Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

Franz Martin

Male 1824 - 1862  (38 years)


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

  • Name Franz Martin 
    Born 5 Aug 1824  Girugen Konig, Reich Wurttemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4
    Gender Male 
    Name Frank Martin  [5
    Occupation 1862  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    brewer 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-34697 
    Died 14 Aug 1862  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 6
    Cause: consumption 
    Buried First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Person ID I34697  Generations
    Last Modified 6 Apr 2024 

    Family Elisabeth Brinzer,   b. CALC 24 Sep 1824, Of, Wuerttemberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Jan 1866, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 41 years) 
    Children 
     1. Mary Martin,   b. 1848, Giengen, Wurtenberg, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Last Modified 7 Apr 2024 
    Family ID F24865  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • 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.


  • Sources 
    1. [S6] Church Records - ON, Waterloo - Bindeman, F. W. - Card Index Kitchener Public Library, #6 pg 180.
      Franz Martin, a brewer from Berlin, died 14 Aug 1862 aged 38y, cause: consumption

    2. [S47] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - First Mennonite CC#4507 Internet link First Mennonite Cemetery online.
      Hier Ruhet / Franz Martin / geboren in Girugen Konig / Reich Wurttemberg den 5 Aug. / 1824 / gestorben in Berlin / den 14 Aug. 1862 im Alter / von 38 Jahren und 9 Tagen / (verse)

    3. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 21 Aug 1862.
      Franz Martin died 14 Aug 1862 in Berlin, 38 yrs, 9 days, earned love & respect of all who knew him. his becoming behaviour, cheerful disposition and masterful playing of the zither made him a good companion and gave him many friends. Buried at Mennonite cemetery, procession was large. Survived by wife and 3 children.

    4. [S31] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Dumfries Reformer (1850-1892), 27 Aug 1862.
      Martin, Franz died 14 Aug 1862 At Berlin; of consumption. Age 38

    5. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register.
      Mary Martin Born: Wurtemberg, Germany Res: Berlin Age: 18 Born: abt 1849 Father: Frank Martin Mother: Elisabeth Bringer Spouse: Cornelius Voll Age: 29 Born: abt 1838 born: Bayern Germany Res: Berlin Father: John Voll Mother: Dorethea Hogheimer married 19 Mar 1867 married: Preston

    6. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 1 Feb 1866.
      Elisabeth Martin died 24 Jan 1866 in Berlin, née Brinzer, widow of late Franz (dead 3 yrs.), 41 yrs, 4 mths.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - brewer - 1862 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - Cause: consumption - 14 Aug 1862 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth