Isaac Oberholtzer

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.17

Isaac — Elizabeth Schlichter. Elizabeth was born Abt 1759, Of, Pennsylvania; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.15

Henry married Elizabeth Fischer 4 Apr 1811, , Pennsylvania, USA. Elizabeth was born 1791, , Pennsylvania, USA; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Interesting: mill, business
• Occupation: Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; mill owner
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-127150
• Residence: 1851, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Occupation: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Saw Miller
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Christian

Notes:

On the 23rd of February, 1868, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, JOSEPH OBERHOLZER, aged 81 years, 2 months, 5 days. He had never connected himself with any church. He had a species of Separatist faith, yet during his illness, he seemed to be concerned for his soul's salvation. He leaves a wife, to mourn her loss.

Herald of Truth, - Volume V, Number 6 - June, 1868, page 95

______________________

About the year 1822, Joseph Oberholtzer, a sawyer, and Cornelius Pannabecker, a blacksmith, both sound men, had come to the conclusion that, having regard to the fact that so many new buildings were being put up by the settlers, a saw mill in this locality would pay.

In 1823, Joseph Oberholtzer bought from Christian Strome (Strohm) 24 acres of land lying both sides of the River Speed at some distance below the present D. W. & W. Buildings and on it they erected a small saw mill building, installed sawing machinery and built a dam on the Speed to furnish power to operate it.

After it had been in operation for a time they discovered to their sorrow that their mill was not big enough to handle the huge logs the farmers were hauling in to be sawn, and so, later, when their frail dam went out in a flood it was not replaced; They salvaged what they could and wrote off the rest to profit and loss. They had made the mistake of building too small and they paid the shot. Oberholtzer, notwithstanding the failure of the first attempt remained convinced that he had been right; And he knew it had to be a bigger mill, bigger machinery; more power to operate it and of course, a bigger dam to supply the power.

And a big dam was not feasible on the portion of the river he owned. On May 2nd, 1833, under deed 286 he bought a further 22 acres from Christian Strome adjoining his original 24 acres and extending from it upstream both sides of the river roughly as far as the dividing line between lots nine and ten in the second concession. His purchase being in the second. His land ran easterly along this lot line to the north limit of Queen Street. (In this deed, spoken of as the highway leading from John Groh's to Michael Bergey's.) From this point which is about the Norman Schweitzer property his land ran westerly along the north side of Queen Street to a point below the present Lower Mill buildings and, after leaving enough land on the left bank to serve the purposes he had in mind, his line continued on downstream to the 24 acre parcel. So that his holdings on the river were now 46 acres, more or less.

After taking possession of his latest purchase, Mr. Oberholtzer went ahead and put up a strictly first-class mill, equipped it with the most modern machinery and erected subsidiary buildings, dwelling houses, barns, sheds, etc., and in 1837 (Historical Society Report) built a dam just above the present one at the Lower Mill. He operated this saw mill successfully from 1837 until 1863 when he sold out the whole shooting match, land, buildings, mill, waterpower, dam and some chattels to Jacob Hespeler.

The Oberholtzer Mill and the mill machinery were purchased by Lewis Kribs and by him, removed to Forbes Street where it was operated by him and later by his son, William A. Kribs, until 1904, and then it was again moved, this time to the Avenue Street Factory - now Simplicity Products. The Mill was operated at this site for many years, until Mr. Kribs started making Washing Machines. He then discontinued sawing and the building was converted into storage space.

And if you are interested in the subject and can gain "Simplicity's" consent, you can still see the huge hewn beams that Oberholtzer used in the frame of his second saw mill.

Mr. Oberholtzer was 76 years old when he sold out to Jacob Hespeler at the Lower Mill and the remaining years of his life he lived in the house on the south side of the front road to Galt, immediately east of the Roos Cooper shop which some may recall as "The Log Cabin".

As to the children of Joseph Oberholtzer, I have no information but I do know that on the 17th day of June, 1851, he was married to Margaret Wiffler, widow of Carl Wiffler, the Blacksmith, by James Spencer, a Minister of the Wesleyan-Methodist Church in Canada in the presence of Frances Harrison and Mary Ann Howes.

