– includes 96 photos of families and farm buildings 292p 1975
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Part 1 – The PG Mennonite migration to York County, Upper Canada,
Part 2 – PG descendants tell their family stories and describe early community life.
Available in DVD
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A brief history of the Society and its activities 1951 to 1991
Available for purchase at Society events.
Our Pennsylvania German ancestors began arriving in Ontario as early as 1786 in Conestoga wagons as pictured here. It took four sturdy daft horses to draw these heavy freight wagons loaded with all of the implements, tools, furniture, seeds and food that the families needed to start their new homestead. There was no room in the wagons for people so everyone walked including the teamster. The families left Pennsylvania on the six-week, 500 mile, journey at various times, often in late summer when the trails were dry and solid and grass was plentiful for the animals. Some wagons arrived as late as the third week in October as pictured here. The settlers knew that black walnut trees grew where the soil was rich and deep so they were anxious to find land where the trees grew tall and straight, like those in the background. A people of strong faith, with hard work and perseverance they carved their homesteads from the wilderness of The Twenty (Vineland/Jordan), Waterloo and York. They created the beginnings of our communities and left their imprint on the economic and social life of Upper Canada.
From a new painting prepared and donated (c. 2000) by Murray F. Pipher. A Conestoga Wagon drawn by four horses coming to Upper Canada in the early 1800’s.
From a painting prepared and donated by Isobel (Sherk) Frey. A Conestoga Wagon, animals and settlers preparing to board a barge at Black Rock (Buffalo, NY) for Upper Canada c 1800.
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