Joseph Hobson

1833 - 1917  (84 years)

• Name	Joseph Hobson
  Born	1833	Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Historic Building	16-20 Queen St. N., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	A handsome brick house [16-20 Queen St. N., Kitchener], gable roof, lengthwise with the street, the corners faced with limestone from Guelph, erected by Joseph Hobson , the surveyer, in 1860. Hobson eventually was Chief Engineer of the Great Western Railway and when that was merged with the Grand Trunk he became Chief Engineer of the latter Company and was among other things Chief Engineer of the Sarnia tunnel. Alexander MacPherson, editor and publisher of the Berlin Telegraph, later lived in the house. The site is now occupied by the head office of the Economical Fire Insurance Company. 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
  Residence	1856	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Provincial Land Surveyor
  Residence	1858	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  Occupation	1861	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Surveyor
  Residence	1861	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	UP
  Occupation	1871	Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	engineer
  Residence	16-20 Queen St. N., Kitchener Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-155378
  Died	19 Dec 1917	Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Hamilton Cemetery, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario
  Person ID	I155378	Generations
  Last Modified	12 May 2024

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Laidlaw,   b. 1832, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	1 Feb 1856	Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada   [4, 6]
  Children	1. Elizabeth Hobson,   b. 1856, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 Apr 1932, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 76 years)   2. Joseph Irvine Hobson,   b. 21 Dec 1858, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 21 Mar 1864, Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 5 years)   3. Robert Hobson,   b. 13 Aug 1861, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 25 Feb 1926, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 64 years)   4. Margaret Hobson,   b. 1865, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. John Irvine Hobson,   b. 1866, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   6. Jennie Hobson,   b. 1867, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Agnes Hobson,   b. 1869, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	13 May 2024
  Family ID	F38817	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Another former resident to be mentioned here is Joseph Hobson, who became identified with the Great Western Railway and later with the Grand Trunk Railway. Mr. Hobson was born in the township of Guelph, in March, 1834. In 1855 he came to Berlin, Canada West, as it was then; was at first assistant to then in partnership with the late M. C. Scofield, Provincial Land-Surveyor, and remained here for ten years. The card of Scofield and Hobson appears in the "Berlin Chronicle" from 1856 on. In 1869-70 he was engineer on construction of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Ry., the present G. T. R. line from Guelph northward. Eventually he became Chief Engineer of the Great Western Railway and later of the Grand Trunk Railway. His most important work was the building of the St. Clair Tunnel, for which achievement he was offered but refused knighthood. On his retirement from active service in 1907 Mr. Hobson returned to Hamilton. He has been in feeble health for some years. His early married life was here, in the house later known as the McPherson house, taken down two years ago to make room for the new Economical Insurance Company building on Queen Street, where were born several of his children, one of them, Robert Hobson, now president of the Steel Company of Canada. The Waterloo Historical Society has interesting maps made by Mr. Hobson. His map of the Grange survey (lands bought in Berlin, when the Grand Trunk Rail way was built through, by Sheriff Grange of Wellington) in the local registry office, made in 1856, is still the most complete and carefully made map of its kind in that office. Fifth Annual Report Of The Waterloo Historical Society, 1917 pg 21 _________________________ Queen Street North, West Side Gaukel's well at the corner of the hotel shed, the corner being later built up as the Bowman Block, now the Bank of Montreal. A brick warehouse belonging to the corner store of the Bowman Block. First occupants of this store were Bowman and Heins, later H. S, Huber and then by Huber and Roy. Opposite the Breithaupt leather store stood a one-story brick building, Dr. Pipe's surgery and later Dr. Wright's. A two-storey brick house lengthwise with Queen Street and with veranda on two sides, the veranda a few steps above the ground, occupied by Henry Schaefer. In 1871 Dr. Pipe lived in this house. Among other things Dr. Pipe kept bees, although he was quite afraid of them. Dr. Pipe and Henry Stroh succeeded in bringing the first Italian queen bee to this part of the country. A lane. A handsome brick house, gable roof, lengthwise with the street, the corners faced with limestone from Guelph, erected by Joseph Hobson, the surveyer, in 1860. Hobson eventually was Chief Engineer of the Great Western Railway and when that was merged with the Grand Trunk he became Chief Engineer of the latter Company and was among other things Chief Engineer of the Sarnia tunnel. Alexander MacPherson, editor and publisher of the Berlin Telegraph, later lived in the house. The site is now occupied by the head office of the Economical Fire Insurance Company. A two-story red frame building well back from the street built probably before 1850 by Peter Eby, identified with the "Deutsche Canadier" and with the early days of the "Telegraph". Dr. Eggert, homeopath, lived in the house 1859-1860 and later John Klippert, high constable and county bailiff. One and a half story brick building at the corner of Duke and Queen Streets occupied by a Mr. Von Ebenau and wife and later for a number of years by Michael Jaehle, a blacksmith. The site is now occupied by the Daily Record building. Duke Street. A large handsome building trimmed with cut stone built in 1860 by David S. Shoemaker of Bridgeport who was county registrar, The building was intended for a bank and agent's residence and so used first by the Commercial Bank which failed and later by the Merchants Bank of which R. N, Rogers was agent for a number of years. Some time later Dr. H. S. Lackner acquired the property and used it as residence and surgery. After Dr. Lackner's death the property was sold to the present occupants, the Langleys of Toronto. building, colonial style, with large posts at the front carrying the projecting roof, erected in 1848-49, the Waterloo Township Hall, the land for which was donated by Frederick Gaukel. General public meetings were held in this hall, among others meetings purposing to have Berlin named as county town. After consummation of this a banquet was held in the hall, which was occasionally used for such purpose. The occasion of this particular banquet was the laying of the corner stone of the new county buildings in 1852. 100 guests were present and there were a number of patriotic toasts. Later the building was used as a printing office, the "Deutsche Canadier" and the "Telegraph" being printed there for a time. Eventually the building was remodelled and enlarged and became the Methodist Church. In 1904 the St. Matthews Lutheran congregation purchased the property and later the First English Lutheran Church, which still continues in the building. Behind the present Kitchener Public Library, occupying the site of his ornamental garden, and still standing is Dr. Scott's residence, built in 1855. Henry Rothaermel was the contractor. Dr. Scott was the first warden of the county and first reeve of Berlin. After his death the house was occupied by M. C. Schofield who married Dr. Scott's widow. Later Israel Bowman, for many years county clerk and town clerk of Berlin, acquired the property and lived there. Weber Street. On the corner the Presbyterian Church first built 1860-61 at a size of 36 ft. by 50 ft., cost $4,500 and seating 175 persons. Rev. John McMeekin was an early minister. A two-story red brick building lengthwise with Queen Street, built 1855-56, the house of H. S. Huber. Simon Roy's house, also red brick, one and one-half story high, both of these houses were set back from the street. Mr. Roy was nurseryman and florist. A one-story double house lengthwise with Queen Street. Before Ahrens Street was continued westerly across Queen Street there was on the site a two-story unpainted weather-boarded building, the house of John Dopp. frame building, similar to Dopp's, the house of Christina Bloch, a widow who lived there for many years. A frame building, similar to Dopp's, but with gable facing Queen Street, the house of August Vetter, painter and paper-hanger. A vacant lot later owned by Louis Breithaupt who built, on the corner of Margaret Avenue, a residence for Judge Lacourse. Margaret Avenue. On Margaret Avenue a short distance westerly from Queen Street was the Moxley farm with house and barn. The barn was later moved to Lexington by Henry Stroh who bought it to replace one that had been struck by lightning. On the corner of Ellen Street a brick house occupied in the early days by Rev. Mr. Savage, Methodist minister, and later by John Hoffman, Jr., a druggist. Ellen Street. 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

