“The Western Reserve is much larger, contains a great many more young men who are also more enlightened, numbers of them knowing the English language thoroughly. These wish to spread out and unless good inducements are held out to retain them on this side of the boundary line, they may do a great deal of harm.“

Library and Archives Canada holds many reports that were submitted to the Minister of Agriculture, who from Confederation until 1892 was also the Minister responsible for immigration matters. This report was submitted by Henry C. Jacobsen, a “Dominion Government Intelligence Officer” based out of Winnipeg, to Minister John Carling.

Responding to concerns that Mennonites who had settled in Manitoba were planning to move to the United States, Jacobsen undertook a visit to the “Eastern Mennonite Reserve”. His observations and conclusions address a concern that persists to the present day – the secondary migration of those migrants whose expectations or needs are not being fully met.

Jacobsen was himself of German extraction and was well-suited to this type of inquiry. He could speak with the settlers in their own language and understood their culture. His observations were that the main problem lay in the rapid expansion of Mennonite families, with the result that the family’s land holdings were no longer sufficient to support the larger cohort of people.

The report is written in longhand – a transcription can be found following the document.

Mennonite-Resport-1889

Transcription from longhand:

Winnipeg 9^th September 1889

To

The Honr John Carling Esqr
Minister of Agriculture
of the Dominion of Canada
Ottawa

Sir,

The Commissioner of Dominion Lands, Winnipeg having been advised that some of the Mennonites in the Eastern and Western Reserves contemplated leaving the Country in order to settle on land in the United States, I received orders to pay a visit to the Eastern Reserve and to ascertain the real state of affairs amongst these desirable settlers.

I now have the honor herewith to submit to you my report, with regard to the official visit which I paid to the so-called Eastern Reserve of the Mennonite settlement situated in townships 4. 5. 6. and 7 ranges 4.5. and 6. East of the first meridian in the Province of Manitoba.

I left Winnipeg on the 28^th August last for Niverville, where I arrived in the evening, and put up for the night. Here I got the necessary information with regard to the best and nearest road to be taken and early on the 29^th August I started on my mission.

Attached diagram will show the Mennonite villages visited by me.

I first saw Peter Dick near Niverville, from his place I went to Gerhard Klimner, and then to Peter Penner, Gerhard Sawatsky and Dick Penner.

I then struck off in a southeasterly direction towards the villages of Henbaden and Grunfeld, and thence southerly to Hochstadt, where I put up for the night with David Loewen, an intelligent and prosperous Mennonite of the settlement. On the 30^th August I proceeded to the villages of Schonsee, Grunthal, Gnadenfeld and Bergfeld returning at night again to Hochstadt, staying over there with David Unger.

On the 31^st August I started in a northerly direction for Schonfeld, Rodenfeld, Chortiz arriving at night at the principal village of the Eastern Reserve, called Steinbach. Here I remained over on Sunday, inspecting a cheese manufactory, grist mill, sawmill and some large outlying farms all erected by and belonging to Mennonites. This place deserves special mention. When some of the Mennonites who arrived in this Country in 1875 located on the spot where the village now stands, they assured me that then there was nothing but scrub and brush on the land, and some of these people who had all been accustomed to the open steppe or plains of Southern Russia, did not at all relish the appearance of the country here. Wise counsels however prevailed and after considerable labor we now find here large open fields of good soil yielding excellent crops, good pasturage and nice plantations, both useful and pleasant to the eye. In the gardens of Abraham Friesen and Klaar Reimer, I could not help admiring a large number of plum, cherry and apple trees which every year I was told bear abundant fruit. The plum and cherry trees were a number of years ago transplanted from the bush and the fruit is said to improve every year. The two above named Mennonites have also many maple and other shade trees planted around their farm steading, giving same a very nice appearance indeed.

On Monday the 2^nd September I continued my journey to Neuanlagen and Bergthal where I arrived in the afternoon. I would have proceeded to some other villages that day, but I was anxious to have a conversation with the priest of the Mennonites who lives here, and he not being at home I concluded to remain overnight in Bergthal awaiting his return. I had a long and satisfactory interview with the Rev. gentleman next morning the 3^rd September and intended to visit the villages of Blumenort and Blumenhof, but my time being limited I concluded to return that day to Winnipeg which I did, and where I arrived at night after having on my way taken in the village of Blumengaard.

