Esther Martin

Other Events:

• Name: Hettie Martin
• Eby ID Number: 00075-4495.6

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00075-4495
• Residence: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1862, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1871, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Occupation: 1881, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Notes:

Absalom Martin, "was born November 1st, 1840, and died September 13th, 1887. On October 21st, 1862, he was married to Leah Musselman. They resided on the old "Jacob Cress Farm", adjoining that of his father's farm on the west. They have had a family of twelve children...The mother, since the decease of Mr. Martin, was married to Deacon Menno S. Shantz."


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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MARTIN.-On the of September, in Waterloo county, Ontario, of typhoid fever, Absalom Martin, aged about 54 years. He was buried on the 16th. He leaves a large family and many relatives and friends to mourn his departure from their midst.


HERALD OF TRUTH , Vol. XXIV, Number 21, November 1, 1887 - pg 333

Absalom married Leah Musselman 21 Oct 1862, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Leah (daughter of David Musselman and Esther Z. Martin) was born 3 May 1844, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 4 Nov 1921; was buried , Martin Meeting House Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Leah Martin
• Name: Leah Shantz
• Eby ID Number: 00083-4963
• Residence: 1862, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1891, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1891, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Leah Musselman, "was born May 3rd, 1844. On October 21st, 1962, she was married to Absalom Martin who was born November 1st, 1840, and died September 13th, 1887. After Mr. Martin's death she was again married, December 2nd, 1894, to Deacon Menno S. Shantz."


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00075-4493
• Residence: 1838, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1852, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Ordained: 21 Jun 1857
• Occupation: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Occupation: 1881, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Notes:

Deacon David Martin, "the ninth son of old Peter Martin, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, August 30th, 1815, came to Canada with his parents in 1819 and was raised on the old "Martin Farm" now possessed by Menno Gingerich. On September 2nd, 1838, he was married to Rebecca, daughter of Christian and Hannah (Paul) Shantz. Some time during October of the same year they moved on their farm, being composed of lot No. 6, Woolwich Township, one-half mile north of the Martin Meeting House. Here he has resided until his death which took place September 23rd, 1894. His first wife was born March 3rd, 1815, and died June 23rd, 1876. After her decease he was again married to Mary Johnson, widow of the late Henry Rittenhouse of South Cayuga, Welland County, Ontario. After Mr. Martin's decease she returned to South Cayuga,Ontario, where she now has her home with her son, Freeman. On June 21st, 1857, he was ordained as deacon of the Mennonite Church which position he held unto his death. His family consisted of nine children"


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

David married Rebecca Shantz 2 Sep 1838, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Rebecca (daughter of Christian Schantz and Hannah Paul) was born 3 Mar 1815, Freeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 23 Jun 1876, South Of St. Jacobs, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Martin Meeting House Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Rebecca Martin
• Eby ID Number: 00110-6971
• Residence: 1836, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Rebecca Shantz, "the youngest daughter of old Christian and Hannah (Paul) Shantz, was born March 3rd, 1815. She was married to David Martin. They resided south of St. Jacobs where she died June 23rd, 1876."


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37030080
• Interesting: pioneer, mill, story
• Eby ID Number: 00083.4908
• Birth: CALC 25 Apr 1799
• Occupation: 1852, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Occupation: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Musselman, "The two old pioneer settlers of this numerous family were David and Frederick who were no relatives to each other. They came to Canada in 1819 and settled in Waterloo County. The former, Mr. David Musselman settled in Woolwich Township, near Conestogo, on the farm now possessed by David Koch, while Frederick Musselman settled on the farm known as Rev. Elias Snider's place a little north of Waterloo. We shall first five the family of David and then of Frederick."

David Musselman, "was a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he was born April 18th, 1799, and was married to Esther, daughter of Peter and Anna (Zimmerman) Martin. She was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, August 29th, 1803, and died July 31st, 1872. He died October 25th, 1870. To them was born a family of twelve children".


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

_______________________________

All lands in the early days was in the hands of large holders. Where the village now standing was part of a large holding belonging to David Musselman who himself lived on the western side of the village[Conestogo]. It was this man Musselman who started the wheels of Conestogo running by beginning the very important business of flour milling. This was urgent owing to the extreme distance that settlers had to hand for their supplies as all these were brought in on horseback from Dundas.

The Milling Industry

In 1845 the flour mill was built, also a saw mill, both run by waterpower, obtained from the waters of the Conestogo River diverted to these plants thru a raceway nearly a mile in length, the building of which was a colossal piece of work.

