Colonel Pickering

1820 - Yes, date unknown

• Name	Pickering
  Prefix	Colonel
  Born	CA 1820	, England
  Gender	Male
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-84312
  Died	Yes, date unknown
  Person ID	I84312	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

• Notes

  King Street , North Side From Francis to Water Street. he ground was used by H. F. J. Jackson for stabling, etc., on his contract for building the Grand Trunk Railway through a large part of Waterloo County. Later he built his residence on this plot. The plot east of Water Street was used as a drill ground by the Berlin Volunteer Company of the Waterloo Battalion, 1864-67. They mostly drilled in the evenings and had some quite young volunteers, Jacob Stroh, 16 years, one of them. The trustees of the New Jerusalem Church bought the corner in 1869 and in 1870 erected the present Church. This had the first pipe organ in Berlin, built by Claus Maas of Preston. Haller's hat and felt-working shop. He made the first felt boots and shoes, worn largely by the farmers, in winter, in this vicinity. Open space up to Henry Brickner's house. A frame building one and one-half story high and located a little back of the street. Later a brick building was erected on the open space. At the westerly corner of Young Street Mr. Bricker built a cooperage in 1860. At the easterly corner of Young and King Streets was Wendell Brunner's blacksmith shop, a rough frame building. Behind it, on Young Street, was another frame building used as a waggon shop by Christian Huinbrecht. Vacant place and next a three story brick building, lengthwise with King Street, divided into two parts, used as stores for a short time. Later it was a paint shop and still later a warehouse for the Simpson factory across the road. The third floor of this building was the first habitat of the Berlin Militia, organized in 1864 at the time of the American Civil War. Colonel Pickering was the first drill master. He was sent from England to drill the Canadian Militia. The local company had at first no rifles and had to use Wooden substitutes for their drills. A three story brick building erected by C. Schneucker and used as a hotel. The third floor was a large hall used for a number of years, for balls and concerts. Paul Schmidt moved into the building in 1860. It was then called the Schneucker and Schmidt Hotel. A later landlord was Mr. Zinger and the name was changed to The North American Hotel. Toward the rear and just east of the Hotel was a barn and horse shed, with wide approach from King Street. A one and one-half story frame house 15 or 20 feet back from the street line with gable and veranda facing King Street, occupied by Paul Schmidt and later by his widow. A very early building one and one-half story, rough cast; the dwelling of Sam Trout, a blacksmith. A later occupant was James Godbold, son of Godbold who lived on the corner of Wellington and King Streets. Jacob, son of James, brakeman on the Grand Trunk, was killed while on top of a freight car in St. Mary's, the train passing under a low bridge which Godbold did not see as he was looking at a circus beside the track. A tailor shop was also in this building which stood originally at the corner of Foundry and King Streets. A two story brick building with gable toward King Street and occupied by Henry Gauntley. On the second floor there was a paint shop and at the rear a wagon shop. A brick building, the blacksmith shop, for many years, of Sam Trout. A vacant lot. At the Foundry St. corner a frame building, Reinhold Lang's tannery with his house, alongside, one and one-half story with frame porch. Later Mr. Lang moved his business to Charles Street, the site of the present Lang Tanning Co. plant. Jacob Y. Shantz erected the Canadian Block, three story brick, corner of King and Foundry Streets, in 1856. The front was set back from the street line and had a verandah extending to the edge of the sidewalk. There were three stores, the corner, Cole and Graf, druggists; then Wm. Young, groceries and liquors; and next H. S. Huber, general store. The old blacksmith shop was used as a warehouse by Huber. The Canadian Block while still fairly new, burned down about 1862 in the Spring. The fire started in the corner drug store, during the night. The walls remained standing after the fire was out but were considered dangerous and were pulled down by the firemen. One wall, in this operation, fell on H. S. Huber's warehouse, which had not been burned and in which he had large quantities of supplies. The firemen were blamed for not having notified Huber so that he could have removed his goods before the wall was thrown over. 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

  
  

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  Born - CA 1820 - , England  = Link to Google Earth