Early Norwegian Settlements in Illinois
Map of Illinois 1895
La Salle County, Illinois
Next after the previously mentioned
settlement in New Orleans* County, N. Y. comes the Fox River settlement
in La Salle Co., Ill. This was founded in 1834 by a part (and as
mentioned, the larger part) of the Slooper people, who did not like the
aforementioned place. They came westward - with Kleng Person as leader.
Kleng was, at least, the one who had investigated the land for them and
stayed in their midst for a long time. Just as he was the man who
started the emigration from Norway, he was also the first Norwegian who
set foot on America's inland. Not only that, he paved the way as far
west as Illinois - he also paved the way to Iowa and other states, that
we will come to later. Kleng Persen's sister, Mrs. Cornelius Nelson
Hersdal, whose husband died in Kendall in 1833 - her house was the
first to be built in the Fox River settlement. It was, however, just a
poor log cabin, though Mrs. Hersdal and her family were satisfied with
it. It still stands - beside today's large, modern buildings.
But, back to the emigration from Norway. Among those
who started it, one must mention Knud Anderson Slogvig† and Gjert
Gregoriussen Hovland†.
When Slogvig had been in America for 10 years (he
emigrated with the Sloop, 1825), he made a visit to his home community
in Skjold parish, Stavanger Amt, where he was met with great interest.
There were many who came (some from far away) to see and speak to 'The
American'. And it looked like the Sloopers over there, soon would have
Norwegian neighbors.
Hovland did not go home, but he was a diligent writer - both during his
stay at the Kendall settlement, N. Y. and after his arrival in Fox
River. He gave a rather plain message about the conditions and future
prospects in America, they made copies of them and disseminated them in
Vestland communities - right from Bergen to Kristiansand.
As a consequence of Hovland's and other letters and
Slogvig's visit, about 200 persons (mainly from Bergen, Haugesund and
Stavanger) emigrated in 1836. They sailed from the latter city for New
York aboard two brigs, 'Norden' and 'Den Norske Klippe' that had been
outfitted for emigrant transport.
The following year (1837) two other ships sailed,
the 'Enigheden' from Stavanger and 'Ægir' from Bergen with a
similar number of emigrants, of whom, most were from Vestland
communities while a few had come from Telemarken, Nummedal and
Trøndelagen.
Most of those who emigrated in 1836 and 1837 came
directly to Illinois - some to Fox River, some to Beaver Creek and in a
few cases to Chicago. Only a few stopped at the Kendall settlement, N.
Y., but they also moved west to Illinois rather quickly. (The
continuation of the emigration story will be done below, after we come
to those places or areas that benefited from it. I must, therefore draw
attention to several other things, since the material is divided
countywide. In other words, I must pay attention to what belongs in the
county where I find myself at the moment, before I jump to another.)
Elling Eielsen, who came from Norway to Fox River in
1839, immediately began holding meetings there and a meeting house was
erected that year. This was the first Norwegian meeting house in
America. It was later used as a church. The aforementioned was urged by
some of his friends to get ordained as a priest. The ordination was
conducted by F. A. Hoffman, D.D., a German Lutheran priest at Duncan's
Grove (at Chicago) on the 3rd October 1843. However, Elling preferred
to be seen as a lay preacher, which actually he was - in the mode of
Hans Nilsen Hauge. He was a zealous and skilled preacher - and was
nearly always on the road - with his axe, compass, coffee pot, rain
clothes etc. Many a night he slept under open skies, often surrounded
by Indians, to whom he was a good friend. He visited many a lonely
Norwegian with the Word, and he took part in many a battle (in the
clerical sense) and was an example during his long efforts in the
Norwegian settlements in America. He was born in Voss the 19th
September 1804 and died in Chicago, Ill. in 1883.
According to the statistics I have gathered in 1900
for 'Norge i Amerika, there were 14 churches and 16 congregations in La
salle Co., 10 of them belonging to The United Church, 4 to The
Methodist Church, 1 to Hauge's Synod and 1 to The Evangelical Free
Church.
In the Fox River settlement, which was certainly the
first permanent Norwegian settlement in America, they began introducing
Norwegian place names. Fairly early a post office with the name of
Norway was established and another called Stavanger, because a large
number of the first settlers came from that area. Stavanger P. O. was
recently closed because of the free mail delivery (R.F.D.), but Norway
still exists.
A. A. Klove† from Voss, was the first Norwegian to
hold a public position in this county. For further information about
him and others see the section, 'Norwegians in official positions in
America', later in the book.
For an account about 'Kirketidende' that was published (first in
Leland, later in Norway) and about 'Illinois Posten' that is now
published in Ottawa in this county, see the section,
'Norwegian-American newspapers and periodicals’)
And for information about Pleasant View Lutheran College, the Norwegian
school on Ottawa, see, 'Norwegian-American teaching institutions'.
*Actually, Orleans County - Trans.
Cook County, Illinois
The first Norwegian who settled in this
county was Halstein Terrison (Tørrisen†) from Skaanevik,
Hardanger. He settled in Chicago in 1836 and worked for a time as a
gardener for a Mr. Newberry. Later he moved to Calumet (ca. 20 miles
south of Chicago), where he lived in 1849, when his nephew,
Tørris Johnson (Mehus), from whom I have received this
information, came to America. Johan Larson† from Kopervik settled in
Chicago right after Terrison (1836). Later in the year came Svein
Lothe† from Hardanger and Nils Røthe† from Voss.
*In 1837 we find several Norwegians in the
aforementioned city. (See the account under La Fayette County, where
some of them moved.
The first Norwegian sermon** in America was given in
Chicago by Elling Eielsen in 1839, when he was on his way from Norway
to the Fox River settlement. Chicago, that now has 2,000,000
inhabitants (of which ca. 70,000 are of Norwegian origin), was at that
time just a trader's post. The first Norwegian congregation there was
established in 1845 by Pastor C. L. Clausen, who served it from
Muskego, where he lived. Pastor Paul Anderson, who first belonged to
Elling Eielsen's Society, then the Franckeans and later the Augustana
Synod, was the first priest of Norwegian origin to live in Chicago. He
took fixed residence here in 1848 - and his activities are well
recorded.
Now the city has 47 Norwegian congregations and 33
churches. The congregations are divided so: Methodist 9, United Church
8, Norwegian Synod 6, Hauge's Synod 6, Evangelical Free Church 6,
Baptist 4, Lutheran Free Church 3, Independent Lutheran 2, General
Synod 1, Adventist 1 and Quakers 1. It must however be stated that some
of these congregations are Norwegian-Danish, especially in the case of
the Methodists, Baptists and the Evangelical Free Church. (N.B. The
statistics also include Pullman and Evanston that now are united with
Chicago).
A Norwegian-Danish department was set up at the
Methodist seminary in Evanston in 1870. In 1885 the Evangelical Free
Church had a division at the Chicago Theological Seminary and finally,
the Norwegian-Danish Baptists had theirs at the Baptists theological
school. It must then be understood that these schools were American -
with Norwegian divisions. (The Norwegian teaching institutions we find
further west and we will find information about them later in the book)
But while we speak of teaching in Chicago, we must mention that one of
the City's public schools is named after the well-known Norwegian
pioneer editor, Knud Langeland and another named after the recently
deceased wholesaler and school director, Ole A. Thorp, born in Eidsberg
near Kristiania. It can be added that according to statistics, that
were recently published by college and university professors, that
Norwegians were at the top of those who took higher education at the
teaching institutions.