  [S123] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1861, Div. 2 Page 18. [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration. Name: Elizabeth Hobson Event Type: Death Event Date: 22 Apr 1932 Event Place: Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada Gender: Female Age: 76 Birth Date: 1856 b. Kitchener Birthplace: Kitchener, Ontario Father's Name: Joseph Hobson b. Guelph Mother's Name: Elizabeth Laidlaw b. Guelph [S2430] Census - Canada - 1871, Census Place: Guelph, Wellington South, Ontario; Roll: C-9946; Page: 83; Family No: 322. Joseph Hobson 39 b. Ontario Engineer Elizabeth 39 Elizabeth 14 Robert 9 John 7 Margaret 5 Jennie 3 Agnes 1 [S14] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Chronicle (1856-1860), 13 Feb 1856. 01 Feb 1856 On the 1st February, at the residence of the bride's father, Paisley Block, by the Rev. R. Torrence, of the United Presbyterian Church, Joseph Hobson, Jr., Esq., Provincial Land Surveyor, Berlin, to Miss Betsie Laidlaw, only daughter of Robert Laidlaw, Esq. [S20] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Telegraph (title varies: Berlin Telegraph, Berlin Daily Telegraph) (1853-1922), 24 Dec 1858. Hobson: At Berlin, on Tuesday, the 21st inst., the wife of Joseph Hobson, Esq., P.L.S., of a son. [S42] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - Wellington District Marriage Register Vol 9 Part 2 1852 - 1857. Marriages by Rev'd Robert Torrance, United Presbyterian Church, Guelph #305 Joseph HOBSON, to Betsie LAIDLAW. 1 Feb. 1856. Rev. TORRANCE. Wit. John Ingle HOBSON and Janet WALLACE.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1833 - Guelph Township, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Residence - Provincial Land Surveyor - 1856 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 1 Feb 1856 - Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Residence - 1858 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Surveyor - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - UP - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - engineer - 1871 - Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Died - 19 Dec 1917 - Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada Buried - - Hamilton Cemetery, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario  = Link to Google Earth