Henry Edwin Susand

Other Events:

• Race: Black
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-80279
• Residence: 1851, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesleyan Methodist
• Occupation: 1861, Mitchell, Perth Co., Ontario, Canada; barber
• Invention: 1875, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Dumping Platform for Railway Cars
• Invention: 1875, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Improvement in Saw-Mill Dogs
• Residence: 1875, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Other Events:

• Business: Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Meridian Coffee Shop.
• Race: Black
• Name: P. E. Susand
• Name: Peter E. Susand
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-154329
• Occupation: 1832, Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario; barber
• Occupation: 1851, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; farmer
• Residence: 1851, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Baptist
• Business: 1857, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Coffee House
• Occupation: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Barber
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesleyan Methodist

Notes:

Mr. Huber and other sypathizers aided the escaped slaves to found a colony in Peel Township. On fugitive, P. E. Susand, opened a barber-shop and coffee-stall in Berlin; another R. Sutherland, hung out his shingle as a lawyer. When Dan Rice's circus visited the village, Sutherland bought a seat. The clown spotted him and yelled out repeatedly, "I smell a nigger!" His cries displeased the Berliners. A half dozen of them sprang up out of their seats and dashed after the clown, who fled into the woods nearby - lucky to escape without a broken crown.

William Velores Uttley, A History of Kitchener, pg 86

____________________________

King Street , North Side

Foundry Street (now Ontario Street).

Jacob and John Hoffman, brothers, who came from Pennsylvania, erected a furniture factory on the corner about 1840. It was a two story frame building extending along King St., had 25 to 30 employees and a 15 h.p. engine brought from Buffalo.

Eby's history gives John Hoffman as having come from Pennsylvania in 1825; Jacob, almost two years older, seems to have come before. They both worked at carpentry, etc., for a number of years before starting the factory in which enterprise they were assisted by Benjamin Eby. On the ridge of the factory roof there was a belfry with the only larger bell in Berlin. This bell served not only the factory but the village as well, pinging at 7 in the morning, at 12, at 1 and at 6 o'clock in the evening. It was used also as a fire bell and was tolled for funerals.

By some prank or spite the bell was stolen in 1850 before there was a night watchman at the factory, and disappeared for two or three years. Eventually it was found in a well at the comer of Duke and College Streets, put back in place on the Hoffman factory and later was taken to a belfry on the Simpson factory spoken of, where it was used until this factory was discontinued. It was then taken to the pavilion in Victoria Park and was melted down when the pavilion was destroyed by fire.

Behind the Hoffman factory there was a pond, about three feet deep, fed by a spring, the water being used for the factory boiler, etc. About 1860 a frame building, used by the firm for a warehouse, covered the site of the spring. Further back there was a saw mill, also a planing mill, the first of its kind in Berlin. A two story frame building extending along Foundry Street was later added to the factory and used as a turning shop. At the rear of this building was the factory boiler house.

Next to the factory on King Street there was a three story brick building. The ground floor was used as a store, called the Berlin Warehouse. Jacob Hoffman, who by this time was alone in the business, John having gone to Waterloo, announced himself as dealer in dry goods, groceries, hardware, china, glassware, crockery, and paint and oils and manufacturer of all kinds of furniture, also sash doors, etc., selling low for cash. An overhead passage way on a bridge connected the second stories of the factory and brick building. Over the store was the paint shop and in the rear a warehouse. Hoffman's store was later occupied by William Schmidt, son of Rev. Wm. Schmidt, an early minister of the Evangelical Church. Schmidt had a dry goods store only, known as the Golden Lion store because of a large gilt lion over the entrance. Isaac Hoffman, son of Jacob, carried on the factory and store for several years; later John S. Anthes was in possession while Hoffman went to Waterloo and continued the furniture business there with Adam Klippert and Martin Wegenast as partners. Jacob and John Hoffman erected a number of houses in Berlin.

Jacob Hoffman was very stout, weighing over 300 pounds. He was a member of the Evangelical Church. For a time he served on the village council. He resided on Foundry Street in the rear of the Canadian Block in a square, hip roof, two story, frame house, until it was destroyed by fire, when he moved to the west side of Foundry Street, south, where now is the Robe & Clothing Co. building. Here he had a one and one-half story frame house with a large two story addition at the rear where were lodged apprentices and other factory employees. There was a small portico over the front door and a porch extending along the northerly side of the house.

