Scarce photos from early Waterloo Park capture peaceful times
Discover a fascinating glimpse into Waterloo Park’s history with a newly uncovered booklet
Flash from the Past has probably highlighted Waterloo Park a half dozen times since the column first appeared in 2006. During my tenure alone, it’s been featured at least twice … now, make that thrice.
Recently a six inch by three-anda-half inch, 12-page booklet found its way to my desk — mostly photographs but one page of interesting early park information. I had never seen it before but wanted to share it.
The only name mentioned in the booklet tells readers to contact Park Board secretary A.B. McBride for more information. He was a prominent lawyer in Waterloo for decades and being on the board was his civic role.
Of the nine photographs, some I have never seen, some have appeared as postcards and some are nonpark views. One page contains a small essay extolling Waterloo Park’s assets and it contains a couple of surprises: who knew there were once golf links in the park? And most astonishingly, the writer claims there was also a target-andtrap shooting range for the local gun club.
I am sure that would go over well in 2024.
With no publishing date or author shown, clues from the booklet have to be assembled:
The caption of one photo mentions “the large new pavilion” … it was erected in 1895.
McBride’s telephone number was shown as No. 273 and directories of the late 1800s into the 19-teens show Waterloo numbers in that range.
The park’s fancy Victoria Memorial Gate is pictured and it was erected not long after Queen Victoria’s 1901 death. That pushes the date of publication into the early 1900s.
The front cover lists Daily Citizen, Waterloo as the printer. Under publisher Andreas Weidenhammer, the Citizen was a short-lived daily newspaper. Its press also took on printing jobs such as this booklet. In early January 1909, the Daily Citizen ceased publication after just three years. Weidenhammer was also editor of the longtime German-language weekly Bauernfreund which in mid-1909 was sold to Rittinger and Motz publishers of Berlin. It was a hectic time for Andreas: he was also mayor of Waterloo that year.
In the essay and also on the rear cover it is noted that both the Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific railways offer special rates to the park for out-of-town picnic parties. The former used the (still-operating in 2024) rail line from Berlin and the latter by way of the Preston and Berlin electric line (today’s Iron Horse Trail route). CPR owned the P&B after January 1908. Both sets of tracks crossed Erb Street at Caroline.
From those clues it would appear that a 1908-1909 publishing date is probable and the new mayor was the likely instigator.
Three photos are not of the park: a view of King Street South; a group photo of the Waterloo Musical Society Band and a scene of lawn bowling at the Waterloo Bowling Club. The latter’s placement infers the greens was in the park but it was actually located in the downtown Dupont / Regina / Erb neighbourhood.
I will leave the Flash from the Past description there, hoping an extra photo or two can be shown in the print edition. Online at www.therecord.com there will be more images from this booklet.
RYCH MILLS, A FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR FOR THE RECORD, IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF KITCHENER-WATERLOO WHOSE INTEREST IN THE TWIN CITIES’ PAST HAS APPEARED IN TWO LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS AND NUMEROUS ARTICLES FOR THE WATERLOO HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL VOLUME. HE CAN BE REACHED BY EMAIL AT RYCHMILLS@GOLDEN.NET.