Waterloo hit hard by fires in 20th century

Last week’s Flash from the Past column recalled a 1904 fire at one of Waterloo’s largest furniture factories … on Allen Street. This week’s column recalls a 1930 fire at one of Waterloo’s largest furniture factories … on Allen Street.

Beginning around 1906 with the Waterloo Furniture Company, E.O. (Eben Oliver) Weber had established a long history of furniture making in Waterloo, Kitchener and Preston.

The Waterloo Furniture Company was located at 79 Allen St. E., at the corner of Willow. Beginning in 1921, the company name was changed to E.O. Weber Furniture: in reality, E.O. had always owned or managed the firm.

Not only were there two huge Allen Street furniture fires starting with 1904’s Canada Furniture Company “conflagration” but there were two separate fires at E.O. Weber’s fac