Preston (Ontario, Canada)
Preston, a town (population was 8,819 in the late 1950s, merged with Galt and Hespeler to become Cambridge in 1973) in Waterloo County, Ontario, was situated 8 miles south of Kitchener and 60 miles west of Toronto. Led by George Clemens about 1800, the first Mennonite settlers here (from Pennsylvania) were soon followed by others. The settlement grew and prospered with the construction of a grist mill and sawmill. Known first as Cambridge, later Preston, it became a village in 1833. An important industrial center today, it has over 35 diversified industries. The Mennonites first met in homes for worship until 1842, when a church building (Preston Mennonite Church) was erected north of the town, called Hagey's. Twice destroyed by fire, it is now located within the town limits. Early leaders were Joseph Bechtel, first minister; Benjamin Eby, bishop and organizer; Martin Baer, David Sherk, and John Baer ministers. A 26-capacity home for the aged (Braeside) was dedicated in 1943. It was replaced by a new and larger building at the north edge of the town in 1956 called Fairview Mennonite Home.
| Author(s) | Harvey E Snyder |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Snyder, Harvey E. "Preston (Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Preston_(Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=84182.
APA style
Snyder, Harvey E. (1959). Preston (Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Preston_(Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=84182.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, pp. 215-216. All rights reserved.
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