Potchefstroom was the first settlement north of the Vaal River in the famous “Voortrekkerland”. Because of its favourable geographical features like the Mooiriver , its rich ground water and farming land, Potchefstroom became the most important town in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.

Before A.H Potgieter founded Potchefstroom, tribal settlements under “Silkaats and Bataung” roamed over the “West –Transvaal” today called North West.

There are two indicators that let us to think that Potchefstroom was founded in 1838. The first is that of Barend Swart the oldest inhabitant of Klerksdorp which claimed that Potchefstroom was founded on 22 December 1838. The second indicator is that farms was given out in 1838 –Article 6 of the Volksraadsnotule, d.d Pietermaritzburg, 8 October 1841. Not much was done for two years, a few houses erected and most of the settlers still livening in their wagons,  described by an East India Company officer: Kinloch on his visit in 1840.

The first place that the local The Commission decided to build on was a disaster because it was done on a wet land and when it rained it wood flood because of poor draining, today this place is known  as “Oudedorp”. On 26 November 1841 they decided to move 11km down river from Oudedorp. This movement was done under P.F Strydom and Governor J.H. Grobler : the oldest known Governor of Potchefstroom. Land was given to everyone older than 16 years and farms was made parallel to the Mooiriver.

Geskiedenis van Potchefstroom 1838-1881, D.J.P Haasbroek

The Name of Potchefstroom

The name of the town differs in different documents and was spelled in different ways like:

Potcherfstroom,  Potscherf Stroom, Potsherffstroom, Potchefspruit and Potchefstroom. Because the town was next to the Mooiriver it was also called Mooirivier or Mooirivierstown. One of the reasons that the name Potchefstroom was written differently was because of the poor language skills of the people of that time. Look at the Notule of the Volksraadvergaderings  1841 - 1850,

The spelling of the name like it is today: Potchefstroom was first spelled by J. Bodenstein on 22 June 1942.

From 1851 – 1860 the word Potchefstroom was used 253 times, 80 times more than any of the other spelling  methods.

The word: Potscherfstroom the second most used name after 1950 is thus a combination of the words: Pot (Potgieter), Scherf (skerf, a piece of, brokent Matabele pots or pieces found along the mooiriver ), stroom (the Mooirivier or stream)

The word: Potchefstroom the most used after 1950 is today the official spelling and was mostly influenced by the many Hollander settlers who used the word “chef” that didn’t use the “r” in the spelling. This gives Potchefstroom a whole different meaning.


Bibliography.

A Century of History - The story of Potchefstroom, by Geoffrey Jenkkins
Die geskiedenis van Potchefstroom 1838 - 1881, deur D.J.P Haasbroek
Van Den Bergh, GN: Potchefstroom en die Eerste Vryheidsoorlog 16 Desember 1880 tot Maart 1881 in Krygshistoriese Tydskrif deel 3,Nr. 3, Junie 1975
Voortrekkerargiefstukke, 1829 - 1849, p30-31

   Early history of Potchefstroom

1838    

• Potchefstroom was founded in November by the Voortrekker leader Andries Hendrik Potgieter, originally at Oudedorp, approximately 10 km upstream from where the city is today.

1841     

• The town is relocated to its current location.
• Potchefstroom became the capital of the Transvaal.
• First town magistrate appointed.

1846     

• First school.

1847   

 

• First jail.

1850     

• Postal service inaugurated between Lydenburg and Potchefstroom (post runners).
• Market started in Potchefstroom.

1851     

• First church building (Nederduits Hervormde Church).

1852     

• First execution of a murderer.
• Andries Hendrik Potgieter dies end of December.

1853     

• First facility to store gunpowder built (still exists).
• Gold discovered in Potchefstroom district.

1857     

• First newspaper (De Staats Courant).
• First North Bridge built.

1859     

• First Postmaster appointed.

• New water furrow.
• New cemetery (second) laid out.

1862     

• Civil War between President Paul Kruger and Usurper Stephanus Schoeman. Bombardment between them took place on the Bult.

    

• Swedish immigrants settled at Skandinawiëdrift.
• First Cricket club in Transvaal founded in Potchefstroom.

1864     

• Mail-coach service started between Pretoria and Potchefstroom.

1866     

• First mill opened.
• Potchefstroom has 275 houses and 1,200 inhabitants and is the largest town in Transvaal, the second largest town being Pretoria with 300 inhabitants.

1867     

• Gravel on streets.
• First agricultural show.
• First Reformed Church building and Dutch Reformed Church building inaugurated.
• First Anglican Church building inaugurated.

• First municipal elections.

1869     

• Theological School of the Reformed Church founded at Burgersdorp (later moved to Potchefstroom).

1872     

• First Methodist Church building.

1877     

• British troops annexed the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek.
• First commercial bank, Standard Bank, opened.
• Black location, later Willem Klopperville, laid out south of town.

Potchefstroom Timeline from: 1878 - 1902
1878     

• First library service and museum movement.

1880     

• The Fort at Potchefstroom besieged. The 322 people in the Fort included a few civilians and British troops under Col.  Winslow.  They lived for 95 days in an area 25 X 25 metres and subsequently six people died. This was the first hostilities of the First Anglo Boer War.

1881     

• Potchefstroom fell to the Boers.

1884     

• First Asians in Potchefstroom.

