Mayor George Adolph Gruetzner^[1]

1855 - 1948  (92 years)

• Name	George Adolph Gruetzner
  Prefix	Mayor
  Born	6 Nov 1855	Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  Business	Hespeler Furniture Company, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Business	927 King St. E., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Mineral Springs Furniture Company
  	The Grist Mill Centre has a complex history. It was built with limestone rubble, as a grist mill, about 1839, likely by Jacob Hespeler, the man for whom Hespeler (now part of Cambridge) was named. In the 1860s, John Chapman used it to produce vinegar and in the 1870s it held the Preston Carriage Works. In the late 1800s, George Gruetzner opened the Mineral Springs Furniture Co. in the building, which soon was renamed Crown Furniture and sold to Austin Moss and Frank Wildman. In the 1920s, they sold it to E.O. Weber Ltd. Fear, J. (2014). #TBT Flash from the Past: Preston's Grist Mill Centre has storied past. TheRecord.com. Retrieved 22 February 2018, from https://www.therecord.com/living-story/4615337--tbt-flash-from-the-past-preston-s-grist-mill-centre-has-storied-past/
  		Preston-MineralSpringsFurnitureCo.-0001.jpg
  Immigration	1862	, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Immigration	1880	, Canada   [6]
  Occupation	1881	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Harness Maker
  Naturalization	1885	, Canada   [6]
  Occupation	1901	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Furniture manufacturer
  Occupation	1911	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Manufacturer
  Residence	1911	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Baptist
  Elected Office	1914	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	councillor of Hespeler
  Elected Office	1921	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Reeve of Hespeler
  Elected Office	1925	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Mayor of Hespeler
  		Hespeler-TownCounil1927.jpg
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/214843077
  Interesting	business, mill, politics, furniture,
  Name	Adolph Gruetzner
  Name	G. A. Gruetzner
  Eby ID Number	00145-5528.1
  Died	25 Aug 1948	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Buried	New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I1266	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	Rev. Edward Gruetzner,   b. 29 Apr 1830, , Saxony, Germany ,   d. 29 Dec 1913, Hanover, Bentinck Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 83 years)
  Mother	Theda Johanna Schulte,   b. 1 May 1830, Neustadt, , Niedersachsen, Germany ,   d. 22 May 1915, Hanover, Bentinck Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 85 years)
  Family ID	F30665	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth B. "Eliza" Sararas,   b. 20 Jan 1856, Freeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 Apr 1933, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 77 years)
  Children	1. Alice Gruetzner,   b. 3 Nov 1879, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 11 Jan 1905, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 25 years)   2. Florence Ida Gruetzner,   b. 12 Oct 1887, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Karl Henry "Carl" Gruetzner,   b. 23 Nov 1895, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1982  (Age 86 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F407	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Gruetzner,GeorgeAdolph-0001-1927.jpg

  
  

• Notes

  George A. Gruetzner was born in Buffalo, New York the son of Rev. Edward Gruetzner. Came to Canada as a young man and worked for a short time as a harness maker in New Dundee. He first entered the furniture business with the firm of Simpson and Co. of Kitchener. In 1901 in partnership with investors he founded the Hespeler Furniture Co. manufacturers of the "Craftmanship" line of period furniture. He served on Hespeler town council as well as reeve and mayor. Cambridge Mosaic , Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [abbreviated snippet from original text in book] _________________________ GEORGE A. GRUETZNER. MANAGER HESPELER FURNITURE CO., HESPELER, ONT. Mr. Geo. A. Gruetzner, one of the province's bright furniture manufacturers, is a native of New York State, having been born in Buffalo, N. Y., and is the son of a Baptist clergyman. His parents removed to Waterloo County when he was a mere lad. His education was obtained partly in New York State and partly in Ontario. As a young man, he learned the trade of carriage trimming and became proficient at it. Engaged in business for himself, he did the principal trimming of the county, fulfilling orders for Peter Gillies, of Galt, George Huck, of Berlin, Fred. Merner of Hamburg and others. In 1888, Mr. Gruetzner undertook the selling of furniture on commission for various firms in the county. In 1891, he engaged with The Simpson Company of Berlin as a travelling salesman and later assumed the management of its manufactory in Berlin, and conducted it successfully until it was merged into the Canada Furniture Syndicate. Before this occurred, Mr. Gruetzner purchased the furniture factory at Bloomingdale and formed a company to operate it. Receiving an offer of a bonus to locate in Preston the company removed there and established the Mineral Springs Furniture Company, now the Crown Furniture Co. When he severed his connections with the Simpson Company, he sold his interest in Preston. Having gained a good reputation as a manager of furniture enterprises, several centres held out inducements to him to establish such a factory. Principally because of the interest and energy of Mayor Forbes of Hespeler in the matter and the town's excellent shipping facilities, he decided to locate there, where a new company was formed and operations commenced. A fine furniture factory of pressed brick, 60x125, well-equipped, was errected in 1901 and it met with success from the outset. Three years later it was found necessary to build a large addition, also of pressed brick. Today, the company employs 90 mechanics, making only high-grade furniture, which has a reputation throughout the country, for design, finish and workmanship. Mr. Gruetzner, while a citizen of Berlin, was an active member of the Board of Trade, and always progressive. The esteem in which he was held was shown by his election to the town council for two terms. His work there was characterized by a deep interest in the town and he aided in bringing in several industries. The was a member of the Berlin Club and proved himself to be social and always considerate towards others. His former fellow-citizens are glad to note his success in. Hespeler. Berlin 1806-1906 Official Souvenir

  
  

• Sources

  [S10] Book - Vol II 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..., 220. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, Berlin (Town/Ville) A-2 Page 3. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, A-2 pg 3. [S140] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1881, Div. 3 Page 1. [S1420] Book - Berlin To-day 1806-1906 Official Souvenir, Historical Sketch of George A. Gruetzner. [S392] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1911, Div. 21 Pg. 21. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, a-2 pg 3.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 6 Nov 1855 - Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States Business - Mineral Springs Furniture Company - - 927 King St. E., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Immigration - 1862 - , Ontario, Canada Immigration - 1880 - , Canada Occupation - Harness Maker - 1881 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Naturalization - 1885 - , Canada Occupation - Furniture manufacturer - 1901 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Manufacturer - 1911 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Baptist - 1911 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - councillor of Hespeler - 1914 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Reeve of Hespeler - 1921 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Mayor of Hespeler - 1925 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 25 Aug 1948 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth