Map of Vineland and Jordan

During the Revolutionary War, many Mennonites were forced to take sides because of persistent harassment from overeager Patriots. So it was that a person like Abraham Overholt, against all of his upbringing, became a horse-thief for Butler's Rangers, while possible relatives Staats and Martin Overholt joined the Tinicum militia. At the end of the war, life in the United States became untenable for people such as these and many decided to move elsewhere.

In the 1780s, Governor Haldimand began to settle former Butler's Rangers and other Loyalists on land that the government had bought from the Mississaugas on the west bank of the Niagara River. Although they did not own the land at that point, the settlers had every reason to think that they would do so eventually. With that in mind, in 1786 a group of Mennonites from Bucks county Pennsylvania began a trek to the Niagara Peninsula. The group consisted of the families of Jacob Culp, his brother Dielman (Tillman) Culp, Staats Overholt, Frederick (or John) Haun, and, depending on who you read, Conrad Tufford. Franklin Albright might have been part of that group or his family might have come the following year. Following the old Indian trail along the peninsula, they came to an area with a large number of black walnut trees. These trees being a good indicator of good quality soil, the pioneers decided that this was the place for them. They were awarded land on the shores of Lake Ontario in what would become Clinton Township, now the Town of Lincoln.

The 1786 group of Mennonites came for mainly political reasons. The 1799 group came for different reasons. By this date, many Mennonite families were finding that good land in Pennsylvania was scarce and expensive. It was becoming more difficult for fathers to settle their sons on land of their own. A combination of good feedback from the 1786 settlers and the encouragement of Lt. Governor Simcoe prodded another group of Bucks County Mennonites to try Upper Canada.

This second group included the brothers Jacob and Abraham Moyer, Amos Albright, Valentine Kratz, and Moses Fretz, nephew of Jacob and Tillman Culp of the 1786 group. By now all of the land in Clinton Township was allocated, mainly to members of the Butler family, former Butler's Rangers or Loyalists like the Culps. The Mennonites, however, were so pleased with what they had seen that they put a deposit of $40.00 on 1100 acres of land at the Twenty, the area surrounding the mouth of the Twenty Mile Creek. After buying the land, Jacob and Abraham Moyer returned home to Bucks County. By the end of summer, Jacob Moyer and another brother, Dilman, but not Abraham, had rounded up a party to return to the Twenty. There they somehow managed to survive a difficult winter for they had had no time to plant a crop for food. Their families are still here.

The next year, 1800, more settlers moved to the Twenty, including Moses Fretz's father, John, a man of seventy years. He decided to come to lead the rest of his family to the new land. John Fretz was married to Mary Culp, sister of Jacob and Tillman Culp, who had by now been living in Upper Canada for 14 years. With John Fretz were his son Manasseh, his sons-in-law Lawrence Hipple, Michael Rittenhouse, and Abraham Gross. Also in the party were Daniel and Jacob High, and Jacob Fry. Many of their homesteads survive.

Places to see in Vineland are:

• Dilman Moyer House, Cherry Avenue

  Dilman Moyer House

  In 1801, the settlers on the Twenty realised that they needed spiritual guidance so they asked the Mennonite church back in Bucks County to send a minister to help them to organize a congregation. The church replied that a minister willing to move to the Twenty could not be found and that they should take the matter into their own hands. So, at a meeting here in Dilman Moyer's house, they elected Valentine Kratz as minister and John Fretz as deacon. This then became the first Mennonite congregation in Canada. The house is reputed to date from 1799. It still looks the same as ever but it has been renovated. The eastern half of the house has always been clapboarded and the western bricked. No-one knows why. The house is on a pick-your-own-fruit farm and is still owned by a descendent of Dilman Moyer.

• Deacon John Fretz House and Hipple Homestead

  Hipple Homestead

  Deacon John Fretz bought 300 acres from a member of the Butler family, descendents of Col. Butler of Butler's Rangers. On his death in 1826, the deacon left his land to his sons-in-law as was the custom. 100 acres on the east side of Maple Grove Road went to Lawrence Hipple. This house of stone was built in 1858. The porch on the north side looks original with its fine turned spindles above and below. The surprise, however is around the back.

  Deacon Fretz House

  Just to the south of the Hipple Homestead is an old wooden building with a central chimney and tin roof. This is probably the house built by Deacon John Fretz and dates from before 1826. It may even date from about 1800. The deacon's descendent, Jim Fretz, believes that the deacon's son Manasseh lived here. Manasseh had certainly moved away to his own farm before the deacon died, which makes the old building more likely to be the deacon's house.

• Manasseh Fretz House, 21st Street and 1st Avenue

  Manasseh Fretz House

  This brick house, which at one time would have been on the bank of the busy harbour of the Twenty, is actually Manasseh's third house. The first would have been a log cabin and the second was probably a smaller frame house. As the front of the house indicates, the house was built in 1845. The walls are built of two layers of brick with an air gap between for insulation. Around the back are two buildings. One is a smoke house dating from 1841. This has two fire places accessible from the outside. The doors have round holes, which can be covered as required to regulate the flow of air into the smoke house. Between the smoke house and the main house is a building known as the wash-house. It contains a huge brick fireplace with two swinging arms that could hold kettles for boiling water. The building looks as though it could be used as a summer kitchen.

• Bishop Jacob Moyer House, Main Street near the cemetery

  Bishop Jacob Moyer House

  Jacob Moyer was in the party that came to the Twenty in 1799, first with his brother Abraham and others, then later with another brother Dilman and their families. Jacob and Abraham and the rest of the group had bought 1100 acres from the Butler family with a deposit of $40.00. Jacob's property straddled the Indian trail that eventually became Highway 8 or Main Street in Vineland. In 1802, Jacob was chosen as a second minister to assist Valentine Kratz and in 1805 was ordained the first bishop of the Mennonite Church in Canada. This house was completed in 1833, the year that Bishop Jacob went on a trip to Pennsylvania, took sick and died there. The house originally had a porch running across the south end facing the road. The addition to the front and the stucco over the red brick was added much later.

• Daniel High House, west side of Victoria Avenue between Fly Road and Moyer Road

  Daniel High House

  Daniel High (originally Hoch), father and son, arrived on the Twenty as part of the John Fretz party of 1800. Daniel Jr. had earlier married Catherine Bechtel and two of their children were Daniel and Jacob, both born in Upper Canada. Daniel High III, born in 1805, was a preacher, and he married Margaret Kratz, daughter of Valentine Kratz, the first Mennonite minister. He settled here on the edge of the escarpment on 51 acres bought from the Butler family. The end of the house closest in the picture is a "doddy" house built to house retired parents or grandparents. Daniel High was the nephew of Abraham High of Jordan.

• Jacob High House, east side of Victoria Avenue opposite Fly Road

  Jacob High House

  Jacob High was born in 1801 to Daniel High Jr. and his wife Catherine. Jacob built this house in 1837 and is based on similar houses in Pennsylvania. The addition on the right side of the picture is a doddy house that was not part of the original design. It was added by Jacob's nephew, Daniel K. High, son of Jacob's brother Daniel who lived across the street. Daniel K. inherited the property from Jacob who was childless.