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*"ACK TEN EREE CIVIC SQUARE LOST _ 1911 COUNCIL SPURNED DEAL Recent discussion of develâ€" eping a civic square in Waterâ€" 4o has prompted Waterloo kistorians and oldâ€"timers to reâ€" vive a story on how the city lost a free civic square. The story â€" forgotten genâ€" eration ago â€" had its beginnâ€" ing in 1806 when Waterloo‘s town planning had its beginâ€" ning. It was neither labelled But â€" as a matter of reâ€" cord and of fact â€" the history of Waterloo itself is the hisâ€" tory of a town planner. He was Abraham Erb, Waterloo‘s first settler. The story of the pioneer planner‘s plan for a civie square and how it was upset goes thusly: In 1806 Mr. Erb bought about 900 acres of lowâ€"lying land from agents of the Gerâ€" man Company which eventually became part of what is now W aterloo. He built a saw mill and laâ€" ter, in 1816, a grist mill, powâ€" ered by water. The water farce was obtained by making a dam on Laurel Creek, for many years known as the Waâ€" terloo Dam and now as Silver Lake. After erection of the mill, '-u&;gnized as such CARLING‘S / Lite/ T One of a series of Canadian Indian Legends LEGEND OF THE SQUIRREL When the world was almost destroyed by fire, Man and Woman gave out new shapes to the animals left. Squirrel, who did not like his shape, pestered to be changed. He so chattered and scolded as they worked that Man refused, and brokenâ€"hearted Squirrel went away and wept. That is why the squirrel‘s eyes are bright and swollen, as if with weeping. at that others were anxious to join the settlement, but Erb was reâ€" luctant to parcel out his land in small lots. In 1829, however, he sold a major slice of his holdings to Jacob C. Snider, who had moved from Pennsylvania to & tarm ijast west of the city. Sold Most In 1854, Mr. Snider sold most of his land to John Hoftâ€" man and Isaac Weaver, re taining the mill property, the dam and various lots. sold the land lot by lot. out the village on broad lines. King streetâ€"even at this carâ€" iy dateâ€"1854â€"was made 84 feet wide from the then Berlin boundary almost to the mill in the centre of the village. Due in a large measure to their salesmanship and visiol.\ Waterloo became & village three years later. Abraham Erb set aside a square of about a city block ri%t“h the heart of Waterloo. It was in front of the mill and bounded by the mill site on the south, Erb rorth and King & &AE W ERY 11M +TE B Iroquois Legend THE WATERLOO (Ontaric) CHRONICLE®® Graybill advocated the paving of King street. He died early in 1911, but his proposal was implemented later the same _ Ever since 1815 until 1910 â€"for 95 years the square was used for a town square or William Sunider, ownor ol the mill property in 1910, reaâ€"~ lized that taxes must be paid In 1910â€"11 Mayer CONGRATULATIONS . . . TO Ball Brothers Ltd. Here‘s to the Waterloo Chronicle for a Constructive Hundred The Waterloo Chronicle ntil 1910 Bank juare was As quare or | boug! the & owner of | move 1910, reaâ€" | deed on the pavement Erb streets. deed to the town for $1. 1 But townm council of 1911 spurned the offer. | Bank Buys Property As a result Mr. Snider bought the property adjoining the square on the west side, reâ€" lmoved the restriction in the deed that the square maust be kept open and sold s large 49 King St. E. in Waterloo offered the CHANNEL 13 on ; part of it to Molson‘s ‘Bank for and | $10,000. (The bank is now knows the Bank of Montreal many dollers for that site to» day," said one oldâ€"timer. Canada‘s agricultural imâ€" plements ind us try shipped $119,006,000 worth of proâ€" ducts in 1954, a drop of 30 na» mant from 1963. iy, August 16, 19ve ~¢.