George Rosenblatt

1866 - 1936  (70 years)

• Name	George Rosenblatt
  Business	1864	St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Rosenblatt Furniture Factory
  	Rosenblatt Furniture Factory, later named Rosenblatt Artworks, was started with George's father, John, about 1864. The business operated until 1932, when it burned down.
  Born	16 May 1866	Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Saint Clements Roman Catholic Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	undertaker
  Residence	1871	Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Catholic
  Occupation	1901	Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Cabinet Maker
  Occupation	1911	St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Cabinet Maker
  Residence	1911	St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Roman Catholic
  Occupation	1921	St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Cabinet Maker
  Residence	1921	St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Roman Catholic
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-47742P
  Died	9 Jul 1936	St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  Buried	St. Clements Roman Catholic Cemetery, St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  Person ID	I47742	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Johannes "John" Rosenblatt,   b. 1818, , France ,   d. 20 Mar 1901  (Age 83 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Mueller,   b. 24 Jan 1831, , France ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F12327	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bridget Brenner,   b. 22 Mar 1877, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1936  (Age 58 years)
  Children	1. Leo Rosenblatt,   b. CALC 2 Apr 1899, Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States ,   d. 2 Oct 1900, St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 1 years)   2. Louis Clemens Rosenblatt,   b. 25 Aug 1901, St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Annie Rosenblatt,   b. 25 Feb 1906, St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F40195	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  George Rosenblatt image from https://historicallyspeakingkitchener.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/funerals-furniture-and-finds 2014

  
  

• Notes

  Furniture Factory Wiped Out by Fire Early Sunday Morning Blaze Destroys Art Furniture Factory. Entire Village in Danger of Being Wiped Out as Fire Engine Fails Owing to Lack of Water. - Sparks Set Fire to Catholic Church and Rectory, But Quick Work Saves Structures - Ratz Saw Mill and Lumber Yard Saved - Waterloo Fire Brigade Called. Fire which destroyed the large factory owned by George Rosenblatt at St. Clements at an early hour Sunday morning for a time threatened the entire village. The cause of the fire is unknown. The replacement value of building, stock and machinery was placed at $12,000 and the actual loss about $6,500. There was no insurance. The loss included two completed church altars valued at $1,000 each and original plan and drawings worth $1,000. It was one o'clock when Bert Meyer, standing on the main street, first saw the bright reflection of the fire through the windows on the first floor of the Rosenblatt factory. He immediately gave the alarm and the local fire department with engine was soon on the scene. Mr. Rosenblatt and family, whose home adjoins the factory, were also aroused. The blaze made rapid headway and the fire brigade and citizens, finding it beyond control with the limited water supply from nearby wells, at once centered their attention to saving the adjoining buildings. At 130 a call was sent for the Waterloo fire department. Fire chief Karges and seven men with fire engine and pumper made a quick run to St. Clements, arriving about 1: 50 o'clock. As there was little water supply near at hand they could do little to extinguish the blaze. Leo Rosenblatt, associated with his father in the furniture company and who returned two days before from an extended trip to Chicago, said the fire had made much headway when he arrived on the scene from his home a short distance away. He said it appeared to have started well to the rear of the factory on the ground floor. For a space of about 20 minutes after the blaze was discovered the heat was intense. He attempted to enter the building to save plans and valuable drawings but the heat was too intense. Origin of Fire Unknown The origin of the fire is unknown. As the factory has not been in operation for a long time it was suggested that the fire was due to spontaneous combustion. Mr. Rosenblatt did not think it could be attributed to this as there was nothing of a combustible nature in the building. He visited the factory late in the afternoon to cut wood which took him about half an hour. When he left everything was in order. Mrs. Rosenblatt and her son, Mr. Leo Rosenbaltt also stated they passed the building in the evening as late as 11: 30 o'clock and there was no sign of fire. They remarked that had it not been for the brick drying kiln in the factory which kept the heat and flames from reaching their home adjoining it too much have been burned. Triple Covered Roof In the opinion of Mr. Rosenblatt, the fact that the roof of the factory was of double ruberoid construction with another ply of tin originally laid, saved the large Roma Catholic church, store buildings and homes in the village from destruction as it kept the flames and sparks from getting through the roof in the main part of the building. As soon as fire broke through the roof at the rear portion of the building, the wind blowing in a south-westerly direction towards the business section, carrying sparks towards the roofs of the church, stores and dwellings, citizens formed a bucket brigade to put out fires started by sparks on the roofs of buildings. Church Catches Fire Sparks set fire to the roof of the large Roman Catholic Church and Rectory. There were no ladders long enough to reach its roof and several men and a couple of lads crawled up the inside of the steeple carrying fire extinguishers and pas of water. A lad crawled through the tower while a man, lowering him to the main roof building, misjudged the distance and the lad had a drop of three feet. Fortunately he kept his footing and with the help of others managed to extinguish the blaze which had by this time worked its way under the shingles. At the Sunday morning service the St. Clements [St. Clement] Church, the pastor Rev. Wm. Becker gave thanks to [words not visible... the people fighting?] the fire which threated to destroy the church. Homes Threatened Schummer's ad Allemang's stores and several dwellings were also threatened. Sparks set fire to shingles of roofs of two houses. The owners quickly extinguished the incipient blazes. Farmers Worried Several farmers whose barns are within a mile of the village were worried by the sparks carried by the wind close to their buildings. Charles Busch, who owns a farm half a mile away, reported that sparks were carried on to his arm. Luckily, however, the sparks failed to drop on the barn or house. Lumber Yard Saved At the commencement of the ire a phone call was sent to Deputy Reeve Henry E. Ratz at Waterloo, owner of the lumber yard and saw mill directly across the road from the Rosenblatt factory. Fortunately the wind was blowing away from the lumber yard and it was not in any immediate danger Dog Scents [sic] Trouble An unusual incident in connection with the fire was reported by Mrs. Rosenblatt. As is the custom, she was about to put the dog into the factory early in the evening. The dog, however, refused to enter. The dog must have had premonition of the pending fire. Factory Erected 32 Years Ago A representative of the Waterloo Chronicle in conversation wit Mr. George Rosenblatt, was informed that he built the factory about 32 years ago. It is of solid brick construction size 28 x 72 feet and two stories in height. The company specialized in the manufacture of art furniture, including altars and other fixtures for Roma Catholic churches. Until about three years ago, the Company enjoyed a large trade, shipments of furniture being made to different provinces including British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and the western provinces. Owing to the prevailing business conditions the past two years the plant has not been operated. The business, stated Mr. Rosenblatt, was established by his father, the late John Rosenblatt, who manufactured furniture. On the retirement of his father forty years ago the business was conducted by R. Rosenblatt who decided to specialize in church furniture. He said it was unlikely the factory would be rebuilt. Loss $6,500 The loss was placed at $6,500. It included about $1,500 in finished stock, and balance buiding and plant. The replacement value today however would exceed $12,000, The Waterloo Chronicle, May 26, 1932, Vol. 46?, No. 21, pgs. 1 & 4. ____________________ The death of George Rosenblatt, St. Clements, occurred Thursday in his 71st year. His wife predeceased him about five months ago. He is survived by one son, Louis at home, and one daughter, Mrs. Henry Pfister of Milwaukee and one grandchild. Two brothers, Leo of Detroit and Simon of Milwaukee, also survive. The funeral was held on Monday morning from his late residence to St. Clements church and cemetery for burial. Waterloo Chronicle, July 16, 1936

