Emil Vogelsang

Berlin was called “Buttonville” because Emil Vogelsang who had learned the craft in Germany came to Berlin in 1866 and founded the Pioneer Button Works. When his partner withdrew, Jacob Y. Shantz, who had constructed the building, made a contract for seven years with Vogelsang.

Vogelsang then established the Canadian Ivory Button Works in the building at the northeast corner of Queen and Courtland. In 1886 he moved to Port Elgin to control the Emil Vogelsang Button Company.

Berlin had the first button manufacturing plant in Canada and the second on the North American continent. The area had other button firms: the one owned by Jacob Y. Shantz, Dominion Buttons, later under David Gross, Kitchener Button Industries under George Schlee, Mitchell Button Company and also the Roschman button factory in Waterloo.