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Kitchener, Ontario, is a community with two histories. As Berlin, it was a rapidly growing and prosperous town reveling in its Germanic heritage. After dramatic civic upheavals from 1915 to 1919, it emerged, somewhat bruised, as Kitchener. From a twenty-first-century viewpoint, there often appears to be a disconnection between the two. Kitchener
(Berlin): 1880-1960 challenges this perception and bridges the two histories. Using mostly unpublished photographs, many from the Waterloo Historical Society's collection, the author captures the town that was and the city that is. Kitchener (Berlin): 1880-1960 brings to life many long-gone treasures,
such as the classic city hall, the post office, and the sugar factory. William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada's longest-serving prime minister, is seen during his hometown visits. Famous, as well as less familiar, individuals are captured, including Breithaupt and Bailey, Ahrens and Timm, Schmalz and Peoli, and Euler and Izma. This history also welcomes the reader to explore such questions as who was the father of Canadian soccer, who really turned on the first hydropower in 1910, who were Big Charlie and Pop, and what was the Committee-of-One?
About the author
Author Rych Mills has spent more than twenty-five years collecting, researching, and analyzing his hometown's history. As a member of Waterloo Historical Society and Victoria Park Historical Committee, he has fueled public interest in local history with lectures and presentations on a wide variety of local topics at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and numerous public venues. He has authored a local history book and numerous articles in the Waterloo Historical Society's annual volume and other area publications.