Mr. Musselman did not continue long as a miller, for in 1850 he sold the saw and grist mill with the property belonging to them to Henry Snider who conducted both for some years. The saw mill was finally abandoned and the mill taken away. More time was devoted to the flour mill which had attained wonderful proportions so much so that a new building on a far larger scale was put up equipped with more machinery.

About this time it was a common occurrence for farmers to come 40 and 45 miles with their wheat, so that very often from 20 to 30 teams stood waiting at this mill for their chance to unload. After a very successful term, Mr. Snider turned over his interests here to one of his sons Menno who remained at the head until about 1916. During this time he suffered reverses and a severe fire in 1904 wiped out the mill with its contents together with the storeroom for wheat all of which was lost.

Berlin Daily Record Apr. 26, 2008 typed by Marion Roes

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CONESTOGA

A pioneer named David Musselman is credited with having founded Conestoga. He first purchased 700 acres of forest in the vicinity. In 1830 he bought a parcel of land where the village stands from Abram Martin. It was watered by the Conestoga River and Spring Creek, on which he built a sawmill. In 1844 he built a dam across the Conestoga River and erected another sawmill and a flourmill. A hamlet sprang up. Among the first buyers of lots in Musselman's survey were: John Miller, Adam Heller, Stephen Washburn, John B. Eby, Christian Stuernagel, James Merrilees, H. von Trilera, Theodore Spetz, Henry Snider, Jacob Grosz, Philip Oswald, Joseph S. Weaver, George Davidson, Peter Eby, S. B. Eby, Peter Buchanan, Michael Oswald, Jacob Kuntz, Charles Hendry, Solomon Kaufman, and Jacob Lippert.

After their advent a cooper shop, blacksmithshop, a store, an hotel, and a post office followed. In time a brickyard, a school, and a church were added, and the place was called Musselman's Mills. Later Perine Brothers built a flaxmill on Spring Creek, while on the same stream Goodworth & Sills constructed a paint mill.

The hamlet was known as Musselman's Mills until 1852, when it was renamed Conestoga, after the Conestoga River or the town of Conestoga in Lancaster County, Pa., from which county many of the pioneers had come. David Musselman operated his mills until 1856 and then sold them to Henry Snider, who carried on the milling till his death in 1885. His executors sold the mills to Menno Snider, who operated the flourmill until his own death in 1916. During his closing years he was assisted by his son Walter J. Snider, who succeeded to the property. Walter Snider afterward purchased the flour-mill at St. Jacobs from W. W. Snider and operated the two mills as the Snider Flour Milling Company, Limited. After his decease, his son Russell became head of the industries..

Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1933 pg 16 - Woolwich Township - Its Early Settlement by W. V. Uttley

David — Esther Z. Martin. Esther (daughter of Peter Martin and Anna Zimmerman) was born 29 Aug 1803, Earl Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 31 Jul 1872, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Martin Meeting House Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Esther Z. Musselman
• Eby ID Number: 00075-4391
• Residence: 1861, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1871, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite

Notes:

Esther Martin, "the fourth daughter of Peter and Anna (Zimmerman) Martin, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, August 29th, 1803, and came to Canada when sixteen years of age. She was married to David Musselman who died October 25th, 1870. She died July 31st, 1872."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38400277
• Interesting: story, pioneer, religion
• Eby ID Number: 00075-4295
• Residence: 1830, Waterloo Township - German Company Tract Lot 010, Waterloo County, Ontario

Notes:

Peter Martin, "was born in West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, February 26th, 1769. He was married to Anna Zimmerman, December 25th, 1793. She was born February 18th, 1775. He followed farming in his native state, but owing to the poor harvests for several years in succession, together with low wages and many business failures, caused him to make arrangements with his numerous family to move to Canada. Two of his daughters, Barbara, married to David Martin and Maria, married to Christian Zimmerman, remained in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, while the parents with fourteen of their children, together with Daniel Weber and others, moved to Canada in 1819. They, at their arrival here, settled first on the farm now owned by Dilman Shantz and the heirs of the late Abraham Groff, but not finding this to their taste they finally located on the farm now possessed by Menno Gingerich. Here they resided until their deaths. He died March 2nd, 1831, and she died December 12th, 1836. They had a family of seventeen children, all of whom were married."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

______________________________________

Martin Meeting House

According to Isaac Horst, "Martins meeting house was the first of the Old Order places of worship to be built. A meeting house is reported to have been built in 1830; burial was begun in the adjoining cemetery in 1831. Martins was aptly named. The first three bishops of the area were Martins, all descended from the pioneer, Peter Martin. The land on which the house stands was formerly owned by Martins (1979: 376)." Peter Martin, Jr. purchased 220 acres of land from his brother, Henry Martin, on May 8, 1824. Apparently he set aside four acres for a meeting house and burying ground at that time. The first burial is reported to have been that of Peter Martin, Sr., who died March 2, 1831. The meeting house was enlarged in 1900.

