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REFLECTIONS ON OUR HERITAGE
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One of the first factory—built cars to navigate Steinbach's streets or trails was this 1912 or 1913 Ford owned by A. A. Relmer. Mr. Reimer is at the wheel with lsaac T. Loewen in the front seat. The man at |eft in the rear is Jacob Schmidt. in the centre is
J. R. Friesen and at right is P. S. Rempel.
docen businesses had enlarged premises and three new residences were going up on Elm Street.
By that year (1938) Steinbach boasted 45 business places. There were six stores (including H. W. Reimer’s where you could buy everything from bobby pins to tractors). two lumber yards, two machine snaps, a large hotel, several cafes, three barber shops, one beauty parlor, one bakery. the flour mill. four car dealers, at body and paint shop and several other small businesses.
The new areas had sprung up around Steinbach by £936 and were officially named Steinbach East and Steinbach South.
Actually, both had already been given names. Steinbach East, it was jokingly said, had the fine Italian name of “Hunga Veh Di" (Low German for Hunger Bewarel and the second had the proud Russian name of ”Tchlen Moscow” (Low German for Little Moscow). Understandably the residents in these areas didn’t favor these names and their implica- tions, and suggested others. New ones were provided but they didn’t catch on so the Stein- bach Board of Trade suggested the official names.
The board of trade did much more than suggest names for new growth areas, how» > ever. Made up of the same men who had built 5 up the Steinbach business community, the board went after new trade with determina- tion and after the Second World War the bus— 5 mess-minded community boomed. Incorpora— 3-3 tion, a new influx of Mennonites from Rus- .; sia, new roads and better transportation. hydro, the hospital and special services, 5’3 waterworks, all played a part. 1
Playing an important role in making the ’ entire Southeast Steinbach conscious was the f ; Carillon News which had its beginning in 1946. ; i Promoting local as well as area progress, it did much to make Steinbach the economic hub of the Southeast.
By the 1956‘s Steinbach was enjoying a building boom. New residences and business— .__ es sprang up. These were the years when the ‘ ' sewing factory Opened its doors and several businesses grew to the point where they built branch or main offices outside the community or province.
The first local firm to seek a market on the it; national field was probably C. T. Loewen‘s who started selling beekeepers supplies from a