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Elmira is the largest community in the township of Woolwich, Ontario, Canada. It is north of the city of Waterloo near the Regional Municipality of Waterloo's northern border with Wellington County. The community was listed in the 2016 Canadian census as having a population of 10,161.[1] Waterloo Region is home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada, particularly around St Jacobs and Elmira. They are often seen on the local roads using traditional horse and buggy transportation; many also use horses to pull the implements in their farm fields. [edit] History
The land comprising Woolwich Township belonged to the Huron Nation, then to the Mohawk Nation. The first European settlers arrived in Woolwich Township in the late 18th century. In 1798, William Wallace was one of the first settlers after he was deeded of land on the Grand River for $16,364. A block three of First Nations Lands, this area now comprises a large part of Woolwich Township. The parcel of land called "Woolwich" was named after Woolwich in England. The early settlers were primarily from England or Ireland until about 1830. In 1806, Wallace sold the major portion of his tract to Mennonites from Pennsylvania, the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch (actually Deitsch or German). The buyers were Augustus Jones and brothers John and Jacob Erb, trustees for the German Company, who were among the first settlers from Pennsylvania. Wallace sold of land to the German Company at $1.00 an acre. The village was settled in 1832 by Henry Christman and Edward Bristow. In 1834, Edward Bristow from Sussex, England became one of Elmira's first European settlers when he purchased of land at this location for 50 cents per acre. He started the first store, tavern and potashery. A community by the name of Bristow's Corners was already in existence in 1839 when a post office was assigned there. Local merchant Samuel Weber had been visiting New York State in the early 1850s and was apparently impressed with Elmira, New York. This may have been a factor in the decision of Woolwich Township council on February 22, 1853, to rename the community Elmira. The post office opened in 1850. A historic property, Bristow's Inn was just land when it was sold by Edward Bristow to Jacob W. Bowman who first built a farmhouse there in 1860 (now 80 Arthur Street South, Elmira). In 1989 the structure was restored to its original appearance and became the Country Inn. Afterwards, the building was recognized under the Ontario Heritage Act. As in the nearby townships, Mennonites formed a significant proportion of the population. In addition to Mennonites from Pennsylvania, the majority of settlers were from Germany by the 1850s. Families living in Elmira in that era included Oswald, Esch, Steffler, Dreisinger, Braun and Schedewitz. Many were Lutherans. By 1852 the St. James Lutheran Church had been built and was in operation. The stores and tradesmen served farmers who lived in the surrounding area. The population in 1869 was about 450, increasing to about 1,069 by 1891. Major events that attracted people from outside the village included the Woolwich Agricultural Fair (since 1854) and the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival (since 1965) which is still held every year. In 1861, the Elmira House (a large store) was erected as numerous artisans and merchants came to Elmira to earn a living. As a result, Elmira became known as an 'enterprising' community. In December 1886, Elmira entered a new chapter of its history with the incorporation of the settlement as a village by charter. At this date, the population of the newly incorporated village was 760 people. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Elmira acquired a brass band (1873) and a library (1886, Elmira Mechanics' Institute) with an initial membership of 20 people. In 1913, a large Carnegie Library was built with grant money from American industrialist Andrew Carnegie. By 1864, the village had a large tannery, a lumber mill, and three churches, two German Lutheran and one Wesleyan Methodist and an elementary school. The population was 400. The railway arrived in the late 1800s, both the Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pacific. After this method of transportation became available, furniture manufacturing and other industries began to open. In the early 1900s, North Waterloo County - the Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs, Elmira area - exhibited a strong German culture and those of German origin made up a third of the population in 1911. Lutherans were the primary religious group. There were nearly three times as many Lutherans as Mennonites by that time. The latter primarily resided in the rural areas and small communities.
The village was incorporated as a town in 1923, within Waterloo County. At that time, the population was 2500. In 1973, the town of Elmira ceased to exist under the amalgamation that also formed the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, replacing Waterloo County. Elmira became the administrative centre of Woolwich Township which increased in size at that time.[3] During the 1960s under contract with the U.S. government, Elmira's Uniroyal chemical plant (which changed its name to Crompton Company in 2001 and then to Chemtura in 2006) was one of seven manufacturers supplying the U.S. military with the toxic herbicide Agent Orange. Due to the poor disposal practices of the toxic waste associated with the manufacture of Agent Orange and other chemicals, contamination has seeped down to the aquifer in and around Elmira. This contamination, NDMA (N-Nitrosodimethylamine), forced local water wells to close in 1990. Water is now delivered via a pipeline from Waterloo and other near local areas. [edit] Research TipsThe 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. [edit] Early RecordsCivil 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. [edit] Vital Records after 1869Birth, 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.
[edit] Land Records and WillsInformation 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. [edit] CensusesThe 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. [edit] Hard-to-Find Places
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