Heidelberg, Ontario
| Wellesley | |
|---|---|
| Township (lower-tier) | |
| Township of Wellesley | |
A bridge crossing the Conestogo River in Wellesley.
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 Wellesley within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo |
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 Wellesley
Wellesley
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| Coordinates: 43°33′N 80°43′W / 43.550°N 80.717°WCoordinates: 43°33′N 80°43′W / 43.550°N 80.717°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Ontario
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| Region | Waterloo |
| Settled | 1840s |
| Incorporated | 1852 |
| Corporated | 2006 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Mayor | Joe Nowak |
| • Governing Body | Wellesley Township Council |
| • Councillors | Shelley Wagner, Herb Neher, Peter van der Maas, Carl Smit |
| • MP | Harold Albrecht (CPC |
| • MPP | Michael Harris (PCPO) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 277.79 km2 (107.26 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 11,260 |
| • Density | 38.6/km2 (100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code FSA | N0B |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| Website | www.wellesley.ca |
The Township of Wellesley is the rural, north-western township of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It encompasses 277.79 km2 and had a population of 11,260 in the Canada 2016 Census.
By 1805, many Mennonites from Pennsylvania had settled nearby in Berlin but Wellesley Township itself was not surveyed until 1842, and the area around Crosshill was settled in 1846 by M. Hastings and Hugh Hutchinson.
In 1837, John Philip Schweitzer from Germany squatted at what is now Hawkesville, and had 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land cleared over the following nine years. Then, John Hawke received government permission to buy the clearing for $700.00 on the condition that he build a grist mill (for flour) and a sawmill within two years. John Hawke, the second son of Benjamin Hawke and Mary (Lount), had arrived.
The village of St. Clements was settled in 1840, by Michael Spiehlmacker. A post office opened in 1853. By 1864, there was a large Roman Catholic church, two stores, three hotels and some tradesmen, although the population was only about 100. By 1869, the population had increased to 200 and the post office was receiving mail daily.
Records from 1846 about the entire Township indicate that much of the land had been "Queen's Rush, crown land, where fifty acre lots were given away to actual settlers". The Population of the entire township in 1841, was only 254.
The area now the village of Wellesley on the Nith River was first settled in 1847, by John Smith and was originally called Schmidtsville. The post office opened in 1851 and the village was renamed Wellesley after Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, the eldest brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The community quickly grew to be the largest economic centre in rural Waterloo County, with a wood mill, feed mill, a grain mill (which still stands after being constructed in 1856), leather tanner, cheese factory, restaurants and housing, and many other businesses that also brought much trade to the town from the nearby farms and farming villages. By 1864, the village also had two stores, a flour mill, three wagon makers, boot and shoe shops, a hotel two churches and a school with 78 students. By 1869, the population of the village of Wellesley was 400; the nearest rail station was 9 mi (14 km) away in Baden.
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