Christian Nafziger and the journey to Ontario

Christian Nafziger left his family in Germany and traveled to America in 1821, entering through New Orleans. He then made his way north along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers toward Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Advice that land was cheaper in Canada led him to continue his search there.

In 1822 he reached Waterloo, Ontario, and approached the government about establishing a settlement. He returned to Germany and encouraged Amish Mennonite families to join the migration. The families arrived in 1826, built homes, and cleared land. Nafziger’s journey shows the advance work behind a migration: scouting, negotiation, return travel, and the gathering of people willing to begin again.