Iver Lawson (Larson) from Voss, was the first Norwegian to hold a
public position here. He was elected City Marshall in 1855. (For a
complete account of the political arena, see 'Norwegians in public
positions in America')
The first Norwegian newspaper in Chicago was started
in 1852 and was called 'Frihedsbanneret', however it only existed for a
short time. Next (in 1866) 'The Norwegian America' that also folded
after a few months. However (in 1866) John Anderson had begun the
publication of 'Skandinaven' which thus became the first permanent
Norwegian newspaper in the city. Later came 'Nordlyset', 'Billed
Magazin', 'Den Nye Tid', 'Vort Land', 'Norden', 'Afholdsbladet',
'Nordisk Folkeblad', 'Dagbladet', 'Verdens Gang', 'Afholds Vennen',
'Ugeblad for Kirken og Hjemmet', 'Amerika', 'Scandia',
'Typograftidende', 'Missionæren', 'Opbyggeslses- og
Missions-blad', 'Den Christelige Talsmand', 'Hyrdestemmen',
'Folkevennen', 'Evangelisten', 'Det Hvide Baand', 'Emissæren',
'Kirkebudet', and 'Chicago Lutheraneren'. For further information about
these and other newspaper ventures, see the section,
'Norwegian-American Newspapers and Periodicals' later in the book.
There are 5 Norwegian charitable institutions in
Chicago, Tabitha Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, The Old Age Home, The
Bethania Home and the Children's Home. There is also a Norwegian
National Society - and a Leif Ericksen Statue carved by the sculptor
Sigvald Asbjørnsen and unveiled (in Humboldt Park) in 1901.
The first man to attempt to transport goods directly
from Europe to Chicago was the aforementioned wholesaler Ole A. Thorp,
who in 1892 had the steamship 'Henrik Wergeland' bring a load of
herring from Bergen - thus a completely Norwegian enterprise.
*It is also told that Anders Bekkedal from Hemsedal
settled in Chicago when there was only one little grocery store! His
son, Ole Anderson is now at Blackberry Station, Ill. In this connection
it can similarly be told that Mrs. Margaret A. Attwater, who was the
child born aboard the sloop 'Restaurationen' during the trip to America
in 1825, is still alive and lives with her son John in Western Springs
at Chicago. He is a priest for an American congregation there.
**It is maybe not literally true to call his
(Eielsen's) talk a sermon, since it was given before he was ordained as
a priest, but it was a sermon nevertheless.
Iroquois County, Illinois
It was in 1837 that student Ole Rynning†,
teacher Nils Langeland†, Gunder Midbøen†, Erik Midbøen†,
Mons and Knud Adland† and some other newcomers founded the Beaver Creek
settlement, that met such a sorry fate. They came there in the dry
season, when the land was dry, grassy and inviting in every respect.
They had no idea themselves and no one told them that this low-lying
area was covered with water in the wet season and in winter. But when
that time came there was misery, disease and death. Only a few managed
to get away from there. It is told about Ole Rynning, that he went -
wading in ice water - to see to his sick and dying comrades and their
families until he himself became mortally ill. Thus, this gifted man
found an early grave, if there was any grave, at least there is no
marker, nor can any countryman be found to point it out.
He was a son of Pastor Jens Rynning in Snaasen and a
brother to Pastor Bernt J. Muus' mother. He was a student from
Kristiania University and was the first Norwegian to work as an author
in America. The other settlers at Beaver Creek were partly from
Øvre Telemarken and partly from the Stavanger and Bergen
districts.
Stephenson County, Illinois
The first Norwegians in this county were
the brothers Ole and Ansten Nattestad from Vægli, Nummedal and
Clement Stabeck, they settled in the neighborhood of Davis in 1837. The
Nattestad brothers soon moved to Wisconsin, though. The settlement in
Stephenson Co. was not big.
Pastor J. W. C. Dietrichsen established a small
congregation here in 1845. Now there is one church and one
congregation, belonging to The United Church.