Next to the Hoffman warehouse there was a saloon and restaurant occupied by a Mr. Unger. He served, among other things, oysters which came in small wooden, 1-gal. kegs. Adjoining Hoffman's store there was the tailor shop of H. J. Nahrgang, later occupied by Henry Glebe, an early band master; next a store differently occupied at various times and next the shoe store of Wm. Niehaus. A three story brick building occupied by Wm. Young as a grocery. Mr. Young eventually went to the Canadian Block and the store was used for various purposes, among them auction sales in the evening. Here there was sold the first white crockery offered in Berlin. Later the building was occupied by the Berliner Journal.

A one and one-half story frame building with gable toward King St. and a veranda, occupied by Mr. Fuchs, a tailor and shoemaker, whose wife assisted her husband as expert in repairing clocks. The family lived in the building. About 1865 the frame building was moved to the rear and Fuchs' block erected on the street. The ground floor had three stores, the west one occupied by Mr. Fuchs, the middle by John Kayser, dry goods merchant, and the third one by Tindall Simpson and Sons, shoemakers and tailors. The first building on part of the Fuchs' block site was a rough frame structure used by one Susand, colored, who was the first barber in Berlin.

A two story brick building with gable facing King Street, occupied by Christian Garman, harness maker, who later moved to New Hamburg and started a tannery. This building was later occupied by Levi Gaukel, son of Frederick Gaukel, after his father's death. He had a small hotel known as The Red Lion. In 1860 Urban Prinzer [Brinzer] succeeded Gaukel and continued the hotel for a short time.

A two and one-half story brick building with gable facing King St. was occupied by Levi Gaukel, as a butcher shop after he gave up the hotel next door. Jacob Gaukel was associated with Levi. Later George Debus occupied this shop.

A building with gable and porch facing King Street, later occupied by George DeBus as a barber shop.

On the corner of King and Queen Streets there was first a driving shed for the Gaukel hotel opposite, until the Bowman block was erected in 1860. This was a three story brick building lengthwise with King Street. Joseph Bowman the noted violinist occupied the third floor of this building. Half of the ground floor of the building was occupied by Henry B. Bowman with a partner Heins as general dry goods store. This was on the corner. The other half was a brick store occupied by Cole and Graf, druggists, and later by Wm. Bowman in the same business. On the site of the Bowman block is the handsome Bank building built by the Merchants Bank and now occupied by the Bank of Montreal.


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

Peter married Elisabeth Liddicoat 1832, Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario. Elisabeth was born 1814, , England; died 1896. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Business: Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Susand's Taffy
• Name: Elisabeth Susand
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-154330
• Residence: 1832, Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario
• Residence: 1851, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesleyan Methodist
• Residence: 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Wesleyan Methodist
• Occupation: 1867, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Renovatoress
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Milliner
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Church of England
• Occupation: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Dress Maker
• Residence: 1881, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Church of England
• Residence: 1890, Bay City, Bay Co., Michigan, USA

Notes:

Mrs. Susand, house supplied with mansard roof, and other improvements, Foundry St., $200.

Progress in Berlin
Berliner Journal - 31 October 1878 - Page 2, Column 4

______________________

King Street , North Side

Frederick Street.

Bishop Benjamin Eby's farm came to the corner of King and Frederick Streets. Next to Frederick Street, Frederick and William Miller erected a frame building and used it as a general store. After the grading operations spoken of this building had to undergo the same process as the St. Nicholas Hotel. It was considered a fine building in its day with large windows on each side of the centre door. Henry Stroh finally bought the building and tore it down in 1868. Jacob Stroh has some of the window sash, shutters, stairway, etc., still in his possession. Later the building was occupied by Jacob Eckstein cigar maker and tobacco dealer. Mrs. Warren with a family lived on the second story for a number of years.

Vacant lot. Next a large brick building with double deck porch along the front, the Queen's Arms Hotel, built about 1840 and continued as a hotel until about 1860. A Mr. Butchard was the first landlord and later Levi Weber. From this hotel the first omnibus met the trains at the G.T.R. station in Berlin in 1856. Before that day it was a stopping place of stage coaches operating from Hamilton and Galt to Berlin and beyond. The old Queen's Arms long vacant and practically ruined as a building was sold finally and made room for the Market Building and Town Hall in 1869.*

Next we come to the John Roos house. This also had a double-deck veranda with heavy posts as was the style 1840-50. The building was later turned into a hotel known as the Market Hotel and kept by Casper Heller.

