John Urmy Tyson

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00123-7546
• Land: Bef 1831, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1834, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Land: 1848, Bridgeport Free Church, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Possessions: 1848, 76 Bloomingdale Rd., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; donated property for establishing of Bridgeport Free Church
• Occupation: 1851, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; nurseryman

Notes:

John U. Tyson, "was born in Frederick Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, April 19th, 1808. In 1832 he came to Canada and made a stay of several months, then returned again. In 1833 he came the second time and located temporarily at Flamboro, Wentworth County, Ontario, where he was engaged as clerk in one of Mr. Durrand's stores. Several years later he came to Waterloo County and resided in Bridgeport where he was engaged in the mercantile business. He was married to Elizabeth Miller who was born near Lewiston, New York, not far from Niagara River, July 26th, 1812. He died in Berlin, June 6th, 1869. She is still living and has her home with her daughter, Mrs Bowman. They had a family of two 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a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character.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.].

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Bridgeport Free Church

Land on the Bloomingdale Road was donated on November 16, 1848 by John U. Tyson for a free cemetery and free church, to be available for the use of any denomination. The first German Baptist congregation in Canada was organized here on September 10, 1851 by the Rev. August Rauschenbusch. (This 16-member congregation was the forerunner of Benton Street Baptist Church in Berlin/Kitchener.) The first pastor was Rev. Henry Schneider who was ordained to the Baptist Ministry on November 12, 1852.

Regular Sunday services in the Free Church were discontinued c.1955. The community then assumed responsiblity for the maintenance of the building which was donated to the Boy Scouts for their use. The Scouts continued to meet in it until 1968 when the front entrance was damaged by fire. The church was repaired and some renovations also were accomplished at the same time through the generosity of the Bridgeport Women's Institute. The building, which is designated as a Heritage Landmark of the City of Kitchener, has a plaque on the front wall of the church which reads: FREE CHURCH ERECTED 1848.2^a

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

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John Tyson presented the village of Bridgeport with a parcel of land to be used as a free cemetery also a free church was erected on the premises to be used by any demonination free of John charge. He lived in the village until his death.

Bridgeport, Idessa Zimmerman

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King Street , North Side

Queen St. North.

On the corner there was a frame building lengthwise with King Street, occupied by J. U. Tyson, dealer in groceries, wines, liquors and meats, erected about 1833. In 1841 Sheriff George Davidson bought this building and in it opened the first Post Office in 1842. His brother William was associated with him. Probably during 1845 Doering & Ahrens occupied the premises as a general store. A little later the firm was Huber & Ahrens. Mr. Huber acted as magistrate for a number of years, in which occupation he was popular and had much to do, people coming from small surrounding villages to Mr. Huber for fair trial. He was the second reeve in Berlin.

Next came a barber shop occupied by George A. Fischer who also served as dentist and as fruit dealer.

A house erected by C. A. Ahrens of Huber and Ahrens. Mr. Ahrens had a brick vault at the back of his kitchen, lined with an iron chest and considered fire proof. He was the first treasurer of Waterloo County and had this vault for safe keeping of his books and papers. The house was later occupied by Dr. Mylius.

Louis Breithaupt, who came from Buffalo in 1861 after having started his tanning business in Berlin in 1857, previously bought the corner of King and Queen Streets, and erected there the first section of the American Block in 1862.

Next to the Dr. Mylius house there was a two story brick building erected about 1855. It was occupied by Baedeker and Steubing who had a considerable business as book sellers and stationers, also as dealers in wallpaper, etc., besides doing some publishing. This business, moved later to the corner of King and Frederick Streets, continued until Mr. Steubing's death.

In his younger years Mr. Baedeker was a carpenter and had cut his knee with an adze, necessitating amputation and substitution of a cork leg.

On the site of the present Steel's store, George Davidson, later sheriff, erected a building in 1845 and moved the Post Office there when Doering and Ahrens occupied the corner store. Mr. Davidson also had a general store in this new building. About 1855 Kranz & Stroh occupied the building as a general store.

Next came a building occupied at first by George Klein and later the site of Henry Knell's jewelery shop.

John Winger's pump shop. Wooden pipe called pump logs were of about ten-inch timber, tamarack or pine logs with a bore of about 3". The pumps were mostly finished square and surmounted with turned tops.

A two story frame building painted white. John Winger's house. Eby's history mentions John Winger as having come from Pennsylvania in 1836.