Kendall County, Illinois
Ole Olsen Hetletvedt, who
came from Stavanger on the Sloop in 1825 and who was the father of
Colonel Porter Olsen of the 36th Illinois, bought land at this place,
where the city of Newark now lies, in 1839. At that time it was
prairie. They began very quickly to grow maize. Day pay at that time
was 50 cents.
The first Norwegians in the area of Lisbon were
Erick Larsen Grove and Henry Munson from Voss, John Hill (Hilde†) from
Fjeldberg and Severt Anderson (Sjur Arentson) from Øvre
Severeide in Skaanevik. (Hill's and Anderson's names from Norwegian are
given in parentheses, as one sees)
Elling Eielsen was the first to preach God's Word in
the Lisbon settlement, he worked there both before and after his
ordination as a priest (1843). The Lisbon congregation, that was
established during his time here, built a church in 1846. This was the
first real church built by and for Norwegians in Illinois. However, the
congregation was without a priest until 1854, when Pastor P. A.
Rasmussen took over the post. For information about his newspaper
activity, see the section 'Norwegian-American newspapers and
periodicals'.
Now there are 6 Norwegian churches and 7
congregations in Kendall County, 4 belong to The United Church and 3 to
Hauge's Synod.
The first Norwegian to hold public office in the
county was E. S. Holland from Etne. He was elected Justice of the Peace
in 1875. Later he became Co. Commissioner.
Grundy County, Illinois
The first Norwegians in the area of
Morris, were Lars and Rasmus Sheldal and Halvor Osmundsen. Someone who
visited the latter in 1860, said that he still wore Norwegian wooden
shoes and with his red toque, even though he was well on the way of
becoming rich.
Peder E. Ericksen and Nels Olsen, both from Bergen and Civil War
veterans, were the first Norwegian settlers at Grand Prairie. They used
Shank's Mare from Morris to Dwight. The grass in the swamps was 6 feet
high and there was no road, they claimed land not far from there.
There are 8 Norwegian congregations and 4 churches
in Kendall Co. The congregations are divided so: The United Church 5,
The Norwegian Synod 2 and the Methodists 1.
For information of a political nature, see the section 'Norwegians in public positions in America'
In 1843 came Iver Anderson Rødne with his and
5 other families to Queen Annie Prairie at Woodstock, where they
settled. This area is almost empty of Norwegians now. Four of the
mentioned families, including Anderson's were from Stavanger, the other
2 from Voss.
Boone County, Illinois
The settlement, that Ole Nattestad
founded at Jefferson Prairie, Wis. in 1838, came to reach into Boone
Co., Ill. For more detailed information about the same, see Rock Co.,
Wis.
To Long Prairie at Belvidere, a number of families
came in 1843, some from Vik parish, Sogn and some from Seljord,
Telemarken. There are not many Norwegians at that place now, but at
Capron, there is a Norwegian settlement, that was founded in 1850. Ole
Nielsen Dahle† from Vik in Sogn, was the very first.
The first Norwegian congregation in this county was
established at Long Prairie in 1846 by Pastor C. L. Clausen, then of
The Norwegian Synod. Now there are 4 Lutheran societies represented in
the county, The Norwegian Synod, The United Church, The Lutheran Free
Church and Hauge's Synod.
Jo Davies County, Illinois
In 1845 they tried to make a settlement
in this county but it was unsuccessful. The only thing that possibly
could be a memory of Norwegians here is a post office by the name of
Nora.
Livingstone County, Illinois
The first Norwegian in this county was
John Mitchell from Tysvær, Stavanger Amt. He settled at Rowe in
1855, died in 1896.
The first in the area of Emington was Ole K. Lewis from Aurland in Sogn.
The first Norwegian congregation was established at
Rowe in 1863 by Pastor Peder Asbjørnsen of the Augustana Synod.
The congregation built a church in 1864. Now there are 9 Norwegian
congregations and 4 churches, 8 belong to The United Church and 1 to
Hauge's Synod.
There is a place called Norman, that is probably of Norwegian origin.
