Editing Cambridge, Ontario (section)

===History of the City of Galt===
{{Main|Galt, Ontario#History}}

[[File:Old Post Office Galt Cambridge Ontario.jpg|thumb|Old Post Office in Galt, built in 1886]]
Galt is situated on land once granted to the [[Iroquois]] people by the [[The Crown|British Crown]] at the end of the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Young|first=James|url=https://archive.org/details/cihm_26166|title=Reminiscences of the Early History of Galt and Settlement of Dumfries In the Province of Ontario|publisher=Hunter, Rose and Company|year=1880|location=Toronto|isbn=9780665261664 }}</ref> In the late 1700s, developers began to buy land around the Grand River from the [[Iroquois Confederacy|Six Nations]] who were led by [[Joseph Brant]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} One speculator, [[William Dickson (Upper Canada)|William Dickson]], a wealthy immigrant from Scotland, bought {{convert|90000|acre|km2}} of land along the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]] in 1816; this was later to become Galt and the Dumfries Townships. Dickson divided the land and sold smaller lots, particularly to Scottish settlers. The centre of the planned community was built at the junction of Mill Creek and the Grand River, then called Shade's Mills.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Dickson decided to name the Post Office Galt, in honour of [[John Galt (novelist)|John Galt]] of the [[Canada Company]] which was developing this entire area. Primarily agricultural in early years, Galt had attracted industry by 1840 and became the largest town in the Grand River area until the early 1900s. The town continued to grow, however, based on a large industrial base.<ref name="cambridge1">{{cite web |url=http://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-about/Local-History.aspx |title=History of the Town of Preston |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2011 |website=Cambridge |publisher=City of Cambridge |access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> In fact, Galt was called "Manchester of Canada" because of the extensive industry, powered by the Grand River. Some of the important businesses in about 1870 included the Dickson Mills (opened in 1843), the Axe Factory forge, two furniture factories, The Dumfries iron and brass foundry, three large woolen factories, a malt factory, the Victoria Steam Carriage Works, the Dumfries Flour Mill, the Victoria Foundry making farm implements, a large soap and candles works and two steam-powered tanneries.<ref name="collectionscanada.gc.ca">{{cite web |title=Towns, Villages and Post Offices of the County of Waterloo |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/001075/f2/e010780571_p2.pdf |page=126 |access-date=December 1, 2021}}</ref>

Records from 1846 indicate that Galt had very valuable water-power that allowed for milling and manufacturing. Stone buildings in the downtown area had already been erected and the population was 1,000, most of whom were originally from Scotland. Amenities included a curling club, library, a weekly newspaper, a school, a bank (Gore) and a fire company. The post office was receiving daily mail. Industries included two grist mills, two saw mills, two foundries, two carding machines and cloth factories, one brewery, two distilleries, one tannery, eight stores, nine taverns, two grocery stores and various tradesmen.<ref name="SmithsGaz" >{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Wm. H. |date=1846 |title=Smith's Canadian Gazetteer - Statistical and General Information Respecting All Parts of The Upper Province, or Canada West |url=https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit |location=Toronto |publisher=H. & W. Rowsell |page=[https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit/page/62 62]}}</ref>

The largest of the early schools in the community, the Galt Grammar School, opened in 1852 with the Dubliner William Tassie as headmaster starting in 1853 at the site of what later became the [[Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School|Galt Collegiate]]. The school gained widespread recognition and attracted students from across North America. By 1872, it had been recognized as a Collegiate Institute.<ref name="waynecook1">{{cite web |url=http://www.waynecook.com/awaterloo.html |title=Historical Plaques of Waterloo County |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2014 |website=Historical Plaques |publisher=Wayne Cook |access-date=10 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312051921/http://www.waynecook.com/awaterloo.html |archive-date=March 12, 2017 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Galt was incorporated as a town on January 1, 1857,<ref name="ancestry1">
{{cite web |url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onwaterl/waterloo-history.htm |title=History of Waterloo County |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2014 |website=Ancestry |publisher=Ontario GenWeb  |access-date=20 March 2017}}</ref> with Morris C. Lutz elected as the first mayor. By 1858, a "Town Hall and Market House" had been built with an "Italianate", particularly Tuscan, influence. In later years, the building became the City Hall and was extensively modified.<ref name="waynecook1"/>  Throughout that entire period, it continued to grow based on a large industrial base.<ref name="cambridge1"/>

[[File:Kids fishing in Hespeler, Ontario, next to a streetcar stop.jpg|thumb|right|An interurban streetcar connected Hespeler to nearby Preston and Galt.]]

