2024
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 11
Prompt – Achievement
In this blog I chose to talk about Mennonites' achievements as a group. My father's line is Mennonite. Mennonites tend to share their land, work, money and daily life. Thus I think the achievements of the Mennonites as a whole is achievements of the individual Mennonite people.
The following was written in The Brandon Mail (Newspaper) on April 6 1893.
“Early in 1872, after the transfer of The Northwest territories to Canada, when the government were looking abroad for settlers to turn our great inheritance of prairie into practical use as a field for settlement, attention was called to the fact that an isolated people in Russia, The German Mennonites, a race of farmers were casting their eyes to the far west were looking just for such a place as we had, and with their wives and little ones to be able to live in peace and quietness, which was no longer to be vouchsafed by the government of the czar.
An agent was sent to Russia to confer with these people, and they were requested to send delegates to Manitoba, persons from among themselves, in whom they had confidence, to see the country and to judge of its resources. This they did in 1872 and in 1873 with the result that in 1874 a large number of families came out and settled in what is known as the eastern reserve, just southeast of Winnipeg. These were fairly well supplied with money, and thus were able to settle without assistance, but there were hundreds of others desirous to follow who were deterred from being stranded in a strange country without the means of settling on the lands. At this juncture the Waterloo society was formed, consisted of 150 well-to-do Canadian farmers of German extraction in the area of Waterloo, Ont., who offered themselves and their farms to the country as security for the repayment of any money which the government might be pleased to advance to these people in way of a loan to these people to assist them in settling in Manitoba. On the strength of this security, the government advanced a principal sum of $96,400 dollars, on the understanding that no part of the principal or interest was to be collected until the Mennonites that the money was advanced to get a fair start in their new homes. This branch of the Mennonites Colony settled in Townships immediately north of the International boundary and lying between the Red River on the East and Pembina Mountains on the west. At that time it was a treeless prairie, rich with the exception of timber, in everything which contributes to agricultural land desirous of settlement. The settlement of this area was commenced in 1875, and for the first few years brought under cultivation was small, the labour in preparing shelter for the winter and the difficulties of getting supplies of all kinds very great.
The first year crops was injured by grasshoppers, and the two or three subsequent crops by excessive rain, but the people never lost heart. Each years saw new additions to their numbers, and a larger area under cultivation. The villages grew in size and numbers, they built roads and bridges and each year witness such an advance compared to the previous years, that today what was seventeen years ago a treeless prairie without a solitary settler, is now perhaps a thickly populated piece of farming country in the Northwest. Not only, however is it thickly populated, but it has begun to overflow.
A new generation of Canadian birth has grown up with a thorough knowledge of the climate and language of the country and the agricultural methods best suited to the soil; and it is very pleasing to learn that their knowledge and experience lead them invariably to seek out homesteads for themselves in Manitoba and Northwest Territories.
I am lead to make these observations by the fact that during the year the last farthing of the advance made to these people has been repaid including not only the $96,400 of principled borrowed but $33,986.50 of interest as well making the total return $130, 386.58, and the account of the Waterloo Society is closed. The history of this country, does not afford, I undertake, a case in which an obligation to the government on the part of any society, individual or company has been fulfilled with greater faithfulness than this, and on the principle “honour to whom honour is due” the facts of the case cannot be to generally known to not only the Mennonites of Manitoba but of the Waterloo Society as well. The distribution of the loan, its collection and its payment to the government, were entrusted to Mr. Jacob Schantz, the secretary of the Waterloo Society.....”
Just 8 years later the Mennonites were still being praised in the local papers for their prosperity and achievements. In the Free Press Prairie Farmer dated January 10, 1901 (page 4) an article, named Mennonites in Rhineland was printed as follows:
The praises of the Mennonites would soon sour over the next few decades.
Wendy
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