Valentine Wahn^[1]

1819 - 1883  (63 years)

• Name	Valentine Wahn
  Born	9 Oct 1819	Obsaula, Obbornhofen, , Hessen, Germany   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  Gender	Male
  Business	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Wahn & Newton - manufacturers of Threshing machines, reapers, mower, separators and stoves
  		Preston-Business-WahnandNewton-0001-advert.JPG
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/177139352
  Interesting	foundry, business
  Occupation	Neustadt, Normanby Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Iron Foundry
  Occupation	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Iron Foundry
  Occupation	1861	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Foundry
  Residence	1861	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Calvanist
  Occupation	1871	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Iron Founder
  Retired	1881	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Occupation	1883  [4]
  	foundry man
  Residence	1883	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	German Reformed
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-52691
  Died	8 Apr 1883	Neustadt, Normanby Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada   [4, 5, 8, 10]
  	Cause: Cause: Dropsy (6 months)
  Buried	Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  Person ID	I52691	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Family	Johanna Christina Goldschmidt,   b. CALC 4 Jul 1830, , Germany ,   d. 22 Mar 1925, Neustadt, Normanby Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 94 years)
  Married	15 Mar 1848	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [11]
  Children	1. Anna Gertrudge Margreta "Margaret" Wahn,   b. 21 Jun 1849, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1923  (Age 73 years)   2. Mena Wahn,   b. 20 Sep 1851, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 25 Mar 1942, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 90 years)   3. Eliza Wahn,   b. 1852, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   4. Carolina Wahn,   b. 11 Sep 1853, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 28 Apr 1922, Neustadt, Normanby Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 68 years)   5. Maria "Mary" Wahn,   b. 18 Aug 1855, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1932  (Age 76 years)   6. Carl "Charles" Wahn,   b. 12 Jun 1857, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Valentine George Wahn,   b. 6 Apr 1859, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 7 Jan 1883, West Lynne, Manitoba, Canada  (Age 23 years)   8. Victoria Georgina Wahn,   b. CALC 25 May 1861, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 26 Sep 1871, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 10 years)   9. Frederick William "William" Wahn,   b. CALC 3 Apr 1863, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 5 Jun 1918, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 55 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F18342	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos		Valentine Wahn hathcc originally shared this to Ancestry Public Member Tree
  		ChurchRecord-Cambridge-St.PetersLutheran-Wahn-Valentine-001-Death-1883.JPG

  
  

• Notes

  An enterprising young German came here [Preston] about 1838 by name of Mr. Jacob Beck. He had invented a peculiar kind of water-wheel, small in size but of great power, and its use in several small water powers gave young Mr. Beck quite a reputation. He commenced a small foundry near a saw-mill in the village of New Hope, and finding considerable encouragement came to Preston, where he erected a foundry upon the premises now owned by Peter E. Shantz in Fountain Street. Business increased rapidly, but unfortunately a fire broke out which completely destroyed his flourishing foundry and Mr. Beck, no insurance having been effected, stood once more poor and penniless; but, thanks to the liberality of his neighbors in and around Preston, a subscription was raised, men turned out to help with work and material and in a short time after the fire, Mr. Beck was again in possession of a foundry of considerably larger dimensions than the one destroyed by fire. He did an excellent business, and had men selling his stoves and other wares over a large part of Western Ontario. His means increased at a rapid rate, and he enlarged his premises according to the wants of his business. Some years later he took in as partners two of the young men in his employ, viz: John Clare and Valentine Wahn, and the foundry business continued to prosper for several years. Mr. Beck had in the meantime arranged with Mr. Robert Hunt of the Woolen Mills to improve his water power by heightening the dam and digging a canal from the dam alongside the (Speed River. This canal is still in existence except a small portion of its terminus which has recently been closed. Mr. Beck for the construction of the said canal obtained the privilege of erecting a saw-mill upon Mr. Hunt's premises. This saw-mill Mr. Beck carried on for some time but seeing that a grand scheme that he had in mind could not be carried out, he sold his sawmill to Messrs. Hunt & Elliott. This grand scheme was nothing less than extending the said canal, crossing King Street and Queen Street and erecting along the canal a number of factories and mills. The proprietor of the land positively refused to grant permission to construct such a canal and Mr. Beck was forced to abandon his cherished plan of making Preston a great manufacturing place, such as the Town of Galt is at the present day. Mr. Beck, notwithstanding the good business done in his foundry, became displeased with Preston. The partnership of Beck, Clare & Wahn was abruptly dissolved, the business closed and the affairs of the firm wound up. Each partner obtained his proper share of the assets, which were largely in excess of the liabilities, Mr. Clare a store and other property and Jacob Beck a large sum of money. He went in search of a mill property which he found in Wilmot. There he erected mills, foundry and other industries, and founded a village which he named Baden. The grist-mill built by him was the third grist-mill built with money earned in Preston. Fifth Annual Report Of The Waterloo Historical Society, 1917 pg 29 ______________________________ VALENTINE WAHN c.1820-1883 Valentine Wahn was a native of Oberaula, Hessen, Germany. It is uncertain when he immigrated to Preston but it was probable that he was among the wave of German immigrants who arrived in the area in the 1830's. In the early 1850's Mr. Wahn, along with John Clare, was taken into partnership by Jacob Beck in ownership of an iron foundry that Mr. Beck had started in 1839. Mr. Beck became disenchanted with business prospects in Preston and, in 1856, dissolved the partnership. He left Preston for a mill site in Wilmot township where he founded the town of Baden. It appears that Mr. Wahn then took control of the foundry which continued to do a prosperous business producing cast iron stoves. In 1875 the factory site was purchased by Abram Z. Detweiler and Peter E. Shantz who then formed the Preston Agricultural Works, later the P. E. Shantz Foundry. Mr. Wahn died on April 8, 1883 and is buried in the Preston Cemetery. Sources: 1. Alfred Pautler, Preston, A Friendly Welcome Awaits You, Preston Golden Jubilee and Old Boys' Re-Union Committee, Preston 1947. 2. W.H. Breithaupt "Some German Settlers of Waterloo County", Waterloo Historical Society Journal Vol. I, 1913. Cambridge Mosaic, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [used with kind permission of Jim Quantrell]

