from the Tavistock Gazette, February 5, 1903
Tavistock's first business man Henry Eckstein died on Thursday morning last in his 85th year. He was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and came to Preston, Ontario when fourteen. Here he worked at printing for four years, selling books during leisure hours. From Preston he came tothis section, before what is now Tavistock had a name. For some time he worked at wood-cutting and other seasonable work. The date we do not know, but he built the first hotel in the village, a log one, where the Schaefer block (Pletsch 1967) stands. Several men did business in that old building. John Walewski conducted a store in the old building, when it was refitted. His successors were Jacob Wagner, Louis Mohr, John Klein. The store was vacant for a time, when Louis Mohr and Valentine Gerhardt started business in it, in 1867. In 1868 the historic pile was burned. Mr. Eckstein in 1854 built the Commercial Hotel and had vacated the old log one. He did a great business when the railway passed through here. The hotel was rented to Charles Mohr in 1860 and Mr. Eckstein started farming west of the village on a large farm that he had owned for some time. J.C. Wettlaufer now owns part of this farm and part of it is still in the possession of the Eckstein family. The subject of this sketch was an enthusiastic and a clever business man. He had the military spirit, getting it honestly from the land of his birth. In the early sixties he organized a local company of volunteers, he being captain. To some extent he has even of late years been known as "Captain" Eckstein. About fifty-two years ago he married Susanna Heyrock of Zurich, who still survives. Children are: Henry in Colorado, Charles at Deckerville, Mich; Albert at Apache, Okla., Julius at wellesley, Miss Lizzie and Fred inTavistock. Messrs Charles and Julius attended the funeral to the Evangelical Cemetery on Saturday.