The Township of Wellesley is located in the north west corner of Waterloo Region and once part of a vast Clergy Reserve known as "The Queen's Bush", Wellesley Township waited until 1843 to be completely surveyed for settlement. The Township got off to a good start, had nearly 6,000 people by 1861, and showed signs of matching other areas for growth and development. At one time, one of its villages, Hawkesville, vied with Berlin (present day Kitchener) and Galt (part of present day Cambridge) in becoming the county seat.

The railways bypassed the area, so while other areas grew and prospered, most of the Township remained rural and the villages declined as centres of promise. To this day, productive farms cover most of the township where people demonstrate thrift, hard work, and an entrepreneurial spirit which, upon discovery, will surely delight both residents and visitors alike. One will discover cultural, historical, and tasty delights, often lost in our fast paced lifestyle.

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Catch the Culture on our 60 mile (96 km) Cultural Trail or venture deep off the beaten track. One will find down to earth people farming in old traditional ways or with the latest air conditioned farm equipment. Many also have shops in which treasures can be found. Furniture, toys, fabric, quilts, tools, foods, clothes, kerosene lamps, shoes, and farm equipment; the list goes on and on, and once found, will beckon you back.

For the most part, untouched by glitzy tourism, the villages offer shopping where local people gather and exchange news, often in Deitsch, a German dialect that was commonly spoken by the many settlers of Germanic background. Although different in religious affiliations, many descendants of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Amish and Mennonite settlers from the lowlands of Alsace-Lorraine, Bavaria and other German states, as well as Pennsylvania, still share linguistics, culture, crafts and foods. Homemade summer sausage, maple syrup, shoo-fly pie, apple butter, cooked cheese, butter, bacon etc. will surely tempt one's taste buds. Waterloo County quilts, famous throughout the Region, can be purchased right out of their makers' homes. Many others can be bought in shops, at auctions, the Mennonite Relief Sale in New Hamburg, and the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival.

From festivals, food, and furniture to culture, crafts and churches, our township is sure to fascinate everyone in some way, regardless of what season one chooses to visit. Come and Catch the Culture.