Lee County, Illinois
The first Norwegians here were C.
Christopher and Ole Prestegaard, both from Hardanger, they settled near
Lee P. O. When they came there, there were only Americans but now there
is a large Norwegian settlement.
In 1858, the first Norwegian congregation was
established in this county. It was established at Willow Creek Township
by Pastor G. F. Dietrichsen of The Norwegian Synod. The congregation's
name is 'The First Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Lee
Co., Ill.' The church was built in 1864. Now there are altogether 5
Norwegian congregations and 4 churches, 2 are in The Norwegian Synod, 2
in Hauge's Synod and 1 with The Methodist Church.
DeKalb County, Illinois
The first Norwegian here was Lars
Risetter from Hardanger, who settled at Pawpaw. The nearest marketplace
at that time was Chicago, about 60 miles away. They plowed with oxen
and raised maize and wheat. Day pay was 50 cents.
The first Norwegians in the area of Sandwich, were H. E. Cook from Brevik and Peder Pedersen from Stavanger.
Mrs. Sarah Darnell Nordvik, who emigrated on the
'Ægir', the first sailship to leave Bergen (1st April 1837), also
lives here. She was born in that city the 26th February 1824, and is
thus over 80 years old when this is written.
In this county there are 4 Norwegian churches and 7
congregations, of which 3 belong to The Norwegian Synod, 2 to The
United Church and 2 to The Methodist Church.
For information of a political nature, see the section 'Norwegian in public positions in America'
Shelby County, Illinois
A Trønder by the name of John Moe
settled here in 1861, a short time after came Jonas Paulson from
Kongsberg and a few others. But soon, both Moe and the others moved
away.
Ford County, Illinois
The first Norwegian in the area of Cabery
was Christ Larsen from Skaanevik, who settled at the above place in
1876. It is possible that he was also the first in the county.
At Elliott, in the south part of this county, there
is also a Norwegian settlement, and there is a United Church
congregation with a church. A great number of the Norwegian population
is from Hardanger, Søndhordland and Ryfylke.
For information about Augustana College that was
started at Parton, see the section, "Norwegian-American teaching
institutions' later in the book.
Kane County, Illinois
Anders Anderson from Kristiania was the first Norwegian in this county. He settled at Elgin.
Zion congregation, that was established at Elgin in
1882, was the first Norwegian congregation in this county. It was
established by Pastor N. C. Brun, then of The Conference. The church
was built in 1884. Now there are 2 Norwegian congregations and 2
churches (in the county), both belonging to The United Church.
Kankakee County, Illinois
In the area of Herscher and Buckingham,
there is a Norwegian settlement with 3 congregations and 1 church, 2 of
them belonging to The Norwegian Synod and 1 to The United Church. The
settlement has become thinner every year, since many have moved
westward to Iowa and other states to seek new homes. The first settlers
were mainly from Stavanger and Søndre Bergenhus Amter.
Lake County, Illinois
In this county, there are extremely few
Norwegians, but there are three who are well known to Americans,
namely, Fredrik Gade, former Mayor of Lake Forest, now Norwegian
Consul, Hans Abrahamsen, chairman of Winthrop Harbor's City council and
T. J. Fosseland, a member of the same Council. Abrahamsen is from
Melum, near Skien, and Fosseland from the Mandal area. (Lake County
abuts Cook County, where Chicago lies, and there are found many
Norwegians)
Ogle County, Illinois
In Creston and area there are a number of
Norwegians, likely from Hardanger, Bergen and Kristiansand. Hauge's
Synod has a congregation and church there.
And at Rochelle, there are also some Norwegian
families. And priests from The Norwegian Synod have served there.
Will County, Illinois
A few Norwegians are found in Joliet. Hauge's Synod has had a small congregation here.
Translated
by Olaf
Kringhaug
Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Nordmændene i Amerika by Martin Ulvestad, 1907
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