Local History

Taxonomy

Code

Scope note(s)

  • Special Collections & Archives holds a variety of resources related to the local and urban history of the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Collections include maps, fire insurance plans, business and city directories, yearbooks from local high schools, government documents outlining local county or village by-laws, and newspapers including restored copies of issues of the Berliner Journal for the years 1859-1889. The department is also home to the Kitchener-Waterloo Photographic Negative Collection, which documents local news events, community activities, regional development, and human-interest stories between 1938-2001. Many of the local history collections contain the institutional archives of local businesses and organizations such as Dare Foods Limited, Electrohome, Fritsch Pharmacy, the Dominion Rubber Company, the Kitchener-Waterloo Record, and the Rotary Club of Kitchener. In addition, the department maintains numerous family papers including those for the Breithaupt, Bolender Ball, Ratz, Schantz, Schneider, and Seagram families, among many others. These collections complement several printed genealogies, family histories, and monographs also held by the department.

Source note(s)

Display note(s)

Hierarchical terms

Local History

Local History

Equivalent terms

Local History

Associated terms

Local History

15 Archival description results for Local History

15 results directly related Exclude narrower terms

William Dickson collection.

  • SCA12-GA7
  • Collection
  • 1818, 1831-1834, 1839

Collection consists of seven legal documents regarding the sale of land in the Township of Dumfries in Southern Ontario.

Dickson, William

R. Forbes & Co. Ltd. film

  • SCA316-GA352
  • Fonds
  • [191-]

File consists of one film reel showing the exterior and operations of the R. Forbes Co. woollen mill in Hespeler (Cambridge), Ontario. The mill would later become the Dominion Woollen and Worsted Mill.

R. Forbes & Co. Ltd.

Municipal council of the town of Berlin.

  • SCA413-GA481
  • Collection
  • 1909

One photograph mounted on cardboard of the Municipal Council of the town of Berlin, dated 1909. The black and white photograph shows 15 adults dressed in suits and posed seated or standing in front of an ornately painted backdrop.

  • Back row, from left to right is Edwin Whyte Clement, F. W. Sheppard, Joseph Roman Winterhalt, and Frederich “Frederick” Bornhold.
  • Middle row from left to right is Charles Boehmer Dunke, William Daum Euler, William Robert Wilkinson, Alexander Hugh Millar, H. Martin, and John R. Schilling.
  • Front row from left to right is reeve David Gross Jr. (George “David" Gross), third deputy reeve Henry Anthony Dietrich, Mayor Charles Casper Hahn who served from 1909 to 1910, second deputy reeve John F. McKay, and first deputy reeve Nicholas Asmussen.

Among the subjects are three individuals who would later serve as mayor of Berlin or Kitchener following its 1916 name change: William Daum Euler (1914-1917), David Gross Jr. (1917-1919), and Nicholas Asmussen (1925 -1926). William Daum Euler was also elected to the House of Commons of Canada (1917) and Nicholas Asmussen to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (1919-1926). Both represented Waterloo North, Ontario in their Federal political office.

King Street, Waterloo, Ont., 1923 : completed paving work.

  • SCA201-GA178
  • Collection
  • 1923

One photograph of a section of King Street, Waterloo, Ont. showing recently completed paving work by Standardite Paving. Also visible in the photograph are streetcar tracks, early street lights and automobiles.

Denton, Ernest

Glass plate negative collection.

  • SCA436-GA509
  • Collection
  • ca. 1900

21 glass plate negatives showing people and buildings around the former town of Newbridge, Ontario.

Furniture and woodworkers union materials.

  • SCA275-GA296
  • Collection
  • 1931-1935

Fonds consists of ephemera relating to the unionization of furniture makers and woodworkers in the Kitchener, Stratford, and Woodstock area. Includes a mock liberty bond for the defence of workers arrested protesting, a card promoting socialist industrial unionism, a handbill outlining union desires, a letter from Canada Furniture Manufacturers regarding an adjustment to pay rates, a handbill encouraging furniture workers to unionize, and a photocopy of a letter to Herman Kreuger.

First Mennonite Church bible school.

  • SCA291-GA326
  • Collection
  • [1928?]

One photograph of students of the First Mennonite Church bible school. Students are shown outside in front of the church building.

Dumont Press Graphix Limited fonds.

  • SCA448-GA524
  • Fonds
  • 1970-2017

Materials relating to the creation and operation of Dumont Press Graphix Limited.

Dumont Press Graphix Limited

Dominion Life Assurance Company head office.

  • SCA265-GA283
  • Collection
  • July 1939

File consists of one photograph of the employees of the head office of the Dominion Life Assurance Company in Waterloo, Ontario. The photograph was taken July 1939. The employees are standing in front of the building at 14 Erb Street West.

Dominion Life Assurance Company

Company of Neighbours fonds.

  • SCA147-GA120
  • Fonds
  • [189-]-[195-], predominant [189-]-1906.

Photographs taken in and around Waterloo, Ontario by unknown photographers. Included are images of Waterloo Park and events and businesses along King Street.

Budd's Dept. Stores Kitchener, Guelph, Simcoe annual picnic.

  • SCA411-GA478
  • Collection
  • August 20, 1947

One photograph of the Budds Department Store annual picnic, held August 20, 1947. The photograph shows 82 people, including men, women, and children. The picnic attendees appear to include the owners and employees of the three Budds Department Store locations, as well as their families. The photograph was taken outside in an undisclosed location and the subjects appear relaxed and informal.

Budds Department Store

Breithaupt Leather Co. truck.

  • SCA168-GA142
  • Collection
  • [191-?]

One undated photograph showing a Breithaupt Leather Co. truck in front of the Shipping Dept. at the tannery, which was located in Kitchener, Ont.

Denton, Ernest

Bechler family fonds.

  • SCA153-GA126
  • Fonds
  • [18--]-1945

The Bechler family fonds contains records created and accumulated by the Bechler family documenting life in Berlin (later Kitchener). Records include textual records and graphic material, predominantly photographs from an album. Records also contain confirmation certificates, marriage certificate, press clippings, and cards.

Bechler family

Augustine, Ham, Kaufman family fonds.

Material related to the lives and activities of members of the Augustine and Kaufman families of Kitchener, Ontario and of the Ham family of Toronto, Ontario, in particular of the parents, aunt and grandparents of Mary Ham. Includes biographical information, clippings, correspondence, diaries, ephemera and photographs.

Augustine, Ham, Kaufman family

Architectural drawings for the Berlin Y.M.C.A.

  • SCA303-GA339
  • Collection
  • 1895

File consists of three architectural drawings of the building of the Berlin [Kitchener] Y.M.C.A. at 22 Queen Street North. Includes a side elevation, main and upper floor plans, and details of the locker room.

Kitchener-Waterloo Young Men's Christian Association