Hespeler, Ontario
Hespeler is a neighbourhood and former town within Cambridge, Ontario, located along the Speed River.
History
In 1830, Joseph Oberholtzer purchased land along the Speed River. The settlement that followed was to become known as New Hope. In 1845, Jacob Hespeler arrived in New Hope. Hespeler purchased land along the river and built several industrial mills. Hespeler brought strength to the village, with was aided by Great Western Railway stopping in the settlement between Galt and Guelph. In 1857, Hespeler called for a Census to find out if the number of residents in the settlement would be enough to name it a village. The Census took place in July, 1858, and the settlement became the Village of Hespeler on January 1, 1859. The village continued to grow until it was incorporated as the Town of Hespeler in 1901.
Hespeler flourished into the 20th century and housed Dominion Woollens and Worsteds Ltd., one of the largest textile producers in the country.
The town also developed a history in hockey, as a hockey stick manufacturer located there, and consequently named Hespeler, manufactured hockey sticks. The Hespeler Shamrocks, is the name of the minor hockey teams in town run by Hespeler Minor Hockey Association under the Ontario Minor Hockey Association . Graduates include Kirk Maltby and Paul Woods of the Detroit Red Wings, Tim Brent of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Ellacott of the Vancouver Canucks, Don "Red" Laurence of the Atlanta Flames and former NHL Linesman Bob Hodges.
