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| The first Europeans to make their way through the Wawanesa area were fur traders. The fur traders were few in number and were not permanent settlers by any means. The first real settlers came from Great Britain in search of new lands and new opportunities.
Before towns developed the first farmers began to clear and use the land. Running a farm in the earliest days required back breaking labour and a sturdy constitution. Trees and bush would often have to be cleared away before farming could even start. Some farmers were lucky enough to own land without trees and bushes but they would still have to deal with “breaking” the land. |
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| Prairie earth formed a hard crust that had to be “broken” with a plow before it could be seeded. Metal plows, a technology that had been available since the 1830’s, were a very important possession for every pioneer farmer. Either oxen or draft horses were used to drag the plow. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Another essential piece of equipment was the wagon. Wagons were used to transport grain, and haul manure and wood. In the winter the wagon box was placed on skis and used to haul ice from the river. The ice was placed inside an ice house, insulated with sawdust and used to refrigerate meat and milk products during the summer. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Grain farming was by no means the only form of agriculture practiced by early prairie families. Each farm kept cows, chickens, and pigs, and had a large garden. The animals provided meat, milk, and butter for the family while the garden produced a good supply of vegetables. |  |
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| Excess butter and eggs could be traded for the few items the farm could not produce. Farmers would try to make the animals and the garden provide for their household needs while the crops would be used to pay for the land. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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