A ten-foot lane leading back to the Public School grounds and into Winger's yard. The highest ground in this vicinity was in Winger's yard. Children were in the habit of sliding down the hill in winter to King Street. In 1840 Mr. Bentler erected a building and occupied the second floor as dwelling and shoe shop. Martin Messner had a music store on the ground floor which was a few steps above the street level. In 1855-6 Andrew Nicolaus took over the Winger house and changed it to a hotel. The first considerable street grading operation in Berlin was the lowering of the corner of King and Frederick and vicinity 8 to 10 feet. This put the St. Nicholas Hotel, as it was called, under the necessity of being extended downward one story and this lower part became the hotel office and bar room. At the westerly end of the hotel there was a shed and stable for horses. Over the shed, approached by a stairway, there was a hall known as St. Nicholas Hall used for concerts, balls and entertainments generally. At the rear of the adjoining St. Nicholas Hall there was a building on the high ground known as the Turner Hall and used as German Turnverein.

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

Land:
Land on the Bloomingdale Road was donated on November 16, 1848 by John U. Tyson for a free cemetery and free church, to be available for the use of any denomination. The first German Baptist congregation in Canada was organized here on September 10, 1851 by the Rev. August Rauschenbusch. (This 16-member congregation was the forerunner of Benton Street Baptist Church in Berlin/Kitchener.) The first pastor was Rev. Henry Schneider who was ordained to the Baptist Ministry on November 12, 1852.<sup>1a

1a</sup>Ambrose, Rosemary. Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide to Churches Established Before 1900. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Waterloo-Wellington Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1993. [used the kind permission of Rosemary Ambrose 2011]

John married Elizabeth Millar 1834, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth (daughter of Alexander Millar and Janet Gourlay) was born 26 Jul 1812, Lewiston, Niagara, New York, United States; died 7 Aug 1896, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

1. Angelina Louisa Tyson was born 30 Nov 1838, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 24 Jun 1912, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada.
2. Benjamin Thompson was born 1841, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
3. Albert Munroe Tyson was born 1843, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206266332
• Eby ID Number: 00123-7545
• Land: Bef 1831, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1835, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

William Tyson, "was born August 23rd, 1782. He was married to Barbara, daughter of Henry and Magdalena (Langenecker) Urmy. She was born January 26th, 1789, and died in Bridgeport, Ontario, April 18th, 1843. In 1835 they with their son, Isaac, and Hannah Hyser, moved to Canada and settled in Waterloo County ("see Vol. I, page 59, for particulars"), Ontario. They resided in Bridgeport, Ontario, where he died Jan 7th, 1844. His family consisted of two sons"


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.].

William — Barbara Urmy. Barbara (daughter of Henry Urmy and Magdalena Langenecker) was born 26 Jan 1789, Of, Skippack, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 18 Apr 1843, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206265916
• Name: Barbara Tyson
• Eby ID Number: 00125-7608

Notes:

Barbara Urmy, "was born January 26th, 1789, and died April 18th, 1843. She was married to William Tyson who was born August 23rd, 1782, and died January 7th, 1844. In 1835 they moved to Canada and settled in Bridgeport, Ontario, on the place now owned by Philip Stricker. Here they both died. Their family consisted of two sons"


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/70170897
• Eby ID Number: 00123-7544

Notes:

John Tyson, "was born in 1754. He was married to Susannah Op-den-Graeff. They resided near Skippack, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in farming. His family consisted of five 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.].

John — Susanna Updegrave. Susanna was born 1759, Of, Skippack Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 26 Apr 1826, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; was buried , Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery, Skippack Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61461411
• Name: Susanna Tyson
• Name: Susannah Op-Den-Graeff
• Eby ID Number: 00123-7544.1

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00125-7602

Notes:

Henry Urmy, "was born near Skippack, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, April 1st, 1756, and died January 1st, 1803. He was married to Magdalena Langenecker and had a family of ten 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.].

Henry — Magdalena Langenecker. Magdalena was born 1 Jan 1757, Of, Skippack, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 19 Aug 1824; was buried , Mennonite Church Cemetery, Limerick Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53646432
• Name: Magdalena Urmy
• Eby ID Number: 00125-7602.1

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51643976
• Eby ID Number: 00123-7540.2

Notes:

Will Abstracts, Montgomery Co PA
William TYSON, Skippack
Will dtd 5/18/1805, probated 2/18/1810 book 3/180

To sons Matthias, Joseph, and daughter Ann, widow of Jacob Casselbury, dau Magdalene, deceased, wife of Richard Umstead; daughter Mary deceased wife of Jacob Shoemaker; daughter Elizabeth, wife of Henry Peters, daughter Barbara, deceased, wife of Abraham Huntsperger, sons William and Isaac, 1/11 part of estate each. Personal estate to be sold.
Execs: sons John and Isaac

Wit: Jacob Casselbury and Thomas Bean.

William — Alice Elise Godshalk Nash. Alice was born 26 Aug 1722, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 15 Feb 1803, Skippack Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; was buried , Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery, Skippack Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51644020
• Name: Alice Elise Godshalk Tyson
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-298746