B.:_______ D.:______
Married:_______
Theobald Spetz had emigrated to Pennsylvania from Alsace in the early 1800s. The Spetz family then moved to Waterloo County where the family settled on a farm near Erbsville. A son, Joseph Spetz, grew up on the farm but decided country life was not for him. In the late 1850s Joseph purchased the North American Hotel located on the north-west corner of William and Caroline Sts. Today, this seems an unlikely spot for a hotel but then, just across the street was located the early brewery operated by David Kuntz. Also, the first Waterloo market was started on the public square opposite the brewery. One of Waterloo’s first parks, the Showground, was located just to the west where Alexandra School was situated. Spetz, in 1862 took the opportunity to purchase the Peter Rebscher Brewery in Berlin. Probably Spetz left a manager to run the hotel when he moved to Berlin. The Spetz Brewery continued for many years. Joseph Spetz became an important figure in early Berlin. Spetz Street in Kitchener commemorates the man and the famous brewery. Joseph’s son, Theobald, grew up to be an influential Roman Catholic priest in Waterloo.
Sources:
1. Ellis Little, Early Waterloo Hotels, unpublished.
2. Kitchener-Waterloo Record, March 30, 1948.
3. Tremaine Map, 1861, Kitchener Public Library.
4. Census Figures, North Waterloo, 1851.
Joseph Spetz Biography
Description
- Creator
- Little, Ellis, Author
- Media Type
- Text
- Item Type
- Articles
- Description
- This is a handwritten biography of Joseph Spetz from the Ellis Little Papers. This biography has been transcribed exactly as written. Ellis Little was a local historian, who was the principal of Elizabeth Ziegler Public School.On his retirement, he invested much of his time in researching and writing about Waterloo's history. The Ellis Little Papers consist of extensive notes, papers and historical works.
- Notes
- Please scroll to the bottom of the page to see the transcribed text. To see the original document, please visit the Ellis Little Local History Room at the Main Branch of the Waterloo Public Library.
- Date Of Event
- 1818-1901
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Spetz, Joseph ; Spetz, Theobald ; Kuntz, David ; Rebscher, Peter
- Corporate Name(s)
- North American Hotel ; Peter Rebscher Brewery ; Spetz Brewery
- Local identifier
- ELP 51.210
- Collection
- Ellis Little Papers: Men and Women of Our Past
- Language of Item
- English
- Copyright Statement
- To obtain a copy of this item and for terms of use please contact the Waterloo Public Library.
- Location of Original
- Ellis Little Papers
- Contact
- Waterloo Public LibraryEmail:askus@wpl.ca
Website:
Agency street/mail address:35 Albert Street, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 5E2
- Full Text