Mrs. Wiffler, whose maiden name was Allemang, had three children; Charles who learned the Waggon Making trade, Catharine who married Gideon Ochs and Elizabeth who never married, but for many years worked as a seam-stress. By that I mean she went to a house where the Ladies had materials they wanted made up into dresses; and her work was, in the main, with the top notch families in the district hereabouts. She made, for instance, most of the gowns for the daughters of Jacob Hespeler, and she kept little bits of pretty-much all the nice materials she worked with and years after when Minnie Ochs, her Niece, was building a crazy patch quilt, Aunt Lizzie brought her down a lot of these patches and went over them telling what dress this was from, that this other patch was of the dress that Miss Hespeler wore to someone's wedding, etc. All that sort of history. It must have made a fine afternoon of it for Minnie.

Le Rue De Commerce, Other Times Other Customs Other Days Other Ways, Winfield Brewster 1954

____________________________

About the year 1840, the third saw-mill in New Hope was erected. It was located just below the Forbes Mill site by a partnership composed of another great-grandfather of the write, the late Cornelius Pannebecker, and one Joseph Oberholtzer, whose sister was married to Bergy.

Cornelius Pannebecker arrived from Montgomery County, Pa. in 1810 and was the son of a Mennonite minister who lived on the Schuylkill River at the present site of Spring City. Joseph Oberholtzer was evidently a native of the same county in Pennsylvania and located here probably in 1826 and information in hand also points to his having been the son of a Mennonite preacher. The family was of Swiss descent, while Pannebecker was descended from a Dutch family which had migrated for a few years into Germany about Kriegaheim near Worms, before participating in the exodus of Quakers and Mennonites to Pennsylvania, about the year 1700.

It would appear that Bergy's first saw-mill was too far up the river and the partnership mill too far downstream to quite meet the tastes or requirements of the times, for within a few years Cornelius Oberholtzer erected the fourth saw-mill about midway between these two points, and with it a small foundry or shop, probably for mill repairs etc. Some particulars of this fourth mill are available.

It continued in operation until sometime in 1864, although it evidently changed ownership, September 27th, 1863, to a partnership composed of George Randall, then of Berlin, Herbert M. Farr of Waterloo and Shubel H. Randall of New Hampshire, the purchase price according to the Galt Reporter files of that time being $8,000. The old mill was used to saw the timber and lumber for the Randall-Farr Woolen Mills, two stone structures erected in 1864, but as the saw-carriage had capacity only for logs up to 16 feet in length, the large timbers for the new Woolen Mills had to be hewn and were not sawn. It had been said with perhaps some little exaggeration, that the process of sawing logs of large diameter with the vertically operated drag-saw then in use was so slow that the operator after starting to log, had time to walk up town a half mile or more to the hotel, for liquid refreshments and return before the cut was finished.

The timbers of white-pine, taken out of this Oberholtzer mill when the woolen-mill buildings crowded it out of its place were used in the construction of the Lewis Kribs saw-mills which in 1865 were located close to the old public school site. When Mr. W. A. Kribs erected his present manufacturing buildings alongside the G. T. R. lines in 1902, these same old timbers were for the third time used and are at the time of writing, as sound as when first used in 1840.

Tenth Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society, 1922, pages 213 - 224.

_____________


The site of the Forbes Woollen Mills at Hespeler, which are among the largest in Canada, was originally occupied by a saw mill erected by Joseph Oberholtzer in 1837 and which was operated by water power. In 1863, Randall, Farr & Co. purchased the property (the late Geo. Randall and Dr. D. S. Bowlby of Kitchener were interested financially) and erected a large woollen mill. They did a large business until 1874, when they sold to Schofield & Forbes, the present owners, R. Forbes Co. Limited, taking over the business in 1880.