  
  

• Sources

  [S160] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1901, Wellesley E-2 Page 17. [S113] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1881, Division 1 Page 55. [S504] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1911, (St. Clements) Div. 7 Page 15. [S269] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1871, p 73. [S2107] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley Twp. - 1921, St. Clements 1921Sub Dist. 7 Page 10. [S532] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Wellesley - St. Clement RC CC#4534 Waterloo Region Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society. [North/Front][Statue of Mary set into monument with glass front] Leo Rosenblatt/ gest. 2 Oct. 1900/ Alter 1 Jahren 6 Mo./ Rosenblatt [West] Maria Rosenblatt/ gest. 25 Maerz 1899/ Alter 36 Jahren u. 17 Tagen/ Elizabeth Rosenblatt/ geb. Forwell/ gest. 15 Sept. 1891/ Alter 26 Jahren 6 Mon. 10 Tagen [South/Back] Johannes Rosenblatt/ gest. 20 Maerz 1901/ Alter 82 Jahren/ George Rosenblatt/ 1866-1936/ Bridget Brenner his wife/ 1877-1936

  
  

• Event Map

  Business - Rosenblatt Furniture Factory - 1864 - St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Born - 16 May 1866 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - undertaker - - Saint Clements Roman Catholic Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Catholic - 1871 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Cabinet Maker - 1901 - Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Cabinet Maker - 1911 - St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Roman Catholic - 1911 - St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Cabinet Maker - 1921 - St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Roman Catholic - 1921 - St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 9 Jul 1936 - St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - St. Clements Roman Catholic Cemetery, St. Clements, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth