Pioneer Tower West in Kitchener in Waterloo Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower

Photographed by Tim Boyd, October 19, 2024

1. Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower Marker

Inscription.
In the spring of 1800, Joseph Schoerg and Samuel Betzner, Jr., brothers-in-law mennonites, from Franklin County Pennsylvania began the first two farms in the County of Waterloo, Schoerg on land adjoining this farm, Betzner on the west bank of the river, three miles downstream. In the same year came Samuel Betzner, sr, who took up a farm including this site.

Other settlers followed and in 1805 a company formed in Pennsylvania purchased 60,000 acres, the German Company tract, comprising the greater part of Block 2, Grand River Indian lands, now Waterloo Township. This constituted the first larger settlement in the then far interior of Upper Canada.

Erected 1925 by The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1800.

Location. 43° 24.009′ N, 80° 24.972′ W. Marker is in Kitchener, Ontario, in Waterloo Region. It is in Pioneer Tower West. It is on Lookout Lane 0.3 kilometers south of Deer Ridge Drive, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 Lookout Lane, Kitchener ON N2P 2X8, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 kilometers of this marker, measured

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as the crow flies: Waterloo Pioneers / Pionniers de Waterloo (within shouting distance of this marker); Pioneer Tower West (within shouting distance of this marker); Doon Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Doon School of Fine Arts 1948-1966 (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Homer Ransford Watson (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Huron Road Crossroads at Bechtel’s Ford (approx. 1.3 kilometers away); Huron Road Bridge (approx. 1.6 kilometers away); The Huron Road (approx. 1.7 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kitchener.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, October 19, 2026

2. Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower Marker

Marker is just right of the tower doorway

Memorial to Joseph and Elizabeth Sherk (Schoerg) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, October 19, 2024

3. Memorial to Joseph and Elizabeth Sherk (Schoerg)

In the small cemetery at the memorial tower site

Memorial to Samuel and Maria Betzner at the Pioneer Memorial Tower site image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, October 19, 2024

4. Memorial to Samuel and Maria Betzner at the Pioneer Memorial Tower site

Map of the Townships of Waterloo and Woolich, Upper Canada, 1815 image. Click for full size.

5. Map of the Townships of Waterloo and Woolich, Upper Canada, 1815

Showing the names of the original settlers

Credits. This page was last revised on April 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 26, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 274 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 26, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.