Waterloo County

Waterloo County held its first council meeting on January 24, 1853, on this site, at the newly-built county courthouse in Berlin (now Kitchener). Council's 12 members came from five townships (North Dumfries, Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot, Woolwich) and two villages (Galt, Preston) and selected the reeve of Waterloo Township, Dr. John Scott, as the county's first warden. With the establishment of Waterloo County emerged a series of enduring institutions including roads and bridges, a judiciary and jail, grammar (or high) schools, a House of Industry and Refuge, agricultural societies and local markets. On January 1, 1973 the Waterloo County area became the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.