IN THE COUNTY OF WATERLOO                             45

CHAPTER II.-SOUTH EAST HOPE (SHAKESPEARE).

    The Township of South East Hope, west of Southern Wilmot, belonging to the Huron Tract, was owned, surveyed and sold to settlers by the Canada Company from 1829 onward.

    This company built the Huron Road from the western limit of Waterloo County, about one mile west of Hamburg, via Stratford, to Goderich, on Lake Huron.  It skirts the northern limit of North East Hope to Stratford and then runs straight to Goderich.  The Grand Trunk Railroad runs closely to it as far as Stratford, from there to Goderich the old Buffalo and Lake Huron Railroad, now a branch of the Grand Trunk, follows it to the lake.

    The settlers of South East Hope are mostly German; on the north end, near Stratford, mostly Irish.  In the southern part the Amish are numerous.

    Sebastian Freyfogel, one of the first to come in, received a bonus of £40 for opening the first tavern on the Huron Road from the Canada Company, to accommodate the incoming settlers and prospectors.  He was a prominent figure in the Township for many years.

    The first German Catholics settled just below the Huron Road a little south of Shakespeare.  Among them were Jacob Weiss, Peter Dantzer, Jos.  Berger, J. Gruber, Peter Riener, Xavier V. Meyer, Jos.  Weiss, Wm.  Kritz, and Mr. Linsemeyer, from Alsace.  John Hartleib, Lawrence Arnold, Wendelin Schuler, and Mr. Scherer came from Baden, all from 1833 onward.  Mrs. McNicholl.  Mr. Worrochnet, and several others lived within two or three miles from each other.

    Father Wiriath, no doubt, visited these settlers on his trips to Goderich, as he had to pass close to them.  Of Fathers Schneider's and Sanderl's visits the records give ample evidence.  The first log chapel was erected under Father Schneider in 1839 or 1840.  When the Jesuits came to St. Agatha in 1847, they gave an eight-day Mission here that was well attended and produced happy results.  They also induced the people to change their school into a Separate School.  During their period the Mission was regularly attended about monthly.

    In 1863, under Father E. Funcken, a neat, substantial stone church with tower and sanctuary was erected.  It seems the school was then given up because the number of supporters had decreased quite materially.  The church continued to be looked after from St. Agatha till 1866, then the priest came from Berlin.  Since 1871 or 1872 no Sunday services were held here.  Only at the death of some old settler a priest would come to bury him.  The writer buried several of them many years ago, among them John Hartleib, who was killed in an accident, and Xavier Bechler, who had died in Ellice Township, and was brought down to his old home for interment.

    Now only a few families remain here, and a few in Shakespeare.  Most of them moved further west towards the lake, some to the States.