A lot with a log cabin in the rear, occupied by Jacob Sauer, who had come from Pennsylvania, father of Mrs. John Roat.

* See 1922 Annual Report W. H. S., p. 210.

A harness shop occupied by John Roat, then by his son John and later by John Haugh, a son-in-law of John Roat.

A garden. A dwelling, 4 or 5 feet lower than the street which had been filled up, where lived the Susand family. Mrs. Susand had a reputation with juveniles for tarts and molasses taffy sold in lc. bars. Her children were in the habit of selling these wares to passengers at the G.T.R. station. After her husband's death about 1860, widow Susand moved her shop to Foundry Street North, and there continued until she died. Susand was an ex-slave. In 1857 at a nomination meeting for Council, he was nominated and stood a good chance of being elected, as a joke. However, the more thoughtful element among the voters prevailed.

A two story, frame building, lengthwise with King Street, built in the '30's. After street grading this had to be raised so that what had before been the ground floor became the cellar or basement.

A house occupied by Wm. Hawke,-known as Bill Hawke- a mason. A stout, easy-going man. His wife was in the habit of standing in the door way, with white lace cap, smoking a clay pipe. The east end of this building was occupied by Winters, a hatter, the first hat maker in Berlin. He made the old style, broad brim, Mennonite hats in fashion up to about 1845. At the corner of Scott stood a brick building of good size with gable toward King Street, used to stable the first fire teams for a number of years. Later John Wagner had a waggon shop above and George Ward a blacksmith shop underneath. Scott Street was, however, not opened until many years later.

A one and one-half story building rough cast, gable facing King St., occupied by H. W. Peterson, who began publishing the "Canada Museum", in 1835 and so continued until 1840 when he went to Guelph as first Registrar of the County of Wellington. This was the first newspaper published in Waterloo County.

Jacob Hailer's house, a one and one-half story, frame building with porch along the front partly enclosed by lattice work. In this house was born in 1834, Catherine Hailer, who married Louis Breithaupt. She is said to have been the first child born in Berlin of parents who came from Germany. Hailer's barn was some distance back from the street and next along on the street front was his shop where he manufactured spinning wheels, etc., and chairs which had a large distribution. Hailer was an expert wood turner. He had two foot-power lathes and a number of German assistants from time to time, continuing his shop for about 40 years.
A two story frame building lengthwise with King Street, erected by Dr. John Scott. He had a drug store with two good-sized windows at the front. On the east gable of the building was a sign, "Med. Hall" in large letters. The sign was legible long after Dr. Scott's death. The doctor pursued his practice on horseback for which he used three horses. He was the first medical practitioner in Berlin, coming in 1834, at the time of the cholera epidemic. For a few years before he was married he boarded at the Gaukel Hotel. His later house, after the one described, is still standing on Weber Street at the rear of the Kitchener Public Library.

The old Scott house on King Street was later occupied by Franz Martin who kept a saloon. Martin had a musical family, with the zither as their principal instrument, which all the children could play.

A one and one-half story, frame building, painted, occupied by Anslm Wagner, a potter.

A brick building 1 ½ story lengthwise with King Street, the west end of which was John Eby's drug store, the rest of the building being his dwelling. This was the first regular drug store in Berlin.

A brick building with a frame extension in the rear used by David Eby as a pump shop. Part of the brick building is still standing, the rest having been cut olT for the opening of Eby Street North.

A one story hip roof brick cottage occupied by Geo. Eby, a Notary, who came to Canada in 1804. He died in this house. A considerable fish story is told of how he followed a sturgeon in the Conestoga River, part of Grand River, and finally speared it.

A one and one-half story building, probably rough cast, occupied by Hy. Wurm, a carpenter employed at the Simpson factory.

A two story brick building painted red occupied by Henry S. Huber.'

A handsome brick building, two story, with veranda along the front and ground floor considerably above the street level, with broad steps, the width of the building, leading to it, was built in 1850. Some time later it was occupied by Casper Heller and known as the Royal Exchange hotel. Following the old custom its swinging sign had "Last Chance" on the side toward the village and "First Chance" outward, referring to liquid refreshments. Heller kept a good hotel and had also a large shed and ham next east of the hotel.

On the corner a steam grist mill was erected, about 1860. Louis Seyler, a German, was the miller. The custom was for farmers to bring in their wheat to have it ground, getting in return flour, bran and middlings, the miller retaining his toll. Later Lehnen & Shelly operated this mill.

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