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Moses Springer
Moses Springer
	Springer in 1873
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament; for Waterloo North
	In office; 1867–1881
Preceded by	Riding established
Succeeded by	Elias Weber Bingeman Snider
Mayor of Waterloo
	In office; 1876–1877
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	George Randall
Reeve of Waterloo
	In office; 1873–1876
Preceded by	George Randall
Succeeded by	Position abolished
	In office; 1867–1869
Preceded by	John Hoffman
Succeeded by	George Randall
	In office; 1857–1862
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Daniel Snyder
Personal details
Born	August 24, 1824; Doon, Ontario
Died	September 5, 1898 (aged 74); Berlin, Ontario
Political party	Ontario Liberal Party

Moses Springer (August 24, 1824 – September 5, 1898) was an Ontario businessman and political figure who became the first mayor of Waterloo, Ontario. He also represented Waterloo North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1881.

Springer was born August 24, 1824, to Benjamin Springer, originally from Poughkeepsie, and Mary Rykeman, in Doon in Upper Canada.^[1] One of 11 children, he was orphaned at the age of 10 when both parents died in 1834 during a cholera epidemic.^[2] He was later adopted and raised by Mennonite bishop Joseph B. Hagey.^[2]^[3] He worked as a farm hand, taught school and served as a provincial land surveyor in Woolwich Township.

In 1854, he moved to Waterloo where he became the owner and publisher of the German language newspaper Der Canadische Bauernfreund.^[2] He opened a store there in 1856. He was the president of the Waterloo Mutual Fire Insurance Company and helped found the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Company, later Clarica Life Assurance, in 1868. He was the first reeve of the village of Waterloo and served as reeve for a total of 12 years, served 11 years on the county council and became the first mayor when Waterloo was incorporated as a town in 1876. In 1881, Springer became sheriff for Waterloo County and served in that post until his death.^[3] Springer died September 5, 1898, in Berlin, Ontario (now Kitchener) and was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery.

His wife Barbara Shantz, with whom he had 13 children, preceded him in death, dying October 1884.^[1] The home where the Springer family lived from the mid-1850s to later in his life at 34 Erb Street East was demolished by the city of Waterloo in 2016.^[4] His grand-daughter, Emma Ella Roos, was the first librarian at the Waterloo Public Library.^[5]

Electoral history

v t e 1867 Ontario general election: Waterloo North
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Moses Springer	908	50.67
	Conservative	Mr. Zoeger	884	49.33
Total valid votes			1,792	71.68
Eligible voters			2,500
	Liberal pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario^[6]

v t e 1871 Ontario general election: Waterloo North
Party	Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Moses Springer	Acclaimed
Source: Elections Ontario^[7]

v t e 1875 Ontario general election: Waterloo North
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Moses Springer	1,363	67.71
	Conservative	A. Millar	650	32.29
Total valid votes			2,013	70.31
Eligible voters			2,863
	Liberal hold		Swing
Source: Elections Ontario^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b "Mayor-Reeve-Sheriff Moses Springer". Waterloo Region Generations. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Waterloo 150: Moses Springer" (PDF). Waterloo Public Library. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Sheriff Springer Dead". Waterloo Chronicle. 8 September 1898. p. 4. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^ Outhit, Jeff (9 December 2016). "Waterloo loses home of first mayor". therecord.com. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^ "Ex-librarian dies at 90". Waterloo Chronicle. 17 December 1970. p. 23. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1867. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1871. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1875. Retrieved April 6, 2024.