Vieux centre-ville

Ezekiel Lewis, Waterloo’s first resident, established himself in 1793. The lake discharge channel, which didn’t have an official name, was the ideal spot to build a rudimentary dam and sawmill. This is how Waterloo was born, on the corner of Allen and Foster. In the years to come, many other industries and businesses would establish themselves at the same spot or close by – steam-powered mills, a foundry, repair shop, general store, hotel and other businesses made this street corner the birthplace of Waterloo.

 

If Hezekiah Robinson could be considered the father of trade in Waterloo, Charles Allen was definitely the king of industry. In 1835, you needed to be very bold to build a foundry in a village so far from the sources of iron and carbon minerals. Located on Foundry Street (Allen), the business counted numerous buildings and fabricated a wide range of products. Some were destined for home use, such as wood stoves and other metal objects for daily use; others for farmers, such as plows and harrows, hay forks and rakes; and other products for industry: bark mills for tanneries, water wheels for sawmills and basins for cheese making. The Waterloo foundry was an essential part of the region’s economic development.



To continue the tour: Cross Foster again and turn left to return to the tourist kiosk. There is one final stop on the way, Fisk House.