In the census of 1852 there were 322 German-born people in Oxford County. Of these 212 were living in East Zorra. In 1861 the census showed that 500 people born in German-speaking lands were livng in the Sebastopol-Tavistock area. Those who settled in Zorra formed a community of their own in the north-east section, known as Cassel. The name was taken from Kassel, a city in West Germany, which in 1567 was the capital of Hesse-Kassel Province.

[Foder's Guide of 1957 quotes Kassel as th ecapital of Hesse-Nassau, a city of 176, 000, rich in the Grimm Brother's lore of Red Riding Hood and Snow White].

One of the early settlers was Nicholas Kaufmann. During the crossing from Germany, he became sepearted from his wife Catherine. As a result, she was obligated to seek employment on her own behalf, as a housekeeper. They were finally reunited and eventually settled at Cassel. Here they operated the local hotel. Kaufmann was a good businessman and soon became known all through the area for his good sense and fair dealings in his chopping and sawmill enterprise.

In the 1867 Atlas, no less than five Kaufmanns owned farms in and around this hamlet. It contained at this time a hotel, a grocery store, two shoe shops, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop and a sawmill along with a school. The population was fifty. (See Map of E.Z.)

Today at Cassel there remains one of the few sawmills in Oxford County. It is operated by George Rockett, who purchased it, some five years ago from Roy Kaufman. One of the last of Oxford's many cheese factories is also situated here (closed 1967) with Mr. Walter Kaufman and his son Ray as operators. One of the early owners was Valentine Grenzebach who came form Germany in 1848.

In 1875 the Cassel Cheese Factory was known as the Elm Grove Cheese Factory and that year made 2,300 cheeses, averaging 57 pounds.

A post office was operating in 1876 (see Post Office article) with Henry Junker, the local postmaster. In 1880 Simon Robertson the local grocer served as postmaster. Mail came from Ratho by S. Robertson who made trips weekly at $45 a year for his services. On November 1, 1914 the office was closed on the inauguration of rural mail delivery. The last postmaster was Mrs. Sarah Armstrong.

South of the village J.C. Kaufmann had a sawmill and around the mill a small community sprang up. The houses were made of slabs from the mill and consequently it became known as Slabtown. A grist mill also operated here. Today the school south of Cassel marks the site of Slabtown. This school later was given the designation of S.S. No. 1.