Jacob Hespeler
Encyclopedia
Jacob Hespeler was a prominent businessman in Canada West and the founder of the town of Hespeler (since 1973 a part of Cambridge, Ontario
).
, Hespeler was the eldest son of Johann Georg Hespeler (born 1784) and Anna Barbara Wick (1791-1881). His mother was a granddaughter of Count Károly Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka
(1723-1795), a Hungarian nobleman. His father was a businessman with the house of Mayer Amschel Rothschild
.
Hespeler received his education in Nancy and moved to North America where he worked in the fur trade
for several years, working first for John Jacob Astor
in Chicago
and then with the Hudson's Bay Company
.
.
Hespeler began as a co-owner of a store, which he soon owned outright, and then expanded his business operations in town. He purchased a site along the Grand River
intending to build a mill which would compete with the existing mill owned by the Erb family. After beginning the digging of the millrace, he was forced to abandon the project as he could not secure the necessary water rights from the Erbs. He instead bought up some land on King Street in Preston and built a grist mill, general store, and distillery. He held a number of public positions in Preston, serving as reeve, postmaster, and town councillor.
His distillery was unusual in Canada at the time in making use of the "German method" for producing vinegar
, which allowed vinegar to be fermented through a chemical process much faster than traditional methods.
In 1851 Hespeler sent a vinegar sample to The Great Exhibition
in Hyde Park
and subsequently began exporting vinegar to Britain regularly.
In 1857 he organized a census of New Hope with the aim of seeing it incorporated, and the settlement of New Hope was proclaimed the "Village of Hespeler" in his honour effective January 1, 1859. He was elected as the first reeve of the village, serving from 1859 to 1862.
of the Province of Canada
as the Conservative
candidate for South Waterloo, but was defeated by the Liberal James Cowan
.
Around 1861 he sold his properties in Preston and erected a large stone woollen mill in Hespeler near the Speed River
. After this mill was severely burned in 1869, Hespeler retired to California for several years before returning to Hespeler, where he died in 1881.
One of his younger brothers, William
, became a prominent Manitoba
politician. His daughter Laura married John Walker
, a prominent industrialist who served as a member of the House of Commons.
A high school has been built in his honor. Jacob Hespeler Secondary School in Cambridge, Ontario
.
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
).
Early life
Born Jakob Hespeler in Ehningen in the Kingdom of WürttembergHistory of Württemberg
Württemberg developed as a political entity in south-west Germany, with the core established around Stuttgart by Count Conrad . His descendants managed to expand Württemberg, surviving Germany's religious wars, changes in imperial policy, and invasions from France. The state had a basic...
, Hespeler was the eldest son of Johann Georg Hespeler (born 1784) and Anna Barbara Wick (1791-1881). His mother was a granddaughter of Count Károly Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka
Andrássy
Andrássy is the name of an aristocratic family of very ancient lineage prominent in Hungarian history.The full family name is "Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka"; "Csíkszentkirály" is a town in modern-day Romania now called Sâncrăieni, while Krásna Hôrka is a castle in Slovakia.The...
(1723-1795), a Hungarian nobleman. His father was a businessman with the house of Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Rothschild was the founder of the Rothschild family international banking dynasty that became the most successful business family in history. In 2005, he was ranked 7th on the Forbes magazine list of "The Twenty Most Influential Businessmen Of All Time"...
.
Hespeler received his education in Nancy and moved to North America where he worked in the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
for several years, working first for John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and then with the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
.
Business activities in Preston
Around 1835 Hespeler settled in Preston, Upper Canada (now part of Cambridge, Ontario), which was then a major German-speaking centre and a focus for German-speaking immigrants from both Europe and PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Hespeler began as a co-owner of a store, which he soon owned outright, and then expanded his business operations in town. He purchased a site along the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
intending to build a mill which would compete with the existing mill owned by the Erb family. After beginning the digging of the millrace, he was forced to abandon the project as he could not secure the necessary water rights from the Erbs. He instead bought up some land on King Street in Preston and built a grist mill, general store, and distillery. He held a number of public positions in Preston, serving as reeve, postmaster, and town councillor.
Development of New Hope / Hespeler
Beginning on February 6, 1845, Hespeler made a series of purchases of land on the west bank of the Speed River northeast of Preston, near a small settlement called New Hope, further removed from competition with the Erbs. He greatly enlarged the existing dam on the Speed, and within the next five years erected a gristmill, a sawmill, a cooperage, and a distillery. He also built stone lodgings for single men working in his buildings, and made significant donations to both the local Catholic and Lutheran churches.His distillery was unusual in Canada at the time in making use of the "German method" for producing vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
, which allowed vinegar to be fermented through a chemical process much faster than traditional methods.
In 1851 Hespeler sent a vinegar sample to The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
and subsequently began exporting vinegar to Britain regularly.
In 1857 he organized a census of New Hope with the aim of seeing it incorporated, and the settlement of New Hope was proclaimed the "Village of Hespeler" in his honour effective January 1, 1859. He was elected as the first reeve of the village, serving from 1859 to 1862.
Later years
In 1861 Hespeler ran for election to the 7th Parliament7th Parliament of the Province of Canada
The 7th Parliament of the Province of Canada was in session from 1861 to May 1863. Elections were held in the Province of Canada in 1861. This was the first election in Canada to use a list of eligible voters prepared before the election. All sessions were held in Quebec City...
of the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
as the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
candidate for South Waterloo, but was defeated by the Liberal James Cowan
James Cowan (Ontario politician)
James Cowan was an Ontario farmer, businessman and political figure.-Biography:He was born in Peeblesshire, Scotland in 1803. Cowan came to Upper Canada in 1834 and settled on a farm at Galt. In 1846, he helped found the Provincial Agricultural Association and Board of Agriculture for Canada West...
.
Around 1861 he sold his properties in Preston and erected a large stone woollen mill in Hespeler near the Speed River
Speed River
The Speed River is a river that flows through Wellington County and the Region of Waterloo in western Ontario, Canada. It flows south from its source near Orton, through Guelph, where it is joined by the Eramosa River, then through the towns of Hespeler and Preston, finally uniting with the Grand...
. After this mill was severely burned in 1869, Hespeler retired to California for several years before returning to Hespeler, where he died in 1881.
One of his younger brothers, William
William Hespeler
William Hespeler was a German - Canadian businessman and immigration agent and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He served as Speaker of the Legislature and as honorary consul of Germany to Winnipeg and the Northwest Territories...
, became a prominent Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
politician. His daughter Laura married John Walker
John Walker (Canadian politician)
John Walker was a Scottish-born industrialist and political figure in Ontario. He represented London in the Canadian House of Commons in 1874 as a Liberal member....
, a prominent industrialist who served as a member of the House of Commons.
A high school has been built in his honor. Jacob Hespeler Secondary School in Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
.
External links
- Biography of Jacob Hespeler, City of Cambridge Hall of Fame
- History of Hespeler, Ontario including biographical information about Jacob Hespeler
- History of Hespeler, Ontario with information on Hespeler
- Jacob Hespeler Secondary School in Cambridge, Ontario, named in honour of Hespeler