John Weber was the first minister, followed by Abraham W. Martin, Samuel Weber, Paul Martin, Tobias Martin and Urias Martin. At one time surrounded by countryside, the meeting house and cemetery are now completely encircled by the commercial development brought about by the rapid expansion northward of the city of Waterloo.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose

________________________________

...Martin was 62 when died in 1831, just 12 years after coming to Canada, but his important role in local history was not forgotten. His home doubled as the Martin's Church before the Martin's Meeting House on King Street North was completed.

The meeting house still stands today, next to the Martin's cemetery that holds Peter Martin's remains. Across King Street was the Martin's School (SS21), in use until 1972. It's gone now.

Because of his large family, 17 children in all, Martin was once described as "probably the most vigorous progenitor in the history of the region." His story is told in a booklet Thou Art Peter, published in 1983 by the Mennonite historian Isaac Horst of Mount Forest.....

Flash from the Past: Peter Martin House once stood in Waterloo, Waterloo Region Record 4 May 2013 Jon Fear, Record Staff

Peter married Anna Zimmerman 25 Dec 1793. Anna was born 18 Feb 1775, Of, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; died 9 Dec 1836, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Martin Meeting House Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38400457
• Name: Anna Martin
• Eby ID Number: 00075-4295.1

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26932602
• Land: Waterloo Township - Beasley's Broken Front Lot 12, Waterloo County, Ontario
• Name: Christian Shantz
• Eby ID Number: 00110-6908
• Immigration: 1810, , Canada
• Residence: 1810, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Christian Shantz, "son of old Jacob Shantz and his second wife, was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, near Pottstown, July 11th, 1769. In 1791 he was married to Hannah Paul who was born in the same county September 10th, 1772, and died in Waterloo County, Ontario, July 10, 1845. In 1810 they with their family and others moved to Canada and settled at Freeport, Ontario, on the farm known as the 'Rev. Abraham C. Weber Farm'. He died April 7th, 1857. His family consisted of ten children, eight of whom were born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

___________________________


A-1-133 Christian Shantz Probate of the Will of Christian Shantz the elder, late of the Township of Woolwich, Yeoman, deceased, on the petition of Jacob Shantz of the Township of Waterloo, Yeoman, and David P[?] Shantz of the Township of Blenheim in the County of Oxford, Yeoman, the Executors named in said will….

…I, Christian Shantz Senr., of the Township of Waterloo, Yeoman…That all my just debts shall be paid. Second, I give and bequeath to each of my sons and daughters, share and share alike, and I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my two sons Jacob Shantz and David Shantz, my lawful Executors in full power, to give deed or deeds as I would do in my own proper person of this my last Will and Testament…

Witnessed by Jacob Lutz and Elizabeth Shantz
Will dated 2^nd February 1854
Proven 22^nd April 1857
Died 7^th April 1857
Inventory £635/13/4

Surrogate Court Records Copybook Register A 1853-1871 partial transcript to 1863. Frances Hoffman transcriber.

______________________

Died

In Woolwich, on the 7th April, Mr. Christian Shontz, aged 87 years. The deceased was born on the 11th day of July, 1769, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was married to Miss Hannah Paul in the year 1791, and lived in this state 54 years, during which time he begat 12 children, 7 are yet alive; the number of his grand children is 82, of whom 73 are yet alive; the number of his great-grand children is 119, of whom 105 are still alive. The entire number of his progenitors is 213, of whom 185 are yet alive. The deceased emigrated to the Township of Waterloo in the year 1810, where he lived 47 years.

Dumfries Reformer, 22 Apr 1857

Residence:
Lived with son Benjamin.

Christian married Hannah Paul 1791. Hannah was born 10 Sep 1772, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 10 Jul 1845, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26932622
• Name: Hannah Schantz
• Eby ID Number: 00110-6908.1