Conestoga Wagon Trek

Conestoga Wagon Trek. . The border between Canada and the United States of America has witnessed many migrations of people. At two times, however, the migration was primarily from south to north. That was in the troubled days just prior to the American Revolutionary War and during the uneasy decades when the new republic was being formed., During the last two decades of the eighteenth century, many people, motivated by loyalty to the British Crown and fearing some aspects of the course being set by the new United States, sold prosperous farms in Pennsylvania and moved their possessions by conestoga wagon to Ontario. They entered the Niagara River at Black Rock, N.Y. and probably landed at or near this point. Many were German speaking people known as Pennsylvania Dutch. They came from Lancaster and neighbouring counties in Pennsylvania and settled in the Fort Erie area, Jordan, Vineland, the Markham area and Kitchener - Waterloo., Their unconquerable courage and inflexible faith, together with hard work and much sacrifice, helped to establish many of the churches and the farming and business enterprises in this and other areas of the province of Ontario., This marker was erected by persons who, in 1997, celebrated the 200th anniversary of their foreparents' journey from Pennsylvania to Ontario by re-enacting their trek. . This historical marker was erected by Niagara Parks Commission.. It is Near Fort Erie in Niagara Region Ontario