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 5 Oct 1871. Victoria Georgina Wahn died 26 Sep 1871 in Preston, daughter of Valentin, 10 yrs, 4 mths. [S105] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1871, Pg 10. [S297] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1881, Page 40. [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration. Valentin Wahn d. 8 Apr 1883 Normanby, aged 60y 6m, b. Obsaula, Hesse Cassel, Germany, cause: dropsy general (about 6 months), informant C. Schroder, clergyman Preston, Ontario. religion German Reformed Church [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 12 Apr 1883. 09 Apr 1883 Valentin Wahn, Sr., died in Neustadt at age of 64 years. The deceased was a native of Oberaula, Hesse-Darmstadt, & for many years, had an iron foundry in Preston & Neustadt. The burial takes place today (Thurs.) in Preston [S1473] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1861, Div. 3 Page 30. [S239] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Preston CC#6335 Cemetery Internet Link . In Memory Of/ Valentine/ Wahn/ Died Apr. 8, 1883/ Aged 63 Yrs/ 6 M's./ A Native Of Oberaula Hessen/ Germany/ Verse/ [Right Side] Johanna/ Wahn/ Born 1830/ Died 1925. [S3297] Missouri Synod, U.S., Lutheran Church records, 1851-1973. NameValentin Wahn GenderMännlich (Male) Death Age63 Record TypeBurial Birth Date9 Okt 1819 Birth PlaceOberaula Death Date8 Apr 1883 Death PlaceNeustadt Burial Date12 Apr 1883 Burial ChurchSt. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church Burial PlacePreston, Ontario, Canada Spouse Johanna Goldschmidt [S1473] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1861, Div. 3 Page 31. [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration. Name:Valentin Wahn Gender:Male Birth Year:abt 1820 Birth Place:Obaula, Hesse Cassel, Deu Age at Death:63 Death Date:8 Apr 1883 Death Place:Grey, Ontario, Canada [S13] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - Wellington District Marriage Register Part 1 1840-1852, Rev'd Jacob Huttner report 120. Valentin Wahn, to Johann Goldschmidt. 15 Mar. 1848

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 9 Oct 1819 - Obsaula, Obbornhofen, , Hessen, Germany Business - Wahn & Newton - manufacturers of Threshing machines, reapers, mower, separators and stoves - - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Iron Foundry - - Neustadt, Normanby Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada Occupation - Iron Foundry - - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 15 Mar 1848 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Foundry - 1861 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Calvanist - 1861 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Iron Founder - 1871 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Retired - 1881 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - German Reformed - 1883 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Cause: Dropsy (6 months) - 8 Apr 1883 - Neustadt, Normanby Twp., Grey Co., Ontario, Canada Buried - - Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth