Preservings 11 (1997) - Plett Foundation

No. 11, December, 1997
City City of of Steinbach Steinbach - - October October 25, 25, 1997
1997
Congratulations - City of Steinbach
Congratulations! City status has officially
been awarded to Steinbach effective October
25, 1997. Accolades are in order to the
Mayor and Council of Steinbach,
This announcement signals the commencement
of the fourth period in the
commmunity’s history.
Strassendorf Period, 1874-1911.
The first period, known as the
“Strassendorf” period, started on September
24, 1874, when the 18 founding families arrived
and commenced surveying out a new
village along the banks of a small creek. They
named it Steinbach in honour of the village
in Imperial Russian from whence the majority
of them had left a mere two months earlier.
The term “Strassendorf ”, literally street
village, referred to the traditional Mennonite
village, modelled on the ancient villages of
northern Europe, but where all the land was
held in common by the communnity and apportioned
to the villagers in “kagels”, a block
of which was known as a “Wirtschaft.” The
first mayor was Abraham S. Friesen (1848-
1916), also a dynamic pioneer entreprenuer.
This period ended on October 28, 1911,
the day Mayor Johann G. Barkman (1858-
1937) was sucessful in registering plan 1711
at the Winnipeg Land Titles Office. This signalled
the completion of the immense task
of surveying the village so that each land
owner could get title to his own property. It
resulted in a complete transformation for the
community, changing it into a typical North
America village. Although most of
Steinbach’s wealthy entreprenuers were conservative
members of the Kleine Gemeinde
they did not impede this progress, realizing
that these changes were necessary to meet
the business challenges of the day. Mayor
Johann G. Barkman served Steinbach for a
record 25 years, a feat for which he has not
yet received recognition.
Village Period 1911-46.
During the “village” period Steinbach
continued under the jurisdiction of the Municipality
of Hanover, but on March 1, 1920,
it was formed into an Unincorporated Village
District with a council consisting of John
D. Goossen (son-in-law to the first mayor),
Klaas B. Reimer, and Klaas R. Barkman. The
U.V.D. Committee provided local leadership
working closely with the Board of Trade to
build on the commercial and agri-business
foundations of Steinbach already laid by pioneers
such as Klaas R. Reimer, Peter K.
Barkman, Abraham S. Friesen and Franz M.
Kroeker.
Town Period 1947-97.
The village period ended on January 1,
1947, when Steinbach became incorporated
Mayor Les Magnusson and City Secretary Wendi Friesen, inspect the new sign on the civic centre doors,
announcing the “City of Steinbach”. [Carillon News photo. Nov 3, 1997.]
as a Town, under the leadership of Mayor
Klaas R. Barkman.
City Period, 1997.
The “town” period, which lasted for halfa-century,
was officially ended October 25,
1997, when Steinbach became a City. This is
an immense milestone recognizing
Steinbach’s status as the regional center for
southeastern Manitoba. It also recognizes the
growing importance which the region, with
its growing prosperity, represents to the entire
Province.
One would expect that the 125th anniversary
celebrations of the settlement of the com-
Attention Readers:
If you have not paid your 1996 or
1997 membership fee, this may be the
last issue you will receive. To avoid being
taken off our membership list, send
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HSHS, Box 1960, Steinbach, Manitoba
Canada, R0A 2A0. Members outside of
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29
munity would be an excellant opportunity to
focus on some of these developments.
In achieving City status, Steinbach has
certainly affirmed in the most significant way,
the hopes and dreams of its founders and the
spiritual ethos and vision of a pioneering
people.
Congratulations, CITY OF STEINBACH!
125th
Anniversar
Anniversary
Anniversar
Announcement:
Readers are reminded that 1999
is the upcoming 125th anniversary
of the settlement of the Hanover
Steinbach area. If you have any suggestions
as how to celebrate this
important event, contact any members
of the Board of Directors of
the Hanover Steinbach Historical
Society.