The railway reached Galt in 1879, increasing the opportunities of exporting local goods and importing others.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mills |first=Rych |date=13 February 2017 |title=Growing Galt makes a grand view |url=http://www.therecord.com/living-story/7127326-growing-galt-makes-a-grand-view/ | work=Record |location=Kitchener |access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> The [[Credit Valley Railway]] planned to implement several lines running west and north from Toronto and in 1873, built freight and passenger buildings in Galt. By 1879, the company had installed a bridge crossing the river and in December completed a preliminary test run with a train; it was successful. The CVR venture was not long-lived, however, and in 1883, the line was taken over by the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]], which built a brick passenger building that still stands.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.therecord.com/living-story/8035119-flash-from-the-past-private-moment-goes-public-in-galt-rail-yard/ |title=Flash from the Past: Private moment goes public in Galt rail yard |date=January 5, 2018 |first=Rych |last=Mills |publisher=The Waterloo Region Record |access-date=December 1, 2021}}</ref>

The first hospital in Waterloo County opened in 1890 as Galt General Hospital. Additional buildings and facilities were added in the early 1900s. By 1918, the facility had an X-ray room, a 27-room nurses' residence, and also served as a nurses' training school.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mills |first=Rych |title=Flash from the Past: Hospitals' history of growth a Cambridge-Galt|url=https://www.therecord.com/living-story/9042867-flash-from-the-past-hospitals-history-of-growth-a-cambridge-galt-constant/ |work=Record |date=23 November 2018 |access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>

A new streetcar system, the [[Galt, Preston and Hespeler electric railway]], (later called the Grand River Railway Company) also began to operate in 1894, connecting Preston and Galt. In 1911, the line reached Hespeler, Berlin (later called Kitchener) and Waterloo; by 1916 it had been extended to [[Brantford]]/[[Port Dover]].<ref name="CambridgeInfluence" /><ref name="Mills">{{cite news |last=Mills |first=Rych |date=10 January 2017 |title=Flash From the Past: Preston Car and Coach goes up in smoke |url=http://www.therecord.com/living-story/7058983-flash-from-the-past-preston-car-and-coach-goes-up-in-smoke/| work=Record |location=Kitchener |access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> The electric rail system ended passenger services in April 1955.

Galt was incorporated as a city in 1915<ref name="ancestry1"/> and continued to grow due to a large industrial base.<ref name="cambridge1"/>

In 1911, most of the population of Galt were Protestant: 4,240 Presbyterians, 1,930 Anglicans, and 2,122 Methodists. There were very few Roman Catholics.<ref name="uwaterloo1911">
{{cite web |url=http://waterlooregionww1.uwaterloo.ca/tag/1911/ |title=Waterloo Region 1911 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date =2015 |website=Waterloo Region WWI |publisher=University of Waterloo |access-date=20 March 2017}}</ref>

Not long after Galt had become part of Cambridge, in May 1974, flooding on the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]] filled city streets with water to a depth of about {{convert|4|ft|m}}. In some areas of the downtown core, the depth was {{convert|17.4|ft|m}}, smashing windows and carrying goods along the streets. Approximately 75 businesses were affected, with virtually none covered by relevant insurance. The flood caused an estimated $5 million in damage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Ran |date=8 May 2014 |title=One Day in May event marks 1974 flood's 40th anniversary |url=https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news-story/4506903-one-day-in-may-event-marks-1974-flood-s-40th-anniversary/ | work=Cambridge Times |location=Cambridge, Ontario |access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Swayze |first=Kevin |date=14 May 2015 |title=May 1974: Cambridge flood damage runs into 'many millions' - Looters charged by police   |url=http://www.therecord.com/community-story/5628428--tbt-may-1974-cambridge-flood-damage-runs-into-many-millions-/ | work=Record |location=Kitchener, Ontario |access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref>

The Dickson Hill Heritage Conservation District, located in West Galt, is composed of stately homes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref>[https://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-about/resources/Dickson-Hill-HCD-Plan.pdf Dickinson Hill HCD Plan] cambridge.ca</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://communityedition.ca/if-streets-could-talk-galt/ | title=If Streets Could Talk: Galt | date=October 4, 2017|website=communityedition.ca }}</ref>