1867-1927 Confederation Number, Diamond Jubilee 1 Jul 1927, Waterloo Chonicle Newspaper

Joseph married Margaretha Allemang 17 Jun 1851, Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada. Margaretha was born 1808, , Germany; died 21 Jan 1883, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Susannah Bergey
• Eby ID Number: 00004-845.1
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelist

Susannah — Michael Bergey. Michael (son of Isaac Bergey and Veronica Hunsberger) was born CALC 11 Dec 1792, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania; died 22 Dec 1877, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00120-7502.1

Simon — Eva Strome. Eva (daughter of Jacob Strome and Anna Maria "Maria" Scheirich) was born Abt 1821, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Bef 1855. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Susannah Bear
• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.1
• Residence: 1845, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Rsrch. Note:
From : Margaret Bobertz / Wm F. Tooley
Reply-To :
Sent : December 20, 2004 1:35:29 PM
To : ,
Subject : Bear Family Family Group Sheet for Family F4159


I just wanted to be able to thank you for the wonderful site and
information. I also wanted to be able to give you some followup information
on George & Susannah Bear, at least in part. Your website has provided the
solution to a huge family mystery, because of some of the kids of George and
Susan being adopted out of the family, presumably after the death of their
mother. Their daughter Catherine Bear's 2nd marriage certificate lists her
father as Georgia Bear, otherwise we wouldn't have had a clue that she
connected to this family. The site mentioned that Susan died near Fisher's
Mills. Is there a cemetery record or what is the source of the information?

In 1850, the Bear family and Susan's parent's have moved to Wisconsin.
1850 WI Sheboygan
George Bare32Lower CanadaFisherman
Susan30Lower Canada
Elizabeth5Lower Canada
Ann3Lower Canada
Martha1Wisconsin
Henry Oberholzen70?PALock maker
Elizabeth57PA
Joseph38CanadaFisherman

By 1860, Susan has died (your site says in Canada),.
1860 WI
George Bear Omro, Winnebago, WI 41 1818 Canada Male
Elisabeth Bear Omro, Winnebago, WI 14 1845 Canada Female
Martha Bear Omro, Winnebago, WI 10 1849 Wisconsin Female
Henry Bear Omro, Winnebago, WI 4 1855 Wisconsin Male
Henry Oberholtzer Omro, Winnebago, WI 75 1784 Pennsylvania Male
Elisabeth Oberholtzer Omro, Winnebago, WI 67 1792 Pennsylvania Female

Two younger children are farmed out to a neighbor.
1860 WI
Joseph Starr Omro, Winnebago, WI 37 1822 England Male
Rebecca Starr Omro, Winnebago, WI 37 1822 England Female
Joel Bair Omro, Winnebago, WI 8 1851 Wisconsin Male
Catharine Bair Omro, Winnebago, WI 6 1853 Wisconsin Female
George Simpson Omro, Winnebago, WI 21 1838 England Male

By 1870, the two childen are still part of the Starr household.
1870 WI Omro
Starr, Joseph48England
Rebecca48England
Joel18WI
Catherine16WI

By 1880, Catherine (Kate) has been married and is now widowed with a young
daughter. Her first husband was Alexandar Allen b 1852 d 1877. Her
daughter Mabel b 1876 d 22 Feb 1964 in Omro WI, never married.
1880Census Place:Omro, Winnebago, Wisconsin
Source:FHL Film 1255453 National Archives Film T9-1453 Page 171D
RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace
Kate ALLENOtherFWW22WI
Occ:HousekeeperFa: PAMo: PA
Mabel ALLENOtherFSW4WI
Fa: WIMo: WI

Catherine marries a 2nd time 15 Jan 1882 in Waukau WI, Hiram Tenant, b 2 Apr
1850 St Lawrence NY d 31 Mar 1927 Antigo WI. They are parents of 6
children. Their daughter Minnie is my husband's grandmother.

George Bear moved to MN between 1860 & 1870. And remarried.

1870 MN LaSeur Ottawa
Bear, George50 m wCanadafarmer(both parents foreign birth)
Bear, Mary J44 f wLA
Gadwa, Moses15 m wMN
Gadwa, Mary E14 f wMN
Gadwa, Nessor?9 m wMN
Gadwa, Exvaion?9 m w MN
Gadwa, Oleson21 m wIAlawyer

He is still there in 1880, with a daughter born to his 2nd marriage.

