William Wesley Hiltz, born in 1872 on an Ontario farm. He was an educator, building contractor, real estate developer and eventually a politician. He was a long time member of the Methodist Church. His real estate portfolio was so large that at one point he was the second highest tax payer in Toronto proper.
William Wesley Hiltz was a teacher in Halton Co, principal of the Weston High School (1899) and assistant principal at the old Hamilton Street School. About 1900, his educational career took a back seat to his interest in building and real estate. He went on to become the Chairman of the Board of Education in Toronto.
Hiltz was also a wellknown political figure. He became a school trustee (1911) and chairman of the Board of Education the following year. In 1914-1920 he served as a city alderman, followed by a job as the city controller (1921 - 1923). He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons before being elected the Mayor of Toronto in 1924. He is known for introducing time clocks for Toronto city workers and for his pressure on the federal government to complete their promise to build a cross-waterfront railway viaduct and complete Union Station.
He was also the superintendent at the Danforth Methodist Church Sunday School.
Hiltz had a street in the Queen Street East/Greenwood Avenue area of Toronto named for him after his death in 1936.∼William Wesley 'Bill' Hiltz-He was Mayor of Toronto from January 1924 – January 1925. During his term, he introduced time clocks for Toronto city workers. He had a son and grandson, with the same names. Hiltz and his son Bill were the superintendents at Danforth Methodist Church where they presided over the largest Methodist Sunday School in Canada. Prior to becoming mayor, Hiltz was Chairman of the Toronto Board of Education. He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons soon before becoming Mayor. He began his career as a high school teacher transitioning to a building contractor, real estate developer and politician. During this transition, he had been known to take his students out to the construction sites to dig foundations by shovel. It was the time before the proliferation of digging machinery. He accumulated real estate properties to the extent that he became the second highest taxpayer in Toronto metro. The highest taxpayer Timothy Eaton, the founder of Eaton Department Stores, and the two were friends. Originally from Georgetown, Ontario, Mayor Hiltz died in 1936 at age 63. Hiltz descended from the Hilts families that immigrated to the new world around 1710 presumably from the Palatinate region of Germany because of the wars and famine. The family farmed in the Mohawk Valley in western New York on the Burnetsfield Patent. During the American Revolution in 1779, Joseph Hilts was brought as a small child by his grandfather, Joseph Petrie, who was forced to flee to the Niagara Region, Clinton and Louth Twp. of Ontario, Canada. In Ontario, Joseph Hilts' sons, received land grants in Esquesing and Erin Townships (between Brampton and Guelph) with Esquesing Township (mostly called Halton Hills now and some of Milton) going to William Hilts. But, his son, Edward Thompson Hilts settled in Erin Township where his son mayor William W. Hiltz was born, homesteaded, and raised. But, William W. Hiltz spent most of his adult life near his wife's parents near Grimsby, Ontario (east of Hamilton).
William Wesley Hiltz was a teacher in Halton Co, principal of the Weston High School (1899) and assistant principal at the old Hamilton Street School. About 1900, his educational career took a back seat to his interest in building and real estate. He went on to become the Chairman of the Board of Education in Toronto.
Hiltz was also a wellknown political figure. He became a school trustee (1911) and chairman of the Board of Education the following year. In 1914-1920 he served as a city alderman, followed by a job as the city controller (1921 - 1923). He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons before being elected the Mayor of Toronto in 1924. He is known for introducing time clocks for Toronto city workers and for his pressure on the federal government to complete their promise to build a cross-waterfront railway viaduct and complete Union Station.
He was also the superintendent at the Danforth Methodist Church Sunday School.
Hiltz had a street in the Queen Street East/Greenwood Avenue area of Toronto named for him after his death in 1936.∼William Wesley 'Bill' Hiltz-He was Mayor of Toronto from January 1924 – January 1925. During his term, he introduced time clocks for Toronto city workers. He had a son and grandson, with the same names. Hiltz and his son Bill were the superintendents at Danforth Methodist Church where they presided over the largest Methodist Sunday School in Canada. Prior to becoming mayor, Hiltz was Chairman of the Toronto Board of Education. He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons soon before becoming Mayor. He began his career as a high school teacher transitioning to a building contractor, real estate developer and politician. During this transition, he had been known to take his students out to the construction sites to dig foundations by shovel. It was the time before the proliferation of digging machinery. He accumulated real estate properties to the extent that he became the second highest taxpayer in Toronto metro. The highest taxpayer Timothy Eaton, the founder of Eaton Department Stores, and the two were friends. Originally from Georgetown, Ontario, Mayor Hiltz died in 1936 at age 63. Hiltz descended from the Hilts families that immigrated to the new world around 1710 presumably from the Palatinate region of Germany because of the wars and famine. The family farmed in the Mohawk Valley in western New York on the Burnetsfield Patent. During the American Revolution in 1779, Joseph Hilts was brought as a small child by his grandfather, Joseph Petrie, who was forced to flee to the Niagara Region, Clinton and Louth Twp. of Ontario, Canada. In Ontario, Joseph Hilts' sons, received land grants in Esquesing and Erin Townships (between Brampton and Guelph) with Esquesing Township (mostly called Halton Hills now and some of Milton) going to William Hilts. But, his son, Edward Thompson Hilts settled in Erin Township where his son mayor William W. Hiltz was born, homesteaded, and raised. But, William W. Hiltz spent most of his adult life near his wife's parents near Grimsby, Ontario (east of Hamilton).
