Peter Reesor

[2] At the close of the American Revolution, many pacifist Mennonites left the newly formed United States in loyalty to the British Crown which guaranteed them exemption from military service.

In 1798, Peter Reesor was appointed by his family and community to travel to Upper Canada and explore newly opened lands for settlement.

On his short stay here he met a mercenary German army officer, Frederic Baron de Hoen.

In 1804, Peter Reesor led a larger group of Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite families on the long journey to Upper Canada for settlement along the Rouge River.

At the time, pioneers only had axes and hand saws to cut down the three to four foot diameter maple and pine trees.

[7] A nephew, David Reesor, became well known as a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Reserve Militia in York (against his pacifist Mennonite tradition—he became a Methodist) and was appointed to the Senate of Canada.