1880 Census Place:E. D. 120-122, Le Sueur, Minnesota
Source:FHL Film 1254625 National Archives Film T9-0625 Page 285D
RelationSexMarrRaceAgeBirthplace
George BEARSelfMMW59PA
Occ:FarmerFa: PAMo: PA
Mary BearWifeFMW56LA
Occ:Keeping HouseFa: WALESMo: FRANCE
Cora A. BEARDauFSW9MINN
Fa: PAMo: LA
Fazer GADERAStepSonMSW19MINN
Fa: LAMo: LA

George's Brother Martin(ID I9901), we've also located in 2 US censuses:

1870 Eden Fond du Lac Wisconsin
Martin BAIR W Male W 53 CAN Carpenter
Mary Bair W Female 46 NY keep house
John M. BAIR M Male W 14 WI Laborer
George R. BAIR Son S Male W 12 WI at school
Ida M. BAIR Dau S Female W 8 WI school
Clara A. BAIR Dau S Female W 4 WI

1880 Eden, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
Martin BAIR Self W Male W 63 CAN Farming Penn Penn
John M. BAIR Son M Male W 24 WI Carpenter CAN NY
Catherine B. BAIR DauL M Female W 23 WI CAN NY
George R. BAIR Son S Male W 22 WI Farm Labored CAN NY
Ida M. BAIR Dau S Female W 18 WI Keeping House CAN NY
Clara A. BAIR Dau S Female W 14 WI At School CAN NY

Census of 1850 for Sheboygan, Wisconsin indicates that she lived there and most likely died in Wisconsin.

Susannah married George Bear 18 Mar 1845, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. George (son of Rev. Martin Bear and Catharine Gingrich) was born 10 Jun 1819, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00004-847

Notes:

Susannah Bergey, " died, aged about seventeen years."


Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

Other Events:

• House: 39 Queen St. W., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Heavily mortared rubblestone house Mennonite Georgian style
• Name: Isaac Berge
• Eby ID Number: 00039-3111.1
• Occupation: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evengelist
• Occupation: 1881, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Isaac married Catharine Gingerich 3 May 1848, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Catharine (daughter of David Gingrich and Elizabeth Stauffer) was born CALC 5 Mar 1831, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 8 Oct 1860, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00120-7502.4

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00120-7502.5

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.11

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.12

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.13

Notes:

This 1880 census entry is believed to be Martha but recorded as Mary.

1880 Census Place: Aldrich, Wadena, Minnesota
Source: FHL Film 1254636 National Archives Film T9-0636 Page 19A
Marr Race Age Birthplace
Charles F. RHODES head age 32 born OH Occupation Farmer
Mary RHODES Wife age 30 born WI Occupattion Keeping House
James RHODES Son age 1 born KS

Found on the same page as brothers Joel and Henry.

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.188

Joel married Matilda Dower 28 Jun 1883, Wadena Co., Minnesota. Matilda was born Mar 1859, , , Michigan; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Catherine Allen
• Name: Catherine Tenant
• Name: Kate Bear
• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.177

Notes:

Catharine was adopted by Joseph and Rebecca Starr (of England) along with brother Joel, after mother's death. (source unknown)

Catherine married Hiram Tenant 15 Jan 1882, Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin, USA. Hiram (son of John Tenant and Martha Beswick) was born 2 Apr 1850, St. Lawrence, , New York; died 31 Mar 1927, Antigo, Langlade, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Catherine — Alexander Allen. Alexander was born 1852, Of, Omro, Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA; died 1877. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00003-629.14

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-4855

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-92320

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-170017

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-170019

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/191214245
• Name: Sarah Mast
• Eby ID Number: 00039-3111.2
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evengelist
• Residence: 1891, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evangelical
• Residence: 1911, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist

Sarah — Frank Mast. Frank (son of Johann "John" Mast and Regina Haist) was born 14 Jan 1840, Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada; died 10 Dec 1923, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00039-3111.3
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evengelist

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00039-3111.4
• Residence: 1861, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Evengelist
• Occupation: 1881, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Carpenter
• Residence: 1916, Lashburn, , Saskatchewan, Canada

Samuel married Letitia Wilson 10 Jun 1889, South River, Parry Sound District, Ontario. Letitia was born 16 Dec 1863; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]