William Wesley Hiltz, born in 1872 on an Ontario farm. He was an educator, building contractor, real estate developer and eventually a politician. He was a long time member of the Methodist Church. His real estate portfolio was so large that at one point he was the second highest tax payer in Toronto proper.
William Wesley Hiltz was a teacher in Halton Co, principal of the Weston High School (1899) and assistant principal at the old Hamilton Street School. About 1900, his educational career took a back seat to his interest in building and real estate. He went on to become the Chairman of the Board of Education in Toronto.
Hiltz was also a wellknown political figure. He became a school trustee (1911) and chairman of the Board of Education the following year. In 1914-1920 he served as a city alderman, followed by a job as the city controller (1921 - 1923). He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons before being elected the Mayor of Toronto in 1924. He is known for introducing time clocks for Toronto city workers and for his pressure on the federal government to complete their promise to build a cross-waterfront railway viaduct and complete Union Station.
He was also the superintendent at the Danforth Methodist Church Sunday School.
Hiltz had a street in the Queen Street East/Greenwood Avenue area of Toronto named for him after his death in 1936.∼William Wesley 'Bill' Hiltz-He was Mayor of Toronto from January 1924 – January 1925. During his term, he introduced time clocks for Toronto city workers. He had a son and grandson, with the same names. Hiltz and his son Bill were the superintendents at Danforth Methodist Church where they presided over the largest Methodist Sunday School in Canada. Prior to becoming mayor, Hiltz was Chairman of the Toronto Board of Education. He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons soon before becoming Mayor. He began his career as a high school teacher transitioning to a building contractor, real estate developer and politician. During this transition, he had been known to take his students out to the construction sites to dig foundations by shovel. It was the time before the proliferation of digging machinery. He accumulated real estate properties to the extent that he became the second highest taxpayer in Toronto metro. The highest taxpayer Timothy Eaton, the founder of Eaton Department Stores, and the two were friends. Originally from Georgetown, Ontario, Mayor Hiltz died in 1936 at age 63. Hiltz descended from the Hilts families that immigrated to the new world around 1710 presumably from the Palatinate region of Germany because of the wars and famine. The family farmed in the Mohawk Valley in western New York on the Burnetsfield Patent. During the American Revolution in 1779, Joseph Hilts was brought as a small child by his grandfather, Joseph Petrie, who was forced to flee to the Niagara Region, Clinton and Louth Twp. of Ontario, Canada. In Ontario, Joseph Hilts' sons, received land grants in Esquesing and Erin Townships (between Brampton and Guelph) with Esquesing Township (mostly called Halton Hills now and some of Milton) going to William Hilts. But, his son, Edward Thompson Hilts settled in Erin Township where his son mayor William W. Hiltz was born, homesteaded, and raised. But, William W. Hiltz spent most of his adult life near his wife's parents near Grimsby, Ontario (east of Hamilton).
William Wesley Hiltz was a teacher in Halton Co, principal of the Weston High School (1899) and assistant principal at the old Hamilton Street School. About 1900, his educational career took a back seat to his interest in building and real estate. He went on to become the Chairman of the Board of Education in Toronto.
Hiltz was also a wellknown political figure. He became a school trustee (1911) and chairman of the Board of Education the following year. In 1914-1920 he served as a city alderman, followed by a job as the city controller (1921 - 1923). He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons before being elected the Mayor of Toronto in 1924. He is known for introducing time clocks for Toronto city workers and for his pressure on the federal government to complete their promise to build a cross-waterfront railway viaduct and complete Union Station.
He was also the superintendent at the Danforth Methodist Church Sunday School.
Hiltz had a street in the Queen Street East/Greenwood Avenue area of Toronto named for him after his death in 1936.∼William Wesley 'Bill' Hiltz-He was Mayor of Toronto from January 1924 – January 1925. During his term, he introduced time clocks for Toronto city workers. He had a son and grandson, with the same names. Hiltz and his son Bill were the superintendents at Danforth Methodist Church where they presided over the largest Methodist Sunday School in Canada. Prior to becoming mayor, Hiltz was Chairman of the Toronto Board of Education. He changed the spelling of his name from "S" to "Z" for personal reasons soon before becoming Mayor. He began his career as a high school teacher transitioning to a building contractor, real estate developer and politician. During this transition, he had been known to take his students out to the construction sites to dig foundations by shovel. It was the time before the proliferation of digging machinery. He accumulated real estate properties to the extent that he became the second highest taxpayer in Toronto metro. The highest taxpayer Timothy Eaton, the founder of Eaton Department Stores, and the two were friends. Originally from Georgetown, Ontario, Mayor Hiltz died in 1936 at age 63. Hiltz descended from the Hilts families that immigrated to the new world around 1710 presumably from the Palatinate region of Germany because of the wars and famine. The family farmed in the Mohawk Valley in western New York on the Burnetsfield Patent. During the American Revolution in 1779, Joseph Hilts was brought as a small child by his grandfather, Joseph Petrie, who was forced to flee to the Niagara Region, Clinton and Louth Twp. of Ontario, Canada. In Ontario, Joseph Hilts' sons, received land grants in Esquesing and Erin Townships (between Brampton and Guelph) with Esquesing Township (mostly called Halton Hills now and some of Milton) going to William Hilts. But, his son, Edward Thompson Hilts settled in Erin Township where his son mayor William W. Hiltz was born, homesteaded, and raised. But, William W. Hiltz spent most of his adult life near his wife's parents near Grimsby, Ontario (east of Hamilton).
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