Moses Springer

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Contents

Introduction

Moses Springer (1824-1898) was one of the founding fathers of Waterloo. He was the city's first mayor, its first MPP and president of Waterloo's first insurance company. He sat on the Waterloo public school board for 30 years (25 as chairman), and was the long-time secretary and treasurer of the North Waterloo Agricultural Society. Springer played a major role in the insurance industry in Waterloo. He was the first president of the Waterloo Mutual Fire Insurance Company, serving as President for twelve years. In 1863, he co-founded the Mutual Life Assurance Company, serving as secretary and general agent from 1869 to 1870 (the company that would later become Sun Life, then Clarica). He was also the first secretary of the North Waterloo Farmers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company and the first manager and general agent for the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

History

Born in Doon on August 31, 1824, he was the youngest of 11 children. His parents, Benjamin and Mary Springer, died in a cholera epidemic and Moses was left an orphan at the age of ten. Raised by Mennonite Bishop Joseph Hagey in Hespeler, Springer worked as a farm hand from the ages of 13 to 20. He had little opportunity for formal schooling, however he managed to earn a third-class teaching certificate and taught for five years at Waterloo's Central school. Springer tried a variety of other occupations; while teaching, he studied to be a surveyor and served as a provincial land surveyor and assessor for Woolwich township for seven years. In 1852 he was appointed magistrate in Waterloo. In 1853, he bought a German language weekly newspaper, Der Canadische Bauerenfreund from Joseph Erb. He moved the paper to Waterloo from Preston and published it until 1862 when he sold his interests. In 1856 he opened a store on King Street in Waterloo called Moses Springer & Company. He sold dry goods, groceries, crockery, wines and liquor.

It was in the office of his merchandising business on King Street in Waterloo that the organizational meetings for the first insurance firm Mutual Fire Insurance Co. were held in 1868. It was Springer who sold the first 500 policies needed to attain a charter for the new company. During his career, he also was involved in the creation of two other Waterloo insurance companies and served on the board of directors of the Agricultural Mutual Insurance Co. in London, Ontario.

When the village of Waterloo was incorporated, Springer became the first reeve, a position he held from 1857-1861, 1867-1869 and 1873-1875. Between 1857-1875 he sat on county council for 11 years. Springer was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Waterloo in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1867 to 1881. During his career as an MPP, Springer introduced legislation creating a municipal loan fund enabling municipalities to borrow funds from the province.

Upon incorporation on February 10, 1876, Springer became the first mayor of the Town of Waterloo. His term in office saw the establishment of new by-laws governing community safety, public morals, business operations and the granting of incentives for new businesses to establish themselves in the growing town. As mayor, Springer also brought the railway to Waterloo. In 1877, he negotiated an agreement with the Grand Trunk Railway Company to run a branch line from Berlin to Waterloo, which was eventually completed in 1882.

Following his two terms as mayor, Springer went on to become sheriff of Waterloo County, a position he held from 1881 until his death on September 5, 1898.

Personal Life

Springer was married three times, outliving his first two wives and was the father of six sons and four daughters, all by his first wife, Barbara Shantz.

Awards and Accolades

  • Springer was honored in the 1880 issue of the Canadian Biographical Dictionary of Eminent and Self-made Men. His name appeared next to that of John A. Macdonald, then prime minister of Canada, the only Waterloo County resident to be given such a distintion.
  • A park and community centre on Lincoln Road in Waterloo have been named in Moses Springer’s honour.

External links

Retrieved from "http://www.thewaterlooway.com/wiki/index.php?title=Moses_Springer"
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