Grand opening, inaugural tour of Post Road Memorial Trail

by Elmer Heinrichs and Conrad Stoesz

Almost 100 people travelling on two buses celebrated the grand opening and inaugural tour of the Post Road Memorial Trail beginning at Fort Dufferin and traversing the historic route west to Mountain City, south of Morden.

In the early years of Mennonite settlement here in the West Reserve, the Post Road was the lifeline between the villages and the commercial centre of Emerson, and to Mountain City.

On the flat treeless prairie darkness and snowstorms were a severe hazard to travellers, but posts placed every 250 feet soon made the Post Road a favoured route for residents and travellers.

On 26 Aug. 2000 tour a tour bus left Winnipeg for Fort Dufferin to begin the day's festivities. The opening included brief comments by Emerson Mayor Wayne Arseny, Peter D. Zacharias, pastor of the Blumenorter Mennonite Church and John Falk, Reeve of the RM of Rhineland. Falk, Rev. Abe Rempel and Conrad Stoesz, chairperson of the 125th West Reserve anniversary committee, placed the first post, symbolic of early posts, now long gone, of twelve memorial sites. Dick Remus, chair of the Post Road Heritage Society read the text from the informational lectern erected here.

A large sign erected at the intersection of PTH 75 and PR 243 - the beginning of the Post Road - was officially unveiled by Ray Klippenstein, Wayne Arseny and Altona artist, Olga Krahn, OK Signs & Art, who painted the sign showing a family in a sleigh following a post-marked road. The Town of Emerson donated the structure for the painting.

Travelling west on the Post Road - the West Reserve's Main Street - the tour group travelled through the Anglo-Saxon Upper Marais district into the Mennonite West Reserve through Strassberg, Halbstadt, Edenthal districts to Edenburg, site of another historical lectern.

Next was a brief stop at Neuanlage (PTH No. 30) where a lectern is located next to a cairn marking Mennonites' 75th anniversary here. The David Schellenberg home, a favoured stop for travellers on the Post Road was located here.

Continuing west and crossing Highway 30, the next point of interest is the village of Neuhorst (site of another lectern), the home village of Isaak Mueller, one of the most prominent leaders of the West Reserve. Travelling west to the next mile road and north half a mile took the tour to the next post and lectern, Brown's Grand Central Hotel, a first class livery stable and hotel.

The next lectern at Schoenwiese, one of the largest villages, before lunch at Reinland.

The lectern at Reinland is located at the community centre, formerly the Reinland Mennonite (Old Colony) Church. Here the tour group enjoyed a delicious Mennonite meal with farmer's sausage.

Continuing west the tour located further lecterns at Hochfeld (west of PTH 32), then at Osterwick, before travelling west and north to Waldheim to the lectern near the cemetery where the village used to be.

The Post Road terminus was Mountain City where the lectern is located near the cairn.

The historical society plans to offer another Post Road tour on Sat., Sept. 30, if interest warrants it. Cost will be $35 per person. To register, call Conrad Stoesz at 888-6781, 669-6575.

Abe Ens, Reinland, Portage/Lisgar MP Jake Hoeppner and MMHS board member Ed Hoeppner with newly-placed post at Mountain City, where the original Post Road ended.