Born in Doon on August 31, 1824, Moses Springer and his 10 siblings were orphaned by a cholera epidemic in 1834.  Raised by Mennonite Bishop Joseph Hagey in Hespeler, he became a teacher and self-taught surveyor.  In 1854 he moved to the village of Waterloo from Berlin (Kitchener) where he purchased and ran the German language newspaper Der Canadische Bauernfreund until 1862.  In 1856 he opened a store on King Street in Waterloo.

Springer was a well-known village leader.  He sat on the Waterloo public school board for 30 years, 25 as chairman, and was the long-time secretary and treasurer of the North Waterloo Agricultural Society.  Active in the insurance business, Springer was the first president of the Waterloo Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1863, serving as President for twelve years, and a founder of the Mutual Life Assurance Company (Clarica) in 1868.

He was also the first secretary of the North Waterloo Farmers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company and the first manager and general agent for Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

When the village of Waterloo was incorporated, Springer became the first reeve, a position he held from 1857-1861, 1867-1869 and 1873-1875.  Between 1857-1875 he sat on county council for 11 years and from 1867-1881 represented the riding of North Waterloo in the provincial legislature.  Upon incorporation on February 10, 1876, Springer became the first mayor of the Town of Waterloo.  His term in office saw the establishment of new by-laws governing community safety, public morals, business operations and the granting of incentives for new businesses to establish themselves in the growing town.  As mayor, Springer negotiated an agreement in 1877 with the Grand Trunk Railway Company to run a branch line from Berlin to Waterloo, although it was not actually completed until 1882.  Following his two terms as mayor, Springer went on to become sheriff of Waterloo County, a position he held from 1881 until his death on September 5, 1898.  In 1968 he was honoured through the naming of a Waterloo park in his memory.