Townsman, 1992-01, Page 14au'8ilfi
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Jakobstettel Guest House provides its guests with modern comforts amidst peaceful country surroundings.
Set on the banks of the Conestoga was as a service to the rural communi-
{
St, Jacobs,
a lot
of the old
in the new
by Bonnie Gropp
The village of St. Jacobs, located
outside Waterloo, is a perfect blend of
old and new, with past and modern
day joining together so it is hard to
tell where one begins and the other
ends.
In its earliest times, in the mid -
1800's, the German settlement Jakob-
stettel rivaled Kitchener in population.
River, it became, in the 1870's, a sub-
stantial source of hydro power. In the
early years, hard-working Mennonite
settlers brought many industrial firsts
to the area. One of the most famous of
its industrial pioneers, Elias Weber
Bingeman Snider, had the foresight to
adapt the use of electricity to his flour
mill. A dynamo, powered by water
wheel, produced electricity which was
distributed to the building and eventu-
ally throughout the town.
This demand began E.W.B.'s
mission, as the head of two commit-
tees to harness nature's power at Nia-
gara Falls and bring hydro -electric
power to Southern Ontario. Those two
committees were the beginning of
Ontario Hydro. A memorial to
E.W.B., in recognition of his leader-
ship, stands in a prominent place at
the edge of the village.
When the railroad by-passed St.
Jacobs its demise began, while neigh-
bouring Kitchener flourished.
Through the years its growth
remained dormant. Its main potential
12 TOWNSMAN/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1992
ty, until 1974 when developer Milo
Shantz of Mercedes Corporation pur-
chased property to establish a busi-
ness.
Larry Martin, General Manager
of the Stone Crock Restaurant, which
is one of Mercedes' businesses, said
that it was apparent that St. Jacobs
was by this time somewhat of a tourist
attraction, with people coming to see
the Mennonites still living in the area.
"Milo Shantz felt there should be a
response to the influx, with a Men-
nonite person to guide the direction of
development, thus minimizing the
impact on the way of life here."
Mr. Shantz built the Stone Crock
in what was formerly a grocery store,
and it was his intent, Mr. Martin said,
that it be a business that would inte-
grate into the community, not detract
from what was there. The Stone Crock
fit that image with its cozy country
atmosphere of early -Ontario. Its menu
offers delicious homecooked fare,
including hearty soups and salads,
roast beef, turkey and dressing,