THE ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY OF PARYS

The unique in which the town of Parys is situated, had its origin roughly around 2000 million years ago when a giant meteorite struck the earth just south east of Vredefort in the Free State Province . The impact structure that was subsequently formed has come to be known as the Vredefort Dome, the oldest and largest meteorite impact site on earth, measuring about 200km in diameter.

In the early 1870’s, towns in the northern Free State were set very far apart, and members of the different churches had far to travel to participate in their religious services. It was then decided by the Ring of the Dutch Reformed Church to implant the idea of a congregation north of the Renoster River into the minds of residents of the farm Klipspruit, on the Vaal River , which was owned by four Van Coller brothers. Three gentlemen, Messrs. De Villiers, Luyt and Fleck were sent to the owners of Klipspruit to induce them to lay the farm out as a township, but the Van Coller brothers were very reluctant to listen to the arguments put forward by the three men. Not giving up hope of laying out a township, the three gentlemen went to the adjoining farm, Vischgat (the present Vredefort). The owners of Vischgat were more amenable to argument and inducement, and it was not long before the township Vredefort was born. The owners of Klipspruit soon awoke to the fact that a golden opportunity had slipped through their fingers, and set out in haste to retrieve matters. History does not recorded the steps they took, but it seems probable that they secured the sympathy of the Dutch Reformed Church, for, later on in 1876 when the town was laid out, a goodly portion of ground was set aside and donated to the church. On the 14 th of June 1876 the first sale of seven erven was held by a Mr. Wouter de Villiers, and the upset price of the erven was 25 pounds each.

There have been several suggestions put forward about the origin of the name Parys, the most commonly accepted being that it was suggested by Mr. Schillbach, a German land survivor who had served in the Franco – Prussian war, and had taken part siege of Paris . Apparently the events were still fresh in his memory five years later and he likened the Vaal River to the Seine and prophesied that a day would come when a big town would lie on both sides of the river, just like Paris . To carry on the similitude he named the two adjoining farms Issy and Versailles , after two of the forts that were outside the French capital.

Municipal life began in 1883, when a Village Management Board was appointed. When gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand in 1886, a period of development was in store for the little town, because the main road to the north through Bloemfontein en Kroonstad, went through Parys and many travellers passed forward or backward through the town. In 1887 the town began to benefit from this income and the Village Management Board was elevated to the dignity of a Municipality. Whenever the council of the day ran short of money, which they appeared to have done frequently, they adopted the simple plan of selling erven in order to raise it. As they could then do as they liked with erven money, they devoted the proceeds of the sales to the payment of current expenses. Such a policy naturally depreciated the value of the ground, until eventually erven were sold at very low prices.

The outbreak of the Anglo – Boer War in 1889 brought things in Parys to a standstill, and the war brought a period of destruction. The town was the scene of much guerrilla warfare. Surrounded as it is by hills and the river being full of woody islands, it was an ideal place for snipers and good use was made of the natural advantages provided. Most of the buildings in the town were destroyed and when peace came in 1902, most people had to make a fresh start.

In these early days many irrigation canals were built (many still running through the town) and having so much water available, the town council decided that an electric lighting scheme should be put into use, using all the under utilised water of the irrigation scheme to generate electricity. The first electric lights glowed in Parys at Christmas 1912.

Residents of the town had felt for quite some time that a bridge across the Vaal River was no more than its just due. A ferry service crossed on to an island, and from there another ferry completed the crossing. The service was different and accidents were not infrequent. Farmers on the Transvaal side preferred to go to Potchefstroom, thirty miles away, rather than face the trouble and expenses of a ferry crossing. Towards the end of 1913, tenders were asked for a reinforced concrete bridge over the Vaal , the length of the whole plan being 1600 feet, in 40 sections of 40 feet each. The contract was finally awarded to a Mr. Warren and the contract price was about 16 000 pounds. The work was started in May 1914, but the outbreak of the First World War three months later, caused long delays and the bridge was only finished and opened for traffic around Christmas 1915. The town developed slowly onwards the 20 th century, but unfortunately not many of the old buildings and places remain today. The current Parys Palm Court Hotel is still one of the surviving century buildings, as is the museum and a few houses in town. The Town Hall was built in the 1930’s in the typical Art Deco style. For more info visit the Parys Museum .

 DEADLY DECISION - A STOEP STORY

In the past Parys was often described as a sleepy little retirement town, or lately a place to go to if you would like to experience all kinds of adventure in the world’s only visible crater, which is also a heritage site. Most visitors to the town could hardly visualise the enormity of a 15 km wide meteorite slamming into the earth 200 000 million year ago and the subsequent changes that took place in the environment. Very few visitors however, think or know about the earth-shattering story of Frans J. Jooste during the Aglo-Boer War at the turn of the previous century.

A few kilometres south of Parys and east of the road to Vredefort is a hill were a tribe called the Matabeles used to live and which dominate the landscape. According to oral history this hill played an important role as a landmark by both the Matabeles and the Boer soldiers.

Gen. Phillip Botha together with part of gen. C. De Wet’s Commando decided on the 26th August 1900 to cross the Vaal River on an eastward course to the towns Vrede and Harrismith. His orders were to round up any civilians in these two districts and escort them back to gel. De Wet.

South of Parys they received heavy artillery fire from the British troops who was moving from Schoemansdrift in the general direction of Parys.

Two brothers from the Bethlehem Commando, Frans and Hans Jooste were in charge of a wagon and load of ammunition. The slow moving wagon, pulled by oxen attracted the most enemy fire. As they neared the landmark hill the brothers decided to leave it behind and flee for their lives.

After running 50 m Frans turned around to fetch his coat that was still with the wagon. The Highveld winter was nothing to sneeze at and a coat in those days was regarded as very valuable. When he reached the wagon it received a bull’s eye hit from enemy fire and with a tremendous bang the full load of ammunition exploded.

The explosion was so terrific that it was heard as far as Liebenberskoppie, north of Parys and the crater it created could still be seen after more than a hundred years. Only a hand and piece of a foot belonging to Frans, was ever found. It was burried in the bomb crater by a Mr. Jeff van der Schyff.

Also killed in the explosion were two of the sixteen oxen. The rest ran away where they was later found on a neighbouring farm and unharnessed by a Mrs. Delport.

Two months later the surviving brother, Hans Jooste was captured by British troops and banned to St Helena as a prisoner of war. After the war he returned to Bethlehem.

The story however, does not end here. In 1974 an officer of the Parys Voortrekker Commando, Ben Nel and other members of the Commando decided to build a monument in the crater in honour of Frans Jooste. In a sense the twelve-year-old boys contribute to history by using heavy stones, which were carried, from the top of the landmark hill to the spot were the monument was to be build. The stones were part of the ruins of Matabele kraals still visible today.

During the school holidays in October of 1974 the team camped out on the site and start building. After a days’ hard work they enjoyed a well deserved shower by using a 25 litre can and plastic pipe which was put on top of the officers caravan. Sore hands and knees was treated with salve and the telling of stories at the camp fire.

The monument was unveiled on 26 October 1974 by the Commandant of the Voortrekker Commando, Rev. Andries Myburg. The story of the Jooste Incident was documented and placed inside the monument to ensure that Frans Jooste will be remembered.
(Compiled by: Ria Myburgh)
For more information contact Parys Info Office at: 056 811 4000 – E-mail: info@parys.co.za