Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.
Home Search  
Print Bookmark

Martin Smith Wegenast[1, 2, 3]

Male 1836 - 1914  (78 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Martin Smith Wegenast 
    Born 4 Mar 1836  Black Creek, , Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] 
    Gender Male 
    Residence 1859  Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [12] 
    Occupation 1861  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Cabinet Maker 
    Residence 1861  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    EA 
    Business CA 1865  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Waterloo Steam Planing Mills 
    Business-WaterlooSteamPlaningMills-MartinWegenast-001-advert.JPG    		 Business-WaterlooSteamPlaningMills-MartinWegenast-001-advert.JPG
    FindAGrave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237291710 
    Name M. S. Wegenast  [13] 
    Occupation 1871  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [11] 
    Manufacturer 
    Residence 1871  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [11] 
    Evangelical 
    Residence 1874  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [13] 
    Occupation 1881  New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Hau Rake Mfr. 
    Residence 1881  New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Evangelical Association 
    Occupation 1891  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Carpenter 
    Residence 1891  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Methodist 
    Occupation 1901  Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Machinist 
    Occupation 1911  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Carpenter, at Home 
    Residence 1911  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Evangelical 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-149299 
    Died 22 Sep 1914  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [8] 
    Buried Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [8] 
    Person ID I149299  Generations
    Last Modified 3 Mar 2025 

    Father Johann Georg "George" Wegenast,   b. 29 Sep 1788, Holzhausen, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 8 Jan 1862  (Age < 73 years) 
    Mother Christina Schmidt,   b. 16 Mar 1799, Holzhausen, , Baden-Württemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 Jan 1862, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 62 years) 
    Family ID F43672  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Elizabeth Streicher,   b. 25 Apr 1842, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 Mar 1873, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 30 years) 
    Married 11 Oct 1859  , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [12] 
    Children 
     1. Clara Wegenast,   b. 30 Mar 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Jun 1939, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 78 years)
     2. Emma Wegenast,   b. 4 Jul 1863, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Dec 1946  (Age 83 years)
     3. Laura Wegenast,   b. 28 Jan 1865, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1919  (Age 53 years)
     4. Louisa Wegenast,   b. 1866, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     5. Jacob Milton Wegenast,   b. 10 Sep 1868, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Jan 1870, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 1 years)
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2025 
    Family ID F27998  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Dinah Sauer,   b. 26 May 1842, Lyons, Wayne, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Dec 1913, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 71 years) 
    Married 24 Mar 1874  Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [13] 
    Children 
     1. Laura Wegenast,   b. 1865, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     2. Levi Wegenast,   b. 30 Nov 1874, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Dec 1974  (Age 100 years)
     3. Franklin Wellington Wegenast,   b. 17 Jun 1876, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Jun 1942, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 65 years)
     4. Sarah Magdalena Wegenast,   b. 21 Apr 1878, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 Apr 1958, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years)
     5. Mary Louisa Wegenast,   b. 28 Jan 1880, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Oct 1885  (Age 5 years)
     6. Albert Wegenast,   b. 13 Jun 1881, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 17 Feb 1884  (Age 2 years)
     7. Ida Susanna Wegenast,   b. 14 Aug 1883, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1977  (Age 93 years)
     8. Elizabeth Priscilla "Lizzie" Wegenast,   b. 28 May 1885, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Oct 1970, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 85 years)
     9. Edward S. Wegenast,   b. 23 May 1888, Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2025 
    Family ID F37385  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Wegenast, M. S., proprietor of planing mills, sash and door and rake factory. Born in Welland Co., Ont., 1836. Has resided here since 1851.

      Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881 (Village of New Hamburg entries)

      ___________________

      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 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

  • Sources 
    1. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 27 Jan 1870.
      Jakob Milton Wegenast died 18 Jan 1870 in Waterloo Village, son of Martin, 1yr, 4 mths, 8 days.

    2. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 20 Mar 1873.
      Died 8 Mar 1873 In Waterloo Village, Elisabeth, wife of Martin S. Wegenast, died at the age of 30 years, 10 months from consumption.

    3. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 11806-85.
      William Grenzebach, 26, occ. Farmer, b. East Zorra, res. Grimsby, son of Valentine and Mary, Married Emma Wegenast, 21, b. Berlin Ont., res. New Hamburg, daughter of Martin and Elizabeth, Wittness(es) - John Grenzebach of Sebringville and Laura Wegenast of New Hamburg, 10 June 1885 at New Hamburg

    4. [S135] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1901, Waterloo (Town/Ville) D-6 Page 6.

    5. [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 4 Pg 12.

    6. [S251] Census - ON, Waterloo, New Hamburg - 1881, New Hamburg 1881 Page 11.

    7. [S123] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1861, Div. 3 Page 25.

    8. [S192] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - Mount Hope CC#4500 Internet Link.
      Martin Smith Wegenast/ born Mar. 4, 1836, died Sept. 22, 1914/ Elizabeth Stricker/ his beloved wife/ born Apr. 25, 1842, died Mar. 8, 1873/ Dinah Sauer/ his beloved wife/ born May 26, 1842, died Dec. 27, 1913

    9. [S366] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1911, Div. 44 Pg. 14.

    10. [S1573] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1891, Section 3 Page 26.

    11. [S2658] aaaaWaterloo Village 1871, Sect. 2 Page 29.

    12. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register.
      Martin Wegenast, 23, res. Waterloo, b. Porte? tp, son of George & Christina, married 11 Oct 1859 Elizabeth Strucker, 17, res. Woolwich, b. Woolwich, daughter of Mathew & Elizabeth

    13. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 2 Apr 1874.
      24 Mar 1874 By Rev. F. Herlan in Hamilton, M.S. Wegenast of Waterloo was married to Dinah Sauer of Willoughby, Welland County.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 4 Mar 1836 - Black Creek, , Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1859 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 11 Oct 1859 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Cabinet Maker - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - EA - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBusiness - Waterloo Steam Planing Mills - CA 1865 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Manufacturer - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Evangelical - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1874 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 24 Mar 1874 - Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Hau Rake Mfr. - 1881 - New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Evangelical Association - 1881 - New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Carpenter - 1891 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Methodist - 1891 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Machinist - 1901 - Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Carpenter, at Home - 1911 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Evangelical - 1911 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 22 Sep 1914 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 


This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding ©, v. 12.0.1, written by Darrin Lythgoe 2001-2025.