Hilborn 31 Mar 1867, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Mary (daughter of John Hilborn and Sarah Ann "Sallie" Dennis) was born 4 Jul 1847, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 9 Mar 1926. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Hilborn
• Eby ID Number: 00007-0738.100
• Residence: 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1867, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1871, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; W. Methodist
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; United Bretheren
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist