Samuel Shantz Snider^{[1, 2]}

1821 - 1912  (90 years)

• Name	Samuel Shantz Snider
  Born	9 Oct 1821	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
  Gender	Male
  House	CONSTRUCTED 1840	39 Doon Valley Dr., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	39 Doon Valley Drive is associated with three prominent citizens of Waterloo County. The first owner, the Honourable Adam Ferrie, was the founder of Doon Village. Samuel Snider, who purchased the property from Ferrie, owned the Blair Mill, as well as other mills that he and a partner operated in Bridgeport and Baden. Thomas Slee, one of the first trustees of the area, and the Doon Postmaster from 1867 to 1893, was the last significant owner of the property, purchasing it from Snider in 1878. In addition to its association with persons of historic significance, Doon Valley Drive (formerly Doon Village Road), was once an important linkage between the Village of Doon to Tow Town and Oregon (today Upper Doon). 39 Doon Valley Drive is unique in its use of building materials and the methods of construction. This one-and-a-half-storey house combined granite, limestone, fieldstone and lime mortar in its construction. It retains many original, intact features, such as the stone chimney with cove moulding, and the single door with a transom, on the north façade.1a 1aCity of Kitchener Heritage Property Report, November 1990, Jean Haalboom; City of Kitchener By-law 91-142
  Residence	1844	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [12]
  Occupation	1852	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	farmer
  Residence	1853	194 Forsyth Dr., Waterloo, Ontario
  Occupation	1871	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1871	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  	Mennonite
  Business	1878	Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Lancaster Flour Millers
  	Shirk & Snider Proprietors
  		Lancaster Flour Mills - Bridgeport 1878 Waterloo County Directory Peter Shirk & Samuel S. Snider Proprietors
  		Lancaster Roller Mills Brideport Shirk and Snider-0001-Colorized.jpg
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20974184
  Name	S. S. Snider
  Occupation	1881	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1881	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Mennonite
  Occupation	1891	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1891	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Mennonite
  Retired	1901	Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Eby ID Number	00106-5933
  Died	24 Mar 1912  [5, 6, 11]
  Buried	Erb Street Mennonite Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5, 6, 11]
  Person ID	I12724	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	John C. Snyder,   b. 1 Feb 1792, Franklin Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 31 Jul 1834, Kossuth, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 42 years)
  Mother	Catharine Shantz,   b. 5 Sep 1792, , Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania ,   d. 27 Feb 1854, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 61 years)
  Married	Sep 1814  [13, 14]
  Family ID	F3986	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Anna Snider,   b. 23 Jul 1824, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 23 Apr 1890, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 65 years)
  Married	5 Mar 1844	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 6, 10, 12]
  Children	1. Snider   2. Cyrus S. Snider,   b. 19 Oct 1844, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 16 Aug 1919  (Age 74 years)   3. Elizabeth Snider,   b. 17 Jul 1846, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 3 Nov 1928  (Age 82 years)   4. Catharine Snider,   b. 21 Apr 1848, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 Sep 1922, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)   5. Hiram Snider,   b. 25 Sep 1850, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 Dec 1918  (Age 68 years)   6. Samuel S. Snider,   b. 30 Sep 1852, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 15 Oct 1940, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 88 years)   7. Menno S. Snider,   b. 16 Apr 1855, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Sep 1938  (Age 83 years)   8. Susannah Snider,   b. 11 Oct 1857, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 16 Aug 1938  (Age 80 years)   9. Titus Snider,   b. 19 Jan 1860, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 16 Oct 1907, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 47 years)   10. Jacob S. Snider,   b. 5 Jul 1861, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1 Dec 1947, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 86 years)   11. Mary Snider,   b. 13 Jan 1863, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 25 Feb 1930  (Age 67 years)   12. Ezra Snider,   b. 25 Nov 1865, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 19 Apr 1866  (Age 0 years)   13. Emma Snider,   b. 25 Nov 1865, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 30 Aug 1921  (Age 55 years)   14. Edward Snider,   b. 21 Jun 1867, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 31 Mar 1868  (Age 0 years)   15. Matilda Snider,   b. 28 Feb 1870, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Aug 1870  (Age 0 years)
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F3500	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Elizabeth Reist,   b. 25 Mar 1841, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 13 Jul 1936, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 95 years)
  Married	19 Apr 1891  [6]
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F3525	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Samuel S. Snider, "was born October 9th, 1821. After the decease of his father in 1834 he had his home with his uncle, Benjamin Shantz who then resided at Freeport (Toll Bridge) on the old "Abraham C. Weber Farm." On March 5th, 1844, he was married to Anna, daughter of Jacob C. and Elizabeth (Cressman) Snider. She was born July 23rd, 1824, and died April 23rd, 1890. After his marriage' he moved on a farm adjoining the town of Waterloo where he was engaged in farming for a number of years. In connection with the farm he also had an interest in the Union Mills, Waterloo, and later in the Lancaster Mills of Bridgeport, Ontario. After the decease of his first wife he was again married to Elizabeth Reist, widow of the late Joseph Heckedon. They reside in the town of Waterloo. " 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.]. _________________ Snider.