Friedrich Gaukel
Friedrich Gaukel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date or Template:Birth date Württemberg, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | November 8, 1853 (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, distiller, innkeeper |
| Known for | Early development of Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario; owner of Gaukel's Inn; land donor for county courthouse and jail |
Friedrich Gaukel (born either 9 June 1784 or 7 June 1785; died 8 November 1853), also referred to as Frederick Gaukel, was a German-Canadian farmer, distiller, and innkeeper. Originating from Württemberg, now part of modern Germany, he first emigrated to Pennsylvania in the United States before relocating to Waterloo Township in Upper Canada, present-day Ontario. Gaukel significantly influenced the early growth of Berlin, Ontario (currently Kitchener), where he ran a tavern near the future location of the Walper Hotel at King and Queen Streets. His contribution of land for a county courthouse and jail was instrumental in securing Berlin as the administrative center of Waterloo County, thereby fostering its urban expansion.
Early life
Friedrich Gaukel entered the world on either 9 June 1784 or 7 June 1785 in Württemberg, then a duchy within the Holy Roman Empire predominantly inhabited by Swabians. He worked professionally as a distiller in Germany. Around 1800, he planned to join an Arctic whaling expedition departing from Amsterdam but missed the fleet's departure. Records show his name on the passenger list of the ship Rebecca, which transported German immigrants from Holland to Philadelphia on 27 August 1804. It is possible that Pennsylvania attracted him due to the migration of Württemberg preacher John George Rapp, who sought to establish a religious community there. Gaukel completed a three-year indentured service with a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer before continuing his career in agriculture.
In either 1812 or 1813, he married Polly Kaufman, whose parents had also been indentured servants; after their deaths, she was adopted by another family. Family lore suggests she had Irish roots. Their first child, Nancy, was born in the early 1810s, followed by Heinrich (Henry) around 1813. By 1815, Gaukel resided near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where another son, Emanuel, was born. Two additional children, Elizabeth and George, were also born in Pennsylvania.
Arrival in Canada
Around 1820, Gaukel joined the Mennonite migration from Pennsylvania to Upper Canada, settling initially in Preston within Waterloo Township. He began working at a distillery before acquiring a small farm near Bridgeport, where he established his own distillery business. The property included a log cabin, barn, orchard, and livestock. Gaukel fathered two more children—Levi and Susannah—born in 1823 and 1824 respectively; however, his wife Polly passed away in 1827. By 1831, he owned , with of land actively farmed.
Economic dynamics evolved as Benjamin Eby encouraged commercial growth along King Street. Early entrepreneurs included David and William Millar (dry goods and groceries), Jacob Hailer (furniture and spinning wheels), and American Phineas Varnum, who operated a blacksmith shop and tavern between 1820 and the mid-1830s. Shortly after Hailer’s arrival, Gaukel purchased Varnum’s tavern property and expanded his landholdings considerably by 1833, obtaining lots stretching along King Street to what is now Ontario Street as well as parcels across King Street from Eby. These land deals represent the earliest documented use of the name Berlin for this locality.
In July 1834, a travelling menagerie visited nearby Galt, drawing visitors from adjacent townships. Despite apprehensions about cholera among members of the troupe, local officials permitted the event to proceed. A subsequent cholera epidemic resulted in nearly two hundred fatalities within ten days in an area lacking hospitals and served by only one physician. Among those who succumbed were Gaukel’s son Heinrich and his second wife Maria Roschang, who had recently delivered their youngest child Jacob.
Gaukel's Inn
In 1835, Gaukel enhanced his tavern by constructing a sizable wooden hotel known as Gaukel's Inn. This establishment featured stables and a carriage shed, with meals priced at fifteen cents and beer available for three cents. That same year, Gaukel engaged in community initiatives by contributing to the founding of Heinrich Wilhelm Peterson's Canada Museum, und Allgemeine Zeitung, recognized as Upper Canada's first German-language weekly publication. He was married to Dorothea Weismiller, who also hailed from Württemberg.
Together with Dorothea, Gaukel transformed the inn into a focal point for the town's political and social activities, accommodating political assemblies, club meetings, and public events. The broad veranda became a favored spot for speakers addressing the community. Additionally, the inn functioned as the designated location for paying taxes and nominating representatives to the Wellington District Council.
During the early 1840s, Gaukel expanded his real estate portfolio around Berlin by purchasing land along King Street West (later renamed Gaukel Street), Schneider's Road (which became Queen Street), and Weber Street East. His acquisitions included parcels that would later be the site of the county courthouse.
Legacy
Two streets in downtown Kitchener—Frederick Street and Gaukel Street—bear his name in recognition of his contributions.
See also
- Jacob Gaukel Stroh, his grandson and historian of Waterloo County
- History of Kitchener, Ontario
- List of German Canadians