The dwelling houses, barns and stables of the Mennonites are all after the same pattern and erected by themselves, substantially built of tamarac or spruce, plastered out and inside and mostly straw thatched. They appear to be cool in summer and comfortable and warm in the winter. The dwelling house generally connects by a door with the barn and stable, so that during the extreme cold in winter the Mennonite can attend to his cattle without having to go outside. The lofts over the stable are filled with hay and most Mennonites have also got a well of first class water in the stable, which of course never freezes during the severest winter.

They all have vegetable gardens which in ordinary years produce plenty, this year however have suffered considerably both by the prolonged drought and the early frosts of the 2^nd and 5^th of August last.

All the Mennonites according to their wealth possess more or less cattle, horses, pigs and poultry the latter in abundance. Some of the more prosperous have also started sheep farming, which they told me paid them well, and at different points I saw considerable flocks of sheep.

The grain crop in the Eastern Mennonite Reserve is this year I am sorry to say, rather poor, the cause of course being the extreme drought and excessive heat of the past season. The highest average yield per acre which I could ascertain were 11 ½ to 12 bushels wheat near Steinbach. Numerous other points however did not show more than 3 to 5 bushels per acre. At one threshing at which I was present, the farmer did not obtain more than about 130 bushels of wheat of 30 acres of land. The grain in places will decidedly go No. 1 hard, but there is also a good deal which will not grade, being shriveled up by the excessive heat at the time it was in the milk. As far as I could ascertain all the Mennonites have used No. 1 quality only for seed.

Barley and Oats are very short and light indeed, especially the latter and what the Mennonites have harvested of these, they will probably have to use for their own cattle and horses. Flax has not been cultivated at all this year, or where any was put in, it never showed above ground. Potatoes are good in size and mealy, but the yield on account of the night frosts in early August as previously stated, will only be middling.

The health amongst the people is on the whole good, and notwithstanding the many drawbacks to their success this year, they mostly all seem to be content.

I met with some grumblers, who appeared to be inclined to leave their lands and go over to the United States where they have friends and relatives, parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho and Oregon possess each a number of Mennonite settlements.

The greatest grievance however, about which the Mennonites in this Country complain, is that they have not land enough for their fast increasing families in their Reserves here, and that even some of the land which they possess, is in many places too stony and sandy for proper and advantageous cultivation. This I especially observed to be the case near the villages of Gnadenfeld, Grunthal and Bergfeld.

When the Mennonites emigrated to this Country in 1874, 75 and 76 many heads of families who then took up 160 acres homestead and some also 160 acres pre-emption had with them children from 12 years and upwards. These children have grown into men and women now, have married and have got issue of their own. The old homestead is not sufficient to support the whole family. Where the father has had means he has bought land either adjoining or at some distance for one son or son-in-law as the case might be. He is however unable this to provide for 3 or 4 boys or as many girls, and hence a keen desire on the part of the younger generation to look for pastures new. This is perhaps the principal reason why we have heard of dissatisfaction and Emigration schemes amongst the Mennonites. My attention was first drawn to this matter about the middle of last year, when I communicated same to the Commissioner of Dominion Lands, Winnipeg. No further steps however were then taken. I knew then, that the younger element amongst the Mennonites were on the move or were going to move sooner or later. The old people would willingly remain where they are, but if the young people go it many not be so easy to keep the former back, as the people dread and are averse to separation from their kindred.

In conclusion, I beg to say, that at the different interviews which I had with the principal and most influential men of the Reserve, I did my utmost according to my Duty as Dominion Government Official to persuade these people that Canada its lands, laws and institutions, were far better and more suitable for them, than those of the United States and I believe my mission has thus far been successful.

In the Western or Southern Mennonite Reserve round Morris, Plum Coulee, Morden, Gretna, etc. however the trouble is greater, notwithstanding that hey have had better crops there than in the Eastern Reserve. The Western Reserve is much larger, contains a great many more young men who are also more enlightened, numbers of them knowing the English language thoroughly. These wish to spread out and unless good inducements are held out to retain them on this side of the boundary line, they may do a great deal of harm.

I have thought of a plan by which the thousands of acres of good vacant Government land in Southern Assiniboia and Southern Alberta might be looked over by a Deputation of influential and able Mennonites from the Eastern Reserve, with the assistance of the Canada Pacific Railway Co., the carrying out of which of course entirely rests with you.

A similar report has been handed in by me to the Commissioner of Dominion Lands, Winnipeg.

I have the honor to be

Sir,

Your most obedient servant

(signed) Henry C. Jacobsen

Dominion Government Intelligence Officer