William Oelschlager
Inducted In
1972
William Oelschlager, a native of Germany, was a member of the first Board of Directors of the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Company (later The Mutual Life of Canada) when it was organized in 1869.
He immigrated to Huron County in 1845 and later joined the Gore Bank in Galt, where he was associated with William Hespeler.
Oelschlager started a general store in Bridgeport in 1850 and one in St. Clements in 1851. In 1869 he moved to Berlin where he was a founder of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1871. He was manager of the Company from 1872 to 1877 and was its second president.
He and the Company’s first president founded the Pioneer Tobacco Company in 1873.
Oelschlager was a town councillor and was treasurer from 1876 to 1893. He was a school board member and active in founding the Mechanic’s Institute.