Jacob Bettschen
Inducted In
1972
The first frame house in Wilmot Township was built by Jacob Bettschen, a native of Reuebruegg, Switzerland who arrived in 1830. He was a tax collector, a constable and a magistrate. He served for eight years as a Wilmot Township councillor in Wellington District and was the first reeve of Wilmot Township in 1850. He was a charter member of the Wilmot Agricultural Society in 1853 and he was appointed a captain in the Wilmot Township Militia.
Bettschen is remembered as the promoter of library services for the Township in 1853. In 1859 this developed into a travelling library which placed 150 books in each of the five wards and the books were exchanged every four months.