2024 and 2025 marked the 150th anniversaries of Mennonite communities in Manitoba and in this season of Still Speaking, host Conrad Stoesz from the Mennonite Heritage Archives is sharing true historical stories around this theme.
Episode 9 of Still Speaking season three outlines how the "Post Road" came to be, how it got its name, how it was utilized and how long it was a necessity for early Mennonite settlers, enjoy the story below:
“On May 17th, 1878, Civic leader Isaac Mueller wrote a directive for all the Mennonites of the area that they are going to mark the most commonly traveled route that went from the economic hub of Emerson, the junction of the Canadian border and Red River in the east through the West reserve to Mountain City, South of Morden than in the West. Each home was to supply a wooden post that was 6 inches in diameter and 10 feet long. The posts were dug into the ground on the north side of the road, 75 meters apart for over 40 miles. Villages would take turns installing the posts, but also to improve the road.From Emerson the route went straight west, one mile north of the border. It passed Edenburg, Neuanlage, Blumenort and Neuhorst. Then, it continued in northwesterly direction, past Schoenwiese, Reinland, Hochfeld, Osterwick and Waldheim, and ended at Mountain City. Because of these posts, this route became known as the “Post Road.””
Listen to the rest of the story on Episode 9 of Sill Speaking, season three:
Still Speaking airs every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:15am during the Morning Show, and every Saturday afternoon at 12:15pm.
