The city of Steinbach was first founded by the German-speaking Mennonites of Ukraine in the year of 1874. The word Steinbach translates from German to “Stoney Brook.” The area where Steinbach was founded belonged to the Ojibway-speaking Anishinabe people. They used this land for hunting, fishing and trapping. They were moved into reserves after they signed Treaty 1. Treaty 1 was signed on the 3rd of August in the year 1871. Shortly after they were moved, the government surveyed the land for what is now known as the R.M of Hanover. There were people from Molotschna colony in Imperial Russia who belonged to a group called the Kleine Gemeinde. Kleine Gemeinde translates from German to “Small community” and they believed in the practices of the new testament. When some families of the Kleine Gemeinde moved to what is now known as Steinbach in 1874, they noticed that much of the better land was already claimed by families who had moved there earlier. The 20 homesteads that were there were laid out along the Steinbach creek on the northeast side of present day main street. The first school was built in 1875, but the settlers started a school in the first year of arriving. By the year 1882, Steinbach had grown to have 28 families and a population of 128 people. Today, Steinbach is the third largest city in Manitoba with a population of 15,829 people. Steinbach is still growing and 50% of the residents have a German background.