Ida Alexander Millar

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-90523
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Other Events:

• Supernatural: haunted house
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-86571P
• Residence: 1851, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lawyer
• Occupation: 1901, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Lawyer

Notes:

Mr. Millar was born in Berlin, Ontario, but has been a resident of New Hamburg for 35 years. A member of the legal profession, he has practised his chosen calling with success and profit to himself and acceptibility to a large clientele. Of an unassuming but courteous and kind disposition, he has many fast friends among his fellow townsmen by whom he is highly respected. He has been clerk of New Hamburg for the pad 25 years.


Special Industrial souvenir number of New Hamburg: containing a comprehensive review of the natural advantages and resources of the village of New Hamburg, 1908, Berlin Daily News, Berlin, Ontario

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Cranberry season comes to an end

NEWS 09: 00 AM by Brenda Murray New Hamburg Independent

After 34 years, Cranberry House Bed and Breakfast is closed for business.

New owners will be moving in at the end of the month. The Waterloo Street building will be converted back to a family home.

The house was built in 1872 by William Millar, a lawyer and one of the founders of New Hamburg. The semicircular drive leads up to a graceful, yellow brick house with double arched windows, high ceilings and a luscious garden.

Owners Terry Schaefer and Roy Berfelz decorated the house in period antiques and Victorian wallpaper. They named it the Cranberry House after their extensive collection of cranberry glassware.

Surrounded by boxes and packing tape, Roy and Terry were pleased to share stories of some of the guests and events that have transpired within its tasteful walls.

"Many of our guests returned again and again and became like an extended family," Roy said.

They described the three teenage couples who turned up after a long drive from Michigan to attend the Stratford Festival. A little surprised by their young ages, Roy and Terry were even more surprised to see them the next summer and every summer after that for eleven years. One of the couples got engaged in the backyard. Now they are all grown up and have children of their own, but Terry and Roy will never forget them.

Well-known guests also stayed in the B&B, such as young David Pelletier around 1996 who went on to become a gold medal Olympic champion in figure skating; Peter Harder, the retired deputy minister of foreign affairs, and various singers and musicians who participated in New Hamburg Live!

"Running this bed and breakfast was probably one of the best educations you could get," Terry said, referring to the many guests who visited from all over the world, such as the young Korean exchange students who stayed there. "It has been a chance to soak in other cultures."

Even though Cranberry House is also Roy and Terry's home, they never found the need for a curfew and their guests were always given their own house key.

"We never had a bad experience," Roy said. "We had only one theft in all these years - a doily. It was returned to us along with a letter apologizing for the mistake. Bed and breakfast guests have a different mindset from motel guests. They're very respectful."

Cranberry House became a home away from home for many people visiting family in the three adult living communities nearby as well as the Nithview residence. The B&B has hosted bridal parties and was also the backdrop for wedding pictures.

Ghost stories? They have a few. Every night for the first three months after Roy moved in to the house, he felt a shiver at the back of his neck and heard a door slam upstairs.

One clairvoyant guest said she felt a ghost presence in a room. The ghost seemed to say, "You're welcome here. This is a good place."

Lillian Millar, the granddaughter of William Millar, visited the house and claimed she saw her grandmother walking in the dining room carrying a silver tray.

Roy also lost two cars that were parked in the driveway of Cranberry House. One was damaged during a thunderstorm when a tree fell onto the roof of the house, smashed through the porch railing, and then landed on his van.

The other happened in 1984 when a twelve-year-old boy took a car for a joy ride, crashed into garbage cans, careened across the road into the driveway of Cranberry House, and smashed into another of Roy's cars. Roy slept through the crash, but awoke a few minutes later to find the young boy standing at the top of the stairs inside the house covered in blood and disoriented. Luckily the boy was not badly hurt.

"We have lots of stories to tell about our life at Cranberry House, mostly good," said Roy. "There is not one day that I regret buying this house in 34 years."

