Elias Weber Bingeman Snider
Encyclopedia
Elias Weber Bingeman Snider (June 19, 1842 – October 15, 1921) was an Ontario
businessman and political figure. He represented Waterloo North
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Liberal member from 1881 to 1894.
He was born in Waterloo
, Canada West in 1842, the son of a farmer, and, after leaving school at 12, worked on the family farm and then at the family's gristmill
s in German Mills (later Kitchener
), becoming mill manager in 1862. In 1864, Snider married Nancy Weber. In 1871, he purchased a mill at St. Jacobs
, replacing the millstones with rollers, which produced a better quality of flour. In 1884, he purchased a foundry
at Waterloo, which produced agricultural implements and machinery. He also owned a lumber company. Snider lobbied for the establishment of forest reserves while in office, seeing the disappearing forests in Waterloo County
.
A generator at his mill in St. Jacobs supplied electricity to the town. In 1900, with others, he formed the Michipicoten Falls Power Company Limited to provide hydroelectric power to mines north of Lake Superior
. Snider lobbied the provincial government to build power transmission lines to make power generated at Niagara Falls
available to the rest of the province. In 1903, he became the chair of the Ontario Power Commission, which laid the groundwork for the establishpment of a provincial electric power utility. He married Helen Shoemaker in 1915 after the death of his first wife.
He died in Kitchener in 1921.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
businessman and political figure. He represented Waterloo North
Waterloo North
Waterloo North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as a Liberal member from 1881 to 1894.
He was born in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Canada West in 1842, the son of a farmer, and, after leaving school at 12, worked on the family farm and then at the family's gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s in German Mills (later Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
), becoming mill manager in 1862. In 1864, Snider married Nancy Weber. In 1871, he purchased a mill at St. Jacobs
St. Jacobs, Ontario
The community of St. Jacobs is located in southwest Ontario, just north of Waterloo in Woolwich Township, Waterloo Region. It is a popular location for tourism, due to its Mennonite heritage and retail focus. The Conestogo River, which powered the village's original gristmill, runs through the...
, replacing the millstones with rollers, which produced a better quality of flour. In 1884, he purchased a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
at Waterloo, which produced agricultural implements and machinery. He also owned a lumber company. Snider lobbied for the establishment of forest reserves while in office, seeing the disappearing forests in Waterloo County
Waterloo County, Ontario
Waterloo County, created in 1853 and dissolved in 1973, was the forerunner of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It consisted of five townships: Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot, Waterloo, and North Dumfries...
.
A generator at his mill in St. Jacobs supplied electricity to the town. In 1900, with others, he formed the Michipicoten Falls Power Company Limited to provide hydroelectric power to mines north of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Snider lobbied the provincial government to build power transmission lines to make power generated at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
available to the rest of the province. In 1903, he became the chair of the Ontario Power Commission, which laid the groundwork for the establishpment of a provincial electric power utility. He married Helen Shoemaker in 1915 after the death of his first wife.
He died in Kitchener in 1921.