A black and white outdoor photograph on a mat of the Charles Ahrens family standing outside of their home on the corner of Benton & Courtland Streets in Berlin, Ontario.
Unidentified adult members of the family are standing in the yard with four younger children, three boys and one girl. Two of th…
A black and white outdoor photograph on a mat of the Charles Ahrens family standing outside of their home on the corner of Benton & Courtland Streets in Berlin, Ontario.
Unidentified adult members of the family are standing in the yard with four younger children, three boys and one girl. Two of the boys are holding bicycles and the youngest boy is standing on the verandah. The girl is holding a stroller with a doll in it.
Charles Andrew Ahrens was born on 11 July 1827 in Germany. He married Henriette Charlotte Roth, who was born 30 June 1831. Twelve children were born to the couple.
Charles was first a bookeeper for L. Breithaupt in 1857. He later worked for Beardmores in Toronto for 5 years.
The family moved to Port Elgin, where Ahrens operated a general store, in partnership with Mr. Kinzie. They family remained in Port Elgin for 3-4 years.
The family moved back to Berlin, where Ahrens became bookkeeper for the Hepburn Shoe Factory. Charles Ahrens, opened a shoe store and later a factory, in 1879, located across from the Walper Hotel on Queen Street South. He was also the clerk and treasurer for the town of Berlin and in 1886 he was a Town Councillor. In the early 1900's, the shoe factory was a thriving business, which was later taken over by his son, Charles Jr.
Charles Andrew Ahrens died on 18 August 1903 in Berlin, Ontario. Henriette died on 27 March 1896 in Berlin.
This photograph is in good condition with some fading.
Copyright Status
Public domain: Copyright has expired according to Canadian law. No restrictions on use.
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