The house at 174 Nelson Street was built by Horace Jacob Klopp some time before October 1913. The lot had been owned by Robert E. Morrow since 1909.

Horace Jacob Klopp was born on March 25, 1881 in Hay Township, Huron County to William (Wilhelm) Klopp (1852-1927), farmer, and Louise Zeller (1858-1939). Jacob’s father emigrated from Germany in 1869 at 17 years of age to live with a German family in Hay Township as an apprentice harness maker. Jacob’s mother was born in Hay Township to a German (Bavarian) father who was a farmer, and a mother who was born in Canada West. Jacob’s parents were married in 1876 and had eight children, of which Horace was the third. Both of Horace’s parents are buried in St. Peter’s Lutheran Cemetery in Zurich, Huron County.

In the 1901 Census of Canada, Horace is listed as a farmer’s son living with his parents and siblings in Hay Township. In the 1907 Stratford city directory, Horace’s father, William, is listed as living at 262 Huron Street. No occupation is given in the directory, so it would appear that he had retired from farming. Beginning in the 1910 city directory and continuing until 1924, William is listed as living at 185 Hibernia St. William’s working children are also listed in the earlier directories, although Horace only appears in the 1912 directory (as working for the GTR), so it isn’t clear if Horace was living elsewhere for a few years.

On November 5, 1913, just after the house at 174 Nelson Street was built, Horace married Anna Emilia (Amelia) Allendorf. Horace was listed as a carpenter on the marriage certificate, as he had been listed on the tax assessment taken during the previous month. It appears that Horace was working for the GTR by at least 1912, probably at first as a carpenter, and was a machinist with the GTR/CNR from at least 1916 if not earlier. In 1946 he retired as a machinist working for the CNR.

Anna Emilia Allendorf was born on February 5, 1880 in Gads Hill, Perth County to Valentin(e) Allendorf, carriage/wagon maker, and Mary (Maria) Leinhardt (Linhardt). Valentin was born in Germany around 1853 and Mary (Maria) was born in Wilmot Township, Waterloo County in 1856. Valentin appears to have travelled in 1871 at 18 years of age from Bremen, Germany to New York City. There is no record whether he stayed in the U.S for a few years or came directly to Canada. Valentin and Maria were married in 1877 in Waterloo County, so apparently Valentin was in Canada some time before that date. Anna Emelia was the second of six children born to Valentin and Maria. Valentin died of typhoid fever in 1891, and then Maria married George Jorger, a laborer with the GTR, also German-born, and her five younger children, including Emilia, then lived with her and their stepfather. George died in 1904. In the 1911 census, Maria(Mary) was listed as living with her youngest daughter, Mary, and had reverted to using her first married name, Allendorf.

Horace and Emelia had three children: Horace Allen (born c. 1915), Kenneth William (born c. 1918), and Victor Jacob (born 1920). It is unclear if any of their sons had their own families, because there is no mention of daughters-in-law or grandchildren in the obituaries of either Horace or Emelia, and there is no other record available. (Horace) Allen and Kenneth both ended up living in Toronto. Victor lived in the U.S., including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Horace died on January 22, 1964. Emelia died on May 25, 1973. They are buried together in Avondale Cemetery.