The first Amish settlement in Ontario was near Baden in 1822, almost 100 years ago. The Mennonites had settled near present day Kitchener Waterloo about 20 years previously, and had emigrated from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Amish came primarily from Europe, but a few came from the United States. This settlement was a result of a man by the name of Christian Nafziger who came to Upper Canada from Europe to find land for Amish families. The land they subsequently settled on was known as the German Block, and was land that had been designated as “Crown Reserve”. The approximate boundaries of this tract were Wilmot Easthope Road to the west and Trussler Road to the east. Snyders Road, Erb Street and Bleams Road ran east and west through this block of land. Today, Highway 8 runs almost through the middle of the German Block. The changes in 99 years from an almost entirely treed expanse to the prosperous development of today is mind boggling. Our ancestors who laboured long and hard to clear a few acres a year would be flabbergasted. This is a fascinating story, and you can read more about it in “The Amish and Their Neighbours” by Lorraine Roth.
