Mayor Henry Louis Janzen

1844 - 1927  (83 years)

• Photos » Slide Show		Henry Louis Janzen from Waterloo Region Hall of Fame
  		H. L. Janzen From: Official souvenir of the celebration of cityhood, July 17th 1912
  		H. L. Janzen From: Official souvenir of the celebration of cityhood, July 17th 1912

  
  

• Name	Henry Louis Janzen
  Prefix	Mayor
  Born	27 Jun 1844	, Germany   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	1852	, Germany   [4]
  Business	1879
  	Berlin Commericial Nurseries
  	His father Henry Janzen, a German immigrant, founded the horticultural society and built the first greenhouses in this area, Berlin Commercial Nurseries, in 1879. He also helped convince the Ontario Sugar Company to open the first sugar beet factory here in 1902.
  Elected Office	1886	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	mayor - councillor - Kitchener
  	Years Served: 1886-87, 1888-89®, 1890 (Mayor), 1893-95, 1896-97 (Deputy Reeve)
  Residence	1897	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  		H. L. Janzen's residence 1897 From: Busy Berlin Jubilee Souvenir 1897, published by Berlin News-Record
  Occupation	1901	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Nurseryman
  Residence	1906	270 King St. W., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  		From: Berlin Today 1806-1906
  Misfortune	1927  [3]
  	automobile accident - broken thigh dies 5 days later
  Died	19 Nov 1927	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Cause: Senility-Fractured Thigh, 5 days
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  Interesting	politics, public service, business,
  Name	H. L. Janzen
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-29269P
  Buried	Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I29269	Generations
  Last Modified	12 May 2024

  
  

  Family	Eliza M. Koppe,   b. 8 Sep 1851, , Germany ,   d. 1916  (Age 64 years)
  Children	1. Charles Henry Janzen,   b. 9 Sep 1880, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1963  (Age 82 years)   2. Charlotte Mae Janzen,   b. 29 Jul 1883, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	13 May 2024
  Family ID	F184243	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  H. L. Janzen, Mayor 1890. Mr. H. L. Janzen, now President of the Board of Trade, has seen much active public service in Berlin. He tried his wings in a flight to the School . Board in 1885, and served six years. In 1886-7 he was a member of the town council. In 1888-9, he filled the positions of reeve and chairman of finance, also serving in the County Council. In 1890 he was elected mayor. Mr. Janzen is and always has been a town and city builder. During his term as mayor he organized the Berlin Piano Co. and has aided with time and means in securing many industries since. He is one of Canada's leading florists and possesses excellent business abilities. Official souvenir of the celebration of cityhood, July 17th 1912, Berlin, Ontario, The German Printing and Publishing Co ___________________________ King Street , North Side Willow Street. A frame building parallel with King Street occupied by Bosenberger, a shoemaker, who lived there probably from 1855-60. A building on the ground level with a veranda extending its length occupied by Dr. James Whiting, during 1855-60. A garden. A stretch of forest, hardwood and pine, from Louisa to Wellington Street, with some pine trees at the corner of Shanley Street, where is now Casper Braun's house. From Wellington Street crossing somewhat diagonally over vacant land, was the way from Waterloo to the Grand Trunk Ry. station in Berlin. At the northwest corner of King and Wellington Streets, there was a hotel with a large barn, used by teams from the country. A Mr. Proudlove built the hotel. It was later occupied by Levi Weber and after him by Henry Glebe. A one and one-half story frame building, facing King Street, with a brick building in the rear and a large barn along King Street, the location later occupied by H. L. Janzen. Open space somewhat wooded, to the Grand Trunk track. East of the Grand Trunk there was a swampy section which, in wet weather, became almost impassable. It was not unusual for farmers' wagons to be stuck in the mud of the road. 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 _____________________ The Berlin Piano and Organ Company existed from 1890 to 1904. The company was formed in 1890 by a group of Berlin businessmen, in Berlin, Ontario, Canada. In September of 1916, Berlin was renamed to Kitchener. For many years, John Wesley - former secretary/treasurers of the Dominion Organ Co. managed the company. In 1895, the president was H.L. Janzen, secretary was F.G. Gardiner, and treasurer was J. Kaufman. From the Music Trade Review (1896) ohn Wesley, who is well known to the American trade, supervises the business of the Berlin Piano Co. The factory which this company occupy is large, well lighted and well appointed, constructed of brick, lying adjacent to the railroad, which gives them the possession of unsurpassed railroad facilities both as to receiving and shipping their wares. Berlin, as its name indicates, is largely settled by the Germans. They all seem to take a warm interest in the products of the Berlin piano factory. They use the Wessell, Nickel & Gross action, and are very enthusiastic from the results attained with the mechanism which bears the imprint of this celebrated firm. The organ side of the business was fairly steady through the years, with most of the surviving instruments found today were made between an 11 year period from 1891 to 1902. There were a number of styles of Berlin organs, but the style would often just be a slight modification to the case. I have noticed that after 1900, the wood and finish quality of case construction greatly diminished, from solid walnut and bird's eye maple, to low quality thin veneers and a stain that appears to be like a semi-translucent paint to cover the blemishes. On August 22, 1904, Bailiff Huber seized the remaining stock of the company and the $7000 chattel mortgage was foreclosed. There was also a $21000 mortgage on the building and plant. The Berlin Piano & Organ Company was no more, and the building was marketed for sale. A short while later, in October 1904, W.M. Snyder purchased the assets to Berlin P & OC. Their plan was to have Snyder & Co pianos manufactured in the building and on the market 'shortly'. By July 1906, the building was still considered the Berlin Piano & Organ Co, even though no Berlin labeled instruments were made here. This was when E.P Hawkins with the American firm Foster-Armstrong purchased the factory. "The Berlin Organ Restoration - History :: Rodney Jantzi Reed Organs". 2022. Rodneyjantzi.Com. https://www.rodneyjantzi.com/index.php/restoration/berlin-organ-restoration-history.

  
  

• Sources

  [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, A-1 pg 12. [S340] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1911, Div. 32 Pg. 15. [S2555] News - ON, Waterloo, New Hamburg - New Hamburg Independent (1917 -, Henry L. Janzen Dies of Injuries - Nov 18 1927 pg 4. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, a-1 PG 12. [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 27 Jun 1844 - , Germany Immigration - 1852 - , Germany Elected Office - mayor - councillor - Kitchener - 1886 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1897 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Nurseryman - 1901 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1906 - 270 King St. W., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Senility-Fractured Thigh, 5 days - 19 Nov 1927 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth