John Roat

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00094-5324
• Residence: 1860, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
• Business: 1862, King St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; John Roat, Harness & Saddle Manufacturer
• Business: 1867, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Commericial Hotel
• Occupation: 1868, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; inn keeper
• Occupation: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Inn Keeper
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Occupation: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Hotel Keeper
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Protestant
• Occupation: 1888, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; innkeeper

Notes:

John Roat, "was born in Berlin, in October, 1833. He was first married to Mary L. McMannus who died February 20th, 1864, and after her decease to Christina Fraser who died December 25th, 1889. They resided in Berlin where he was proprietor of the old Commercial Hotel for a number of years. He died March 23rd, 1888, leaving a family of several children."

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a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character.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.].

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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.

Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

Occupation:
Worked at or owned the Commericial Hotel

John married Mary Cowel 23 Aug 1860, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Mary was born 19 Sep 1828, Brockville, Leeds Co., Ontario; died 20 Feb 1864; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

John married Christina Fraser 14 Sep 1865, Elora, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada. Christina (daughter of Frazer) was born 4 Aug 1837, of, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 25 Dec 1889; was buried , Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-127940

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-426233
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian

Other Events:

• Name: Mary Emma Roat
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-151710
• Residence: 1871, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Presbyterian
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Protestant

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-127155

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-34275
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Protestant

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-151713
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Protestant

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-151714
• Residence: 1881, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Protestant