Terry and Roy would like to express their sincere thanks to the community for all their support over the years.


Murray, B. (2018). Cranberry season comes to an end. NewHamburgIndependent.ca. Retrieved 28 August 2018, from https://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/news-story/8862906-cranberry-season-comes-to-an-end/

William married Anna Sophia "Annie" Warren 10 Mar 1869, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Anna was born 5 Jun 1846, Fort Erie, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada; died 29 Mar 1929, Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada; was buried , Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Anna Sophia "Annie" Millar
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-86572
• Residence: 1891, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Anglican

Other Events:

• Business: New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; New Dundee Grist Mill
• Name: F. G. Miller
• Name: Fred Millar
• Name: Frederick Miller
• Name: Friedrich Miller
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-241078
• Residence: 1835, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1835, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1851, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; merchant
• Residence: 1851, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1852, New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

DEATH OF AN OLD RESIDENT - The Berlin News says: "The intelligence reached here on Thursday that Mr. Fred. G. Millar had died at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. Thomas Lloyd Jones, in Burford. Deceased not long ago visited his son here, Mr. Alex. Millar, and appeared as active and hearty as a man of fifty, though we should judge he must have been at least eighty years old when he died. He was one of the first residents of Berlin, and for many years carried on a store business where the market now stands. He the, about thirty-five years ago, moved to New Dundee, where he built the mills and for some years carried on an extensive business. After disposing of that extensive property he moved to the county of Norfolk to engage in farm life. For a number of his late years he has lived retired from all active pursuits and seems to have spent a peaceful and contented old age and died respected and honored, not only by his large number of children and grand-children, but by all who knew him".

Dumfries Reformer Sep 15 1887

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...In the year 1832 Frederick G. Millar came to Ontario and settled in Berlin, where he engaged in general merchandising for a number of years. In 1847 he removed to Wilmot and established the flouring mills at New Dundee, where he was identified with milling and general mercantile interests for a long period or up to the time of his retirement from active business life....

A History of Ontario: its resources and development

_________________________

King Street - Queen to Benton

Queen to Benton Street.-A few feet back of King Street and about 15 feet from South Queen Street was a vaulted cellar built of field stone by Peter Rebscher in 1838-39. In 1855 Sheriff Davidson bought this cellar from Paul Schmidt. He erected a frame building extending from the corner, partly using material brought from a former building at New Aberdeen, a village about five and one-half miles southwest of Berlin, where he had also a store business. Jacob Stroh helped to lath the building, receiving 75c as a day's wage. The new building was called The California Block and contained several stores. George Davidson, son of the Sheriff, occupied the corner store as a Grocery and Dry Goods business. Next there was a shed with outside stairway leading to a dance hall above it. The shed was used by the guests of Schmidt's Tavern known as the banners Inn. In the rear of the shed there was a brewery operated William Rebscher, who started to brew about 1830. The process of the Rebscher brewery was to soak the grain for 24 hours, then spread it on the cellar floor and shift it around until it commenced to sprout, after which it was carried upstairs again and put into a dry-kiln about 20 x 20 feet in size, the grain being on screens exposed to the heat coming from below. The dry malt was crushed and ground between iron rollers turned by hand. Later on a steam engine supplied the required power. Mr. Rebscher had this brewery until about 1855, when he moved to Frederick Street on Spetz Street.

Sheriff Davidson bought the shed and converted it into two stores. One of these was occupied by Conrad Schmidt who sold wines, liquors, groceries and hardware. Yost Kimmel had a meat shop under the stores.

Next came an open space and a well and next to that a building which was used 1830 to 1835 as a church by a body known as Mifferites whose main article of belief was that the world was coming to an end in 1835. Many of the Millerites, faithful to their belief, sold their properties and household effects. The building was about 1840 occupied by Paul Schmidt, as the Farmer's Inn already spoken of.

