PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE EARLY EUROPEAN IMMIGRANT.
COMMERCIAL COLONIZATION COMPANY.
Mr. MacNutt says: "In 1887 I received a contract from A. F. Eden,
Land Commissioner of the Manitoba and North Western Railway, to put
up 800 tons of hay, as some forty families were expected from the Old
Country. This would give each family twenty tons. I took my outfit
thirty-five miles beyond Langenburg (which place was then the end of
the track.) I found ox teams breaking sod on forty quarter sections.
Twenty acres was to be broken on each quarter. The ox teams were in
charge of Mr. Walker, and the land being ploughed was all within about
ten miles of where Saltcoats is now situated. In returning from hay-
making I found that settlements had been started. Thingvalla, north of
the present site of Churchbridge, was the nucleus of an Icelandic Colony.
Bereseena [sic]and Hofendahl were settlements of Lutheran Germans north
and northwest of Langenburg, and at Landshutt were Catholic Germans
from Bavaria; nearby west, but to the south of Langenburg. There were
also some Icelanders north of Bereseena, who named their settlement
Logberg. Calder is a few miles north of Logberg; Bereseena is between
Logberg and Thingvalla.
Churchbridge was started in 1887 as an English Church Colony, and
was handled by English Church Clergy in England. The Secretary who
was very energetic and much interested resided in London, England. He
had made a hurried trip to the proposed scene of operations, and went
back to London an experienced pioneer, and in a letter which I have seen
he advised the settlers not to purchase horses but oxen as they would not
only do the farm work but would provide milk and butter for the use of
the family. The people selected were all good churchmen, but were not
particularly suited to the job. Those who remained and persevered, after
several years of somewhat severe struggle, established themselves and as
their boys and girls grew up to assist them they did very well indeed. At
the time I speak of (1887) there were several other settlements in exist-
ence, which had been started previous to the Rebellion of 1885. The Mani-
toba and North Western had nothing to do with them. They had mostly
trekked from Broadview on the C. P. R. at the instance of several land
companies in the east who had acquired odd numbered sections in various
ways, but who before obtaining titles were called upon to locate a certain
number of homesteaders.
There was the Montreal Colony at Kinbrae, whose jumping off place
was near Fort Ellice. The Drummonds of Montreal were interested in
that settlement. Then there was what was known as the Crescent Lake
Colony. Alderman John T. Moore of Toronto, was the managing director.
(Mr. Moore was a fine speaker, and took an active part in the Conserva-
tive interest in the election for Eastern Assiniboia in 1896.) The York
Colony (now Yorkton), had Mr. Armstrong, of Toronto, as its manag-
ing director. This Company made money, as they held good lands in the
vicinity of Yorkton, Wallace and Saltcoats, all of which were well sold.
I believe Mr. Armstrong still resides in Toronto.
But to return to where I started. I completed my hay contract and
returned to Minnedosa, where I had a farm. I was given the appointment
of Resident Manager of the Commercial Colonization Company and re-
turned to Saltcoats to take charge. I found a number of houses were
going up in readiness for the settlers, but after all, only half a dozen fam-
ilies came out that fall, and consequently the hay was not wanted. As it
was half the hay was burnt in a bad prairie fire, although good fire-guards
had been ploughed round the stacks.
Bibliography follows:
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