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A stone monument in Dugald, in the Rural Municipality of Springfield, was erected in July 1967 by the Springfield Agricultural Society. It commemorates the first shipment of wheat from Manitoba, aboard a Red River steamboat, on 21 October 1876.
The Red Fife wheat was grown by 12 farmers: G. R. Miller (Kildonan, 204 bushels), H. Soar (St. John, 154 bushels), Robert Black (Springfield, 102 bushels), D. McDonald (Springfield, 94 bushels), J. W. Carleton (Clear Spring, 80.17 bushels), John Spear (Springfield, 44 bushels), John Reich (St. Paul, 40 bushels), F. Dick (Springfield, 35 bushels), Alexander Gibson (Springfield, 33 bushels), T. B. Robinson (Rockwood, 32 bushels), Neil McLeod (Victoria, 22 bushels), and John McIvor (Greenwood, 17.75 bushels). The shipment was consigned by Higgins & Young of Winnipeg to Steele Brothers of Toronto, Ontario.
A framed document at the Springfield Archives has a story about the first grain shipment:
There was a very serious failure of the spring wheat crop in the province of Ontario in 1876, the hardy Fife Wheat, which had been the chief standby for many years, was almost worthless, apparently having lost its vigor and would no longer yield a profitable crop. The fame of the Red River Valley wheat was already spreading, and it was decided by his company that R. C. Steele, founder of the firm of Steele, Briggs Seed Co., Limited, now of Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Regina, should go to Manitoba and procure, if possible, 5,000 bushels of her finest wheat for seed in Ontario.
The journey was made via St. Paul to Fisher’s Landing, Minn., the end of the railway at that time. His through ticket for the balance of the trip was by steamer to Winnipeg, which took from two to three days, and fearing that the river would freeze over before the wheat could be secured and brought down to the railway, Mr. Steele abandoned his steamboat ticket, hired a lumber wagon, the only conveyance available, and drove 13 miles across the country to Grand Forks, Dakota, arriving there at 6 o’clock in the evening, and reaching Winnipeg at 12 o'clock the next night, the journey of 150 miles having occupied 30 hours continuous riding.
Upon making known to the merchants of Winnipeg that the object of his visit was to secure some of their famous wheat for shipment to Toronto for seed, every assistance possible was rendered by the business men of the town, captained by David Young, of the firm of Higgins, Young & Peebles, as all were anxious to have a hand in the first shipment of wheat from Manitoba, the outlook even then being such that it would be an event to talk about in after years. The early close of navigation left little time for securing the wheat, and as threshing machines and farming mills were few and far between in Manitoba in those days, of the amount stated above 857 1/2 bushels was all the choice wheat that could be secured in time for the last steamer leaving Winnipeg before the close of navigation, and within 48 hours after the steamer with this wheat on board reached Fisher's Landing, the Red River was frozen over and navigation closed for the winter. From Fisher's Landing, the wheat was shipped by rail to Duluth, together with 4,000 bushels more selected wheat purchased in Northern Minnesota. From Duluth, shipment was made by vessel to Sarnia and then by rail to Toronto.
This story is written for the Springfield Agricultural Society in the Centennial year - 1967 A.D.
Springfield Grain Growers Monument (March 2019)
Source: George Penner
Springfield Grain Growers Monument (April 2025)
Source: Milan LukesSite Location (lat/long): N49.88610, W96.84028
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Anthony Friebert (1905-1989)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Springfield Archives (Dugald, RM of Springfield)
“The first shipment of grain from Manitoba,” Manitoba Free Press, 23 October 1876, page 3.
“First western wheat was shipped up Red River from foot of Lombard Street” by Lillian Gibbons, Winnipeg Tribune, 11 August 1947, page 8.
“Export of wheat began on Lombard,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 February 1950, page 57.
This page was prepared by George Penner and Milan Lukes.
Page revised: 9 May 2025
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