1887     

• First private post-boxes made available.

• Potchefstroom Stock Exchange founded.
• M L Fick Primary School, currently the oldest school, founded.

1890     

• First Rugby club in Transvaal founded.

1891     

• President Pretorius Primary School founded.

    

• A park with sporting fields, Alexandra Park, next to cemetery is developed.

1893     

• First tennis club in Transvaal founded in Potchefstroom.

1896     

• Landdros-, Post en Telegraafkantoor office officially opened.

    

• Railroad between Potchefstroom and Johannesburg opened.

1899     

• Anglo Boer War declared.

1900     

• British troops under General Sir Ian Hunter occupied Potchefstroom.
• Military hospital built.

1902     

• Health Committee formed to become first local authority after war.
• Church Street renamed King Edward Street and names of other streets changed.
• Experimental Farm founded.

1903     

• British Garrison housed approximately 1 000 soldiers in cantonments.
• Potchefstroom acquired municipal status
• First electrical power station came into operation.
• The Lyric Theatre opened on the corner of King Edward Street and Lombard Street.
• New cemetery (current) laid out.
• Two orphanages are combined.  Out of this developed the Hoër Tegniese Skool.

1904     

• Potchefstroom town council held its first meeting.
• New Methodist Church opened in May.

1905     

• Theological School and Literary Department of the Reformed Church relocated to Potchefstroom from Burgersdorp.
• Potchefstroom High School for Boys founded.

1906     

• Railway line between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp opened.

1908     

• Potchefstroom Herald newspaper founded (still exists).
• Building of Potchefstroom Dam started.
• First 40 telephones installed.
• New golf links officially opened, soon to become one of the best in South Africa.

1909     

• City Hall officially opened.
• Experimental Farm became an Agricultural School.

1910     

• New post-office and magistrate’s office opened.
• Oak trees planted in Potchefstroom (Tom Street - Steve Biko Ln), the longest oak lane in South Africa.  Later declared a National Monument.

1911     

• Municipality took over the supply of electricity.

1912     

• New electrical power station opened in Kock Street.
• Marathon runner Kenneth MacArthur won South Africa’s first Olympic Gold medal at the Olympic Games in Stockholm.

1914     

• Hospital opened.
• Municipal Library, funded by Carnegie, opened.
• British troops withdrew, but Potchefstroom stayed a military training base.

1918     

• Approximately 500 people died of Spanish Flu in Potchefstroom and district.

1919     

• New railway station opened in Potchefstroom.
• Potchefstroom University College founded after Literary Department parted ways with the Theological School.

1920     

• Synagogue opened.

1923     

• New artillery school opened at Potchefstroom military base.
• Witrand Rehabilitation Centre founded, second oldest psychiatric hospital in South Africa.

1926     

• Water purification service.
• Streets tarred.

1928     

• Railway opened between Potchefstroom and Fochville.

1930     

• Public swimming pool opened.

1939     

• Potchefstroom Centenary celebrations.
• New airfield inaugurated near Sewerage Farm.

1940     

• First Police station.
• Agriculture School became Agriculture College.
• Airfield moved to current location.

1949     

• Various street names changed.  King Edward Street again became Church Street.

1951     

• Potchefstroom University College acquired full university status to become Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.

1954     

• Development of Ikageng started.

1955     

• Road between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom tarred.

1956     

• Potchindustria laid out.

1958     

• Boskopdam built.

1959     

• Promosa laid out.

1961     

• Museum opened.
• Twelve people died in hail storm.

1962     

• Automatic telephone services.

1963     

• Third and current Northbridge built.

1966     

• New post office opened in Potchefstroom (still in use).
• Military District upgraded to become Northwest Commando.

1971     

• Mohadin suburb laid out.
• New Fire station opened in Newmarket Street.

1973     

• Twenty people died after the explosion of an ammonia tank at the Triomf Fertiliser Plant.

1975     

• Asian Shopping Centre opened.
• Potgieter Street widened to a double road.

1976     

• Governing body for Promosa.

1977     

• New jail opened at Mooibank.

1982     

• New Library and Museum building inaugurated.

1983     

• Governing body for Ikageng.

1984     

• Governing body for Mohadin.

Potchefstroom Timeline from: 1986 - 2010

   Pick 'n Pay Shopping Centre opened.

1988     

• 150 Year Celebrations.
• AH Potgieter Banqueting Halls opened.

1989     

• First private hospital opened (MediCity – later Mediclinic).

• Ikageng riots.

1991     

• New Police Office

1992     

• Air Force base closed.

1994     

• First national democratic elections – ANC won Potchefstroom with a 59.08% vote.
• Potchefstroom acquired city status.

1995     

• New fire station opened.

1996     

• Cachet Park Shopping Centre developed.

1997     

• Checkers Centre enlarged and renamed Riverwalk Centre.

1998     

• First Aardklop National Art Festival.

1999     

• 100 year celebrations of the Anglo Boer War.

2003     

• PU for CHO became the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus after merging with University of Bophuthatswana.
• 3 Students died of Meningitis.

2004     

• Wide ranging street name changes.

2006     

• Potchefstroom Municipality became Tlokwe Municipality.

2007     

• Kynoch Fertiliser Plant, previously known as Triomf, closed.

2008     

• Mooiriver Mall opens.

   City Host to the spanish 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup winners