- Samuel S. Snider was born in Waterloo Co., Ont., Oct. 9, 1821; died March 24, 1912; aged 90 y. 5 m. 14 d. He was married to Anna Snider March 5, 1844. Their home was blessed with 14 children, 3 of whom died in infancy, the mother dying April 23, 1890, aged 65 y. 9 m., whose death was mourned by a father and 11 children. On April 19, 1891, the father again married Elizabeth Reist, since which time family have had occasion to mourn the loss of 2 children, Titus, the fifth son dying Oct. 16, 1907, aged 47 y., and Cyrus, eldest son dying Aug. 17, 1909, aged 65 years. The death of the father at this time leaving a widow, 4 sons, 5 daughters, 25 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren to mourn his departure. Funeral services were held at the Waterloo Mennonite Church, conducted by Bro. Noah Stauffer in English and Bro. Solomon Gehman in German. Interment in the David Eby Cemetery. Gospel Herald - Volume V, Number 2 - April 11, 1912 - page 31, 32 ______________________ Snider - Forsyth - Home 194 Forsyth Dr, Waterloo Part of Lot 22, German Company Tract The Germany Company, originating in Pennsylvania, was initially comprised of 26 shareholders. These shareholders raised 10,000 pounds to purchase 60,000 acres of property which came to be known as Waterloo Township. The property was bought from Richard Beasley. He, along with two partners, had purchased a total of 94,012 acres from the Crown who held the land in trust for Chief Joseph Brant of the Mohawk or Five Nations Indians. This transaction took place in 1798. Lot 22 of the German Company Tract originally comprised 448 acres stretching between boundaries now defined approximately by streets Erb and Glasgow. It was sold by David and Jacob Erb, agents of the German Company, to Abraham Gingrich in 1805. In 1815, David Gingrich, Abraham's son, sold the lot to John Binkley of Ancaster. Binkley, in turn, sold the entire 448 acres to Jacob C. Snider in 1842. Jacob C Snider was a Mennonite. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1790 and worked as a yeoman. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in 1791. The house at 194 Forsyth Drive was built by Jacob C. Snider in 1845. This fact is recorded in the census records of 1861. The original house was a two-storey, typical Georgian frame with walls 15 - 16 inches thick. These walls were made of concrete and brick, and were covered by a clapboard exterior. The entire house, at that time, was comprised of the present day living room and centre hall. In 1853, Jacob C. sold the property to his nephew, Samuel S., a farmer. In 1864, Samuel took out a mortgage for $6,000 from the Canada Permanent Building Society. The mortgage was discharged in 1863 according to the 1861 census. Samuel and his wife Anna had 8 children - Cyrus, Elizabeth, Catherine, Hiram, Samuel, Menno, Susanna and Titus. With a family of this size it is speculated that the money was used for very needy additions. These included four second floor bedrooms, a third floor attic, a dining room, and the present-day kitchen. The architectural design of the addition was Gothic rather than the original Georgian. This is evident in the pointed cathedral window, the centre peaked roof, and the decorative mouldings above the east and west entrances to the centre hall. One of the interesting additions to the house involves a separate building of brick construction which may be entered from the living room of the main house. The date of this addition is unclear according to some reports. It was used as a laundry prior to 1936. In a recent interview with Mrs. Howard Snider, who moved into the house as a new bride in 1929,[Howard and Linda were married in 1919] this addition was referred to by her as the "milk house," for the farm was still operational in those years. Mrs. Snider's daughter recalls, "my sister was old enough then to do the selling [of milk] to the townspeople. We would bring the milk from the barn, and use the milk house as our dairy." It is quite possible, however, that this building had been constructed prior to 1851 as "the doddy house" of Jacob and Elizabeth, for the census records of that year described their home as a "one storey brick." It was a very common Mennonite practice in those days for parents to have an add-on building constructed to the home of a son or daughter. Housed in this room is an enormous Dutch oven which was used for cooking. It remains uncertain whether this was the original location, or whether it had been relocated from another area of the house. While the large metal doors used to close the oven have been removed to expose the hearth, the cranes for supporting huge cooking pots remain. Of the 448 acre property, Samuel sold 117 acres to his son, Titus, in 1903 for $8,000. In 1908, the executors of Titus Snider sold the property to George H. Hahn for $10,550. Six years later, the land was returned to the Snider family, this time to Jacob S., a ninth child of Samuel S., born after the 1861 census. The cost was $17,550. For the same amount Jacob sold the land to his son Howard S. in 1929. Jacob and his family then moved to the farm house now designated as 131 William Street West [Waterloo]. Howard sold various parcels of his land off, including a sizeable portion to the Westmount Golf and Country Club, and 56 acres, a at a cost of $16,782 to John Derby C. Forsyth. The Forsyths, who purchased the property in 1936 never lived at 194 Forsyth Drive, the street which now bears his name. It was purchased as a guest house. Shortly after they acquired the property, the old barn was torn down and an elaborate new one was built. Pine beams from the old were salvaged and sawed into mellow panelling for the livingroom and master bedroom of the house. "He didn't want to leave the land empty," said Mrs. Forsyth, "so he put in grain and bought a herd of purebred Jersey cattle. He lost money every year." In 1947, the house was sold to Dominion Life Assurance Company. They planned a housing development and put the house up for sale. While the tender of Dr. Archie Case was not the highest submitted, his plans for the house most appealed to the company, and the property became his the following year. In his renovations, three-quarters of the house was replastered, and the old fashioned closed stairway was opened onto the centre hall. Part of the livingroom was put up on jacks, and garages were constructed under it at basement level. Adverse to change of any sort in the refurbishing, Dr. Case contracted for copies of the rotting window sashes, interior trim; and clapboard for exterior repairs was specially milled. In 1963, the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. J. Askin. Subsequent owners to the Askins included Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Epp in 1978 - 1980, and a Ms. D. Crossan and a Mr. D. Zimmer, 1980 - 1982. Much of the research for the history was done by Marg Rowell, Waterloo. This was printed with permission by Marion Roes from the framed history hanging in the hall of the 2008 owners.