Next came an alleyway and next to that William Moore's general store. Mr. Moore's residence was next to his store. Later on it had a clock factory on the second floor for a short time Next came a three-story building erected in 1860 and next to that no building for a long time until the Boehmer Block was erected. This had a clock factory on the second floor for a short time. Next came a building occupied by Mr. Hymmen, erected between 1850 and 1855. The building was painted a buff color and occupied as a bakery. In 1860, E. R. Hayne had a bakery and confectionery store in the Hymmen building. Next came a two-story frame building located on the site of the westerly half of the present Post Office and occupied by William, David and Frederick Miller as the first general store in Berlin. The location was opposite the end of Frederick Street. J. F. Kannengieser had a tailor shop and was also dealer in fancy goods in this building at one time. In 1860 Mr. and Mrs. John Albright occupied part of the building as a dressmaking and millinery shop. Later on Mr. Rooke had a lock and gunsmith shop on the street floor while his family lived above. There was a high board fence on the Benton Street line with balsam trees planted along the inside.

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

Frederick married Isabella Henderson 1835, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Isabella (daughter of Allan Henderson and Isabel Thomson) was born CALC 11 May 1812, , Scotland; died 14 Jan 1878; was buried , Holy Trinity Anglican Church Cemetery, Burford, Burford Twp., Brant, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Isabella Millar
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-54574
• Residence: 1835, Dumfries Township, Gore District, Ontario
• Residence: 1851, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Isabella Henderson is reported to have been born in Colinton, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, documentation needed.

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-12296
• Residence: 1790, Dundee, Forfar, Scotland

Notes:

TRANSCRIPTION FROM THE HANDWRITING OF WILLIAM G. MILLAR

The ship's name in which we crossed the ocean was the Mentor of New Bedford, 250 tons Burden. We learnt through the papers that she was lost on the coast of America some years afterwards. We left Dundee in Scotland on the fourth day of June 1804 and did not reach New York in the United States until the fourth of August. We staid in that City about three weeks and then removed to Albany
.
In coming over to America Our Ship encountered a severe storm off the banks of Newfoundland. She was laid to for many hours under the three sails seen on the ship below. Our Father [Captain Alexander Millar] who had been many years at sea declared he had never seen the waves run higher. They seemed to me to to reach an altitude as high as top of the main mast.
We shipped a sea that rose like a house. It swept decks of everything on them. Our Father saved himself by running his arm down to his shoulder into one of the holes in the windlass. The Captain told the owners of the ship at New York that, but for the assistance of our Father, they would never have seen their ship again.

We landed in New York from Dundee in Scotland on the 4 of August 1804, where we staid three weeks and then removed up to Albany, and remained there nine months, and during that time our Father purchased land on the Niagara River, and to which place we removed in the spring of 1805, and where we continued to reside until we Came to Canada, about the Year 1824.

Our brothers, John & David, had preceded us to Canada to Waterloo township, and Commenced to keep a store at what was called Crofts. After a time we joined them there and I assisted in the business for nearly three Years. About that time David and myself left Crofts and went to New York City in order to purchase some goods, and which we did-- and again returned to Canada, and made a beginning at Stoney Creek. But not likely to succeed there, we returned to Waterloo again & commenced the second time near Abram Erb's mill. After a time we removed to Green Bush and carried on our business for nearly three Years there, in a rented house. Soon after this we purchased a lot in Berlin as it is now Called, and we built the first frame house there.

W. G. M

Alexander married Janet Gourlay 22 Mar 1790, Dundee, Forfar, Scotland. Janet was born 1769; died 1822, Lewiston, Niagara, New York, United States. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Janet Millar
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-74015
• Residence: 1790, Dundee, Forfar, Scotland

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-87052
• Residence: 1801, Colinton, , Midlothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1839, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Allan married Isabel Thomson 15 Oct 1801, Colinton, , Midlothian, Scotland. Isabel was born 1778, , Scotland; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Isabel Henderson
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-79509
• Residence: 1801, Colinton, , Midlothian, Scotland
• Residence: 1851, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian