Place:Conestogo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Watchers
NameConestogo
TypeCommunity
Coordinates43.533°N 80.5°W
Located inWaterloo, Ontario, Canada
See alsoWoolwich, Waterloo, Ontario, Canadatownship in which Conestogo located
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

Conestogo is a "compact rural community" located in Woolwich Township in Waterloo County in southwestern Ontario. In 1973 Waterloo County became the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and Woolwich Township increased its area by amalgamating the eastern side of Waterloo Township, the section that was not swallowed up by the Cities of Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge.

Conestogo is located at the junction of the Grand and Conestogo Rivers and near the northern border of the City of Waterloo.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

The vicinity of present day Conestogo was first settled in 1820s, on the Grand and Conestogo Rivers. The first settlers were predominantly Mennonites who had emigrated from Pennsylvania, settling on land laid out by David Musselman and Charles Hendry. They were followed by people of German and British background. The first mill in Woolwich Township was built in Conestogo in 1846 by David Musselman powered by the Conestogo River. Two large flax mills were soon built. The Post Office was established in 1849 by Charles Hendry.

Known earlier as Bluckstettel (log village) and Musselman's Mills, the settlement was renamed Conestogo in 1852. The name originated from the Conestoga River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. (There were several spellings of the name, but the one ending in "o" became official.)[1] In 1844, David Musselman dammed the Conestoga River and built the first flour mill, and the second sawmill in the area.

By the middle of the 19th century, Conestogo was a thriving community of about 300 people. It boasted a number of businesses, including a foundry, flour mill, sawmill, furniture factory, paint factory, flax mill, distillery, four hotels, three blacksmiths, two wagon makers and a cooperage, among others. Two local brickyards produced the bricks of which many Conestogo buildings were constructed. The slow pace of Conestogo's development after the 1860s has resulted in much of the architectural heritage being well preserved. By 1864, there was a large school with about 70 students and two churches: Lutheran and Wesleyan Methodist.[2]

The village had a population of 500 by 1890 but by 1913, it had declined to 250.[1]

Research Tips

The primary source for basic documents (vital statistics, land records, wills) for people who lived in the Province of Ontario is the Archives of Ontario, 134 Ian Macdonald Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M7A 2C5.

Early Records

Civil registration did not begin in the province until 1869. Before then there may be church records of baptisms and burials. For the most part these are still held by the denomination who recorded them. Copies of marriage records made pre-1869 had to be sent by individual clergymen to the registrar of the county in which the marriage took place. These marriage records are available through Ontario Archives, on micorfilm through LDS libraries, and on paid and unpaid websites, but because they were copied at the registrars' offices, they cannot be considered a primary source.

Vital Records after 1869

Birth, marriage and death registrations are not open to the public until a specific number of years after the event occurred. Births to 1915 are now available [October 2014]; dates for marriages and deaths are later. Birth and death registration was not universally carried out in the early years after its adoption. Deaths were more apt to be reported than births for several years. The more rural the area, the less likely it would be that these happenings were reported to the authorities.
Images and indexes of civil registrations for the "viewable" years can be found on paid websites, and indexes only on FamilySearch. The FamilySearch Wiki on Ontario Vital Records explains how these records are organized and their availability.
In September 2014 Ancestry.ca announced that its paid website has been subjected to a "houseclean" of its Ontario BMD database, adding data that had been omitted and making many corrections. Its provision now includes

  • Births, with 2,172,124 records covering 1869-1913.
  • Marriages, with 3,393,369 records for 1801-1928 including Ontario county, district and Roman Catholic origins as well as province-wide civil registration.
  • Deaths, with 2,190,030 records comprising Ontario civil registrations of deaths, 1869-1938 and registrations of Ontario overseas deaths for 1939-1947.

Land Records and Wills

Information on how to access land records and wills is best sought on the Archives of Ontario website. An ancestor's land holding might be found on Canadian County Atlas Digital Project if he was in occupancy circa 1878.

Association for the Preservation of Ontario Land Registry Office Documents (APOLROD). A list of Land Registry Offices for all Counties of Ontario.

Censuses

The original censuses are in the hands of Library and Archives Canada, known to Canadians as "LAC". Copies of original microfilms are online at the LAC website for all censuses up to 1921. Each census database is preceded with an explanation of the geographical area covered, the amount of material retained (some census division material has been lost), the questions on the census form, and whether there is a name index. Census divisions were redrawn as the population increased and more land was inhabited.
Other websites, some paid and some free, also provide Canadian census originals and/or indexes online. One can also view censuses on microfilm at the LAC, at the Archives of Ontario (see address above), or at large libraries throughout Canada.

Hard-to-Find Places

E-books, Books and Newspapers

  • The Internet Archive, particularly texts from Canadian universities, can contain interesting material
  • Our Roots is a Canadian website similar to The Internet Archive
  • Global Genealogy is an online bookshop specializing in Ontario material who will ship anywhere in the world.
  • The Ancestor Hunt is a blog listing old Ontario newspapers that are available online, both free and pay websites. This is a very extensive list.

    (Template:Waterloo local provision pending)
source: Family History Library Catalog