  
  

• Sources

  [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 278. [S10] Book - Vol II 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..., 178. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 284. [S135] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1901, Waterloo (Town/Ville) D-6 Page 16. [S155] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - Erb Street Mennonite CC#4512 Internet Link. In memory of / Samuel S. Snider / born / Oct.9,1821 / died . / March 24,1912 / aged 90 years / 4 mos 15 dys / "Be ye also ready, for in such / an hour as ye think not the son / os man coneth" / Scott, Galt [S8] News - Gospel Herald, April 11, 1912 - Samuel S. Snider. [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, div 3 pg 139. [S302] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1881, Waterloo Village 1881 Div. 2 Page 40. [S1573] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1891, Section 4 Page 6. [S2658] aaaaWaterloo Village 1871, Sect. 2 Page 1. [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20974184. [S13] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - Wellington District Marriage Register Part 1 1840-1852, Eby, Benjamin Rev. - Minister of the Mennonist Society Report 36. Samuel Shneider, to Ann Shneider, both of Waterloo. 5 Mar. 1844. Wit. Jacob C. Shneider and Elias Shneider. [S3] Book - Vol I 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..., 279. [S10] Book - Vol II 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..., 430.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 9 Oct 1821 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada House - CONSTRUCTED 1840 - 39 Doon Valley Dr., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1844 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 5 Mar 1844 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - farmer - 1852 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1853 - 194 Forsyth Dr., Waterloo, Ontario Occupation - Farmer - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Business - Lancaster Flour Millers - 1878 - Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1881 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1881 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1891 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Mennonite - 1891 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Retired - 1901 - Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Erb Street Mennonite Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth