Early Norwegian Settlements in Minnesota

This (Fillmore) Co. is shown first since the Norwegian emigration to the State had its beginning here. The remaining counties are shown alphabetically so one can more easily find what one seeks. The following table will, however, give the reader a quick overview of the direction the emigrant stream took. The Norwegian settlement began in Fillmore Co. in 1851 and continued as follows. The stretch along the Mississippi River (except for some scattered persons) 1851-53: Dakota '53: Goodhue, Dodge, Steele, Mower, Olmstead and Nicollet '54: Faribault, Rice Sibley, Freeborn and Waseca '55: Watonwan, McLeod, Scott, Meeker and Swift '56: Brown, Blue Earth and Chippewa '57: Wright and Kandiyohi '58: Pope and Jackson '60: Douglas, Grant, Renville and Stearns '65: Yellow Medicine and Todd '66: Benton and Otter Tail '67: Cottonwood, Redwood and Murray '68: Big Stone, Clay, Wilkin and Lac qui Parle '69: Becker, Lincoln, Lyon, Morrison, Rock and St. Louis '70: Norman, Polk, Sherburne and Stevens '71: Nobles and Pipestone '72: Marshall '78: Kittson '79 etc.

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Map of Minnesota 1895 Fillmore County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian settlement in the state of Minnesota was established in Fillmore County and therefore this county is mentioned in connection with the first settlers. But the accounts one sees in newspapers and books have been inaccurate. When, for example, it states that Hans Valder was the first, it is like jumping over two years - and several persons.
    Chr. Hellicksen, who has lived among the first settlers and their children in Newburg, Fillmore County for 50 years, and who, thus, knows what he is speaking of when he says that Rven Eilertsen†  from Kragerø and Halvor Gjællervig† from Stavanger came to Newburg from Muskego County, Wis., in 1851*. Later in the year came Anders Nepstad† from Valders, Hellick Glaim from Nummedal as well as Mikkel† and Anders† Lunne from Land parish.
    Lars Tollefsen with family from Hallingdal came to Mabel from Wisconsin in 1852. His son Lewis was born the 6th of July 1852, was the first Norwegian child born in Minnesota. The information about the Tollefsen family comes from E. L. Tollefsen who came along when they settled in Mabel in 1852, so it can be relied on. In the same year came O. Vem† and settled in the Root River Valley, while Even Knudsen Besteland and the brothers Knud and Aamund Olesen Qvæstad, all from Sætersdalen built their cabins at York.
    Ole Jørgensen from Sætersdalen and Daniel Steensland also came to Fillmore in 1852.
    In 1853, there were many who settled in the county. Hans Valder from the Stavanger area and 6 others with their families came (from La Salle County, Ill.) and settled in Newburg: Ole O. Tuft from Slidre, Valders and Oliver Goodrich settled in the area of Rushford, Peter Petersen Haslerud from Nummedal settled in the area of the town of Peterson, which gets its name from him. Jens Johnson Nessa from Aardal and Tore Olsen Faae† from Finnø went to the Town of Tawney. The last two and their families came from La Salle County, Ill. with 3 pairs of oxen, 2 old wagons, 4 cows and household goods: as neighbors they received about twenty Indians, who had their camp right beside them. They each built a log cabin, 10x12, without a floor and a roof of basswood bark. Next after them came Jacob Haga† , R. C. Spande, Christian Christophersen† , Ole Gjermonsen† , Bjørn Larsen and Lars Tarvestad from La Salle County, Ill. About the same time came Hans Arnesen, Fillmore County's first blacksmith, from Rock County, Wis.
    We see also that the immigrations came partly from Illinois and partly from Wisconsin. Some came in their wagons past McGregor, Ia., others over the Mississippi River at La Crosse, and even others others came by steamboat to Winona, which at that time was Fillmore County's marketplace. To get their Norway letters and other mail, they went to Decorah, Ia. - to there, it was only 20-30 miles!
    The first Norwegians in the area of Harmony were Tallak Vrølsen, Arne Kirkeli† , Even Kirkeli† , Even Evensen Kirkeli† and Torger Hofta, all from Sætersdalen, Herbjørn† and Østen Engusland from Tinn, Johannes Sauelien† , Ole Kvammen† , Johannes Tho† , and Anders Olsen, all from Hitterdal, Ole Stabek, Gunder Toe† , and Kittil Fjøstuft, all from Seljord, as well as Ole and Asle Flatastøl† from Vinje, Telemarken, Torger Feland from Moe parish, Nels Gaasedalen† from Valders, and Erik Solseth with 4 sons from Hallingdal.
    All these came in 1854. Next after them came Svennung Johansen Bergan, Knut Petersen Husevold, B. J. Bruflot, Helleck Olsen Morheim, Nels Nelson and Østen Nelson Morheim, Halvor Joh. Busness, Gjermund Joh. Kasen, John Johs. Kasen and Tosten Ellefsen Kvammen and more.
    Ole Hellicksen, Mathias Hellicksen, Peder O. Hadland and Herbjørn Olsen Øian, all from Tinn, Telemarken, as well as Ole O. Halling from Hallingdal were the first in the area of Ostrander.
    The first in the area of Whalan were John Johnson Rodebakken from Strand at Stavanger. Right after him came Gilbert Holt (Holt Township is named after him), John Ellefsen, M. S. Andersen, Knut O. Vaagaard, John Anderson, Halvor Kittilsen, Ole M. Rekaness and Ole K. Kaasa.
    In the area of Pilot Mound Christian Bratrud was the first. Wheat, rye and oats was the pioneer's main source of income. Day pay at that time varied between 0.50 to $1.50. I have already given particular place to Fillmore County, because it is the first - and one of the most Norwegian counties in the State of Minnesota, which overall has the most Norwegians than any other state in the union. But I must also include some bits that give a closer understanding of the pioneer's travels, life and hardships.
    Old Gjermund Kasen writes the following, "I emigrated with my parents from Vestfjorddalen, Tinn, Telemarken in 1843. About the 20th of May we set off on an old half-rotten ship. And when we got out on the North Sea, there was a terrible storm that drove us back to land. Even the captain had little hope for our rescue. We had to go into Lindesnæs for repairs. Finally we got to Havre in France, but here we had to wait for two weeks for an American sailship that was to conduct us further.
    While we lay in Havre I and three comrades took a tour in the city - and went unfortunately so far and twisted that we could not find our way back.
    After a whole day's desperate wandering, we reached the ship, that was ready to sail, and both we and our parents wept at our reunion.
Arriving at Milwaukee, Wis., we were met by Halvor Thompson (better known under the name 'Wind Lake'), who took us to Muskego (by Wind Lake) with oxen and log-wheeled wagon. We reached there in September - after a 4 month trip. That fall nearly all the settlers became sick of swamp fever, from which many died, they were buried at a place known today as 'Indianerhaugen' (Indian mound). I was one of the very first confirmed in the Muskego Church, the first Norwegian church in America.
    In 1856, we came here to Fillmore County, where we also experienced the pioneer difficulties - always in hope of better times, that finally came.
After a stay of over 60 years in this country, there are many things to look back on, but it is heavy that most of the old, familiar faces are gone."
    Fillmore County's most traveled Norwegian is John Johnson. He was born in Sollien, Gudbrandsdalen in 1835 and went to sea in his 20s. His second trip was to Archangel on the White Sea. Here they had a ship wreck, but were finally rescued in an exhausted situation. Later - after having visited most of Europe's ports - he joined the navy - for a time under the command of Baron Vedel Jarlsberg. After that he made a couple of trips to Brazil, South America, where once they had to stay in their oilskins for several days in a row during a desperate battle with the elements. After that he made a trip around the world. Finally he emigrated to America (naturally, he went as a seaman) and on this last trip, they collided with an American sailship which went to the bottom with 14 of its crew. The collision took place on the Newfoundland banks in a thick fog. Now, John lives on solid land in Pilot Mound and is surrounded by old acquaintances and friends.
    Gullick Johnson from Tinn, Telemarken, was one of those that (1854) emigrated by sailship to Havre, and several months on the sea, 2 weeks from New York to Milwaukee and then by ox team, first to Muskego, Wis., then to Decorah, Ia., and finally to Canton, Minn., where he now lives. H. A. Steensland, one of the pioneers at Tawney, was married to a girl who was of an even poorer background than himself. Her parents were a Norwegian pioneer couple and she was born the stable of Charley Luraas in Norway, Ill., 1858. "But," says Steensland, "if the house room was not big for pioneers, the heart room was certainly bigger", and this has made him happy the whole time.
    Our well known countryman, E. A. Hjelle of Whalan is responsible for the following pioneer tale: "Their house stood not far from a large river. The husband was away at work to earn something to maintain the family. However, a severe rainstorm caused the river to overflow its banks. Suddenly, while the mother and children were inside, the house was surrounded by water, which poured in through the door and other openings, and after a few minutes, everything that was loose floated. Unfortunately, they could not get to the steps up to the loft, so she broke off some boards in the ceiling and lifted the children up through it. She could not get up herself as she had nothing to climb on and did not have the strength to haul herself up. She had to stand on the edge of the bed, holding onto the opening until the next day, when her husband came home, got hold of a canoe and rescued them from their dangerous and unpleasant situation. Do not forget the old ones and what they have suffered." With respect to clerical things, pioneer priest A. E. Boyum, Rushford, Minn., writes, "I came here to Fillmore County in the fall of 1856 and live in the first period, partly in the Town of Arendahl and partly in the Town of Rushford. While I was here, we had a visit by Elling Eielsen, who held several edification meetimgs and conducted necessary ministerial activities. There was no church here at the time. Nor a priest in the area. I heard, however, talk of a Pastor V. Koren, from Iowa, who had traveled across the prairie to various places in the summer before I came in 1856: it was likely the southern part of ther county he visited. I was sent as a missionary by Elling Eielsen's Friends to hold meetings among the people in the southern part of Minnesota and the northern part of Iowa until the end of January 1857. The next winter there was so much snow and no roads, so I obtained a pair of skis that I continued to use, first to a Stavanger settlement, 20 miles south of Decorah and from there eastward to McGregor on the Mississippi River and further to Norway Grove, Dane Co., Wis., where my parents and other relatives lived. I got there when it was approaching spring. And in June we left with ox wagon here to Fillmore County, where as mentioned, I had been earlier, and where we now settled. There was established then a rather large Norwegian Lutheran congregation and they called me as priest as soon as I was ordained (1858). The next year we took the first steps to get a meeting house, that, at a size of 18x34, we had sufficiently finished in the summer of 1860 that we could hold our Synod meeting there. This log house, according to recollections as well as research I can state that it was the first Norwegian house of God in Fillmore County ( and the first in Minnesota). It stood in the Town of Arendahl, 6 miles west of Rushford. The congregation that built it belonged to Elling Eielsen's Society."
    As mentioned above, Elling Eielsen's congregation in the Town of Arendahl was established in 1857. The following year, there were established the 'Bloomfield Norwegian Lutheran Congregation' by Pastor V. Koren of the Norwegian Synod and 'The First Norwegian Lutheran Congregation at Highland Prairie' by Pastor A. A. Scheie, who belonged to The Augustana Synod. This was thus the beginning. And the number of congregations and churches has grown.
    According to the information I have collected in 1900, there were 30 Norwegian congregations and 24 churches in the county, 16 belonging to The United Church, 7 to The Norwegian Synod, 5 to Hauge's Synod and 2 to the Methodist Church.
    For information on the political area, see the section 'Norwegians in public positions in America'. And for more about 'Vesterheimen', 'Det Udflyttede Norge' and 'The Christian Youth', that were published in their time here, see the section, 'Norwegian newspapers and periodicals'.
    Place with Norwegian names: Holt and Norway Townships, Rud, Peterson, Soland, Hurdal and Bratsberg post offices: Arendahl is called both a Township and post office. (N.B. The description post office means also a small town - usually)
    *While these who settled in Fillmore Co. in 1851 were truly the first Norwegian settlers in the State, I will point the fact, that a Norwegian girl got lost in Minnesota the year before (thus, in 1850): see Hennepin Co.

Aitkin County, Minnesota
    Edward Carlsen from Smaalenene was the first Norwegian in the area of Dorris, where there is a little Norwegian settlement, established in the 1890s. Further south in the direction of Opstead, there were two families who settled about the same time, namely Reier Bakke and George Arnesen. Cedar Lake congregation, that was established at Dorris by Pastor Ole Dahle in 1896 of The Lutheran Free Church, was the first Norwegian congregation in Aitkin County. The church was built in 1900. Now there are two Norwegian churches and three congregations in this county, 2 of the congregations belonging to The Lutheran Free church and 1 to The Norwegian Synod.
    The first Norwegian to hold a public office in the county was Ole R. Mousten from Sogn, he was elected as Sheriff in 1892. Later (in 1898) he was elected as a member of the State Legislature.
    Tronnes was the name of a post office that once existed in Aitkin County. The post offices Erick and Jacobson exist now, but it is doubtful they are of Norwegian origin. The Swedish population is clearly larger than the Norwegian in Aitkin County.

Anoka County, Minnesota
    At Ham Lake, where some few Norwegians settled, Peter Eidum from Nedre Stjørdalen was the first. He settled here in 1894. Also here, they had church service by priests of The Lutheran Free Church.

Becker County, Minnesota
    Hans Hansen from Hallingdal was the first Norwegian in the vicinity of Detroit. He settled there in 1870 with Indians as neighbors, at least they lived nearby.
    The first Norwegian settler in the area of Lake Park was Martin Olsen. The year he came here is unknown.
    The first to settled in Lake Park itself was Ole Johnson Berg from Tolgen and in his immediate neighborhood was Peder Ebeltoft from Tromsø. They settled here in 1872.
    The first Norwegian to settle among the Indians in the vicinity of where Dahl P.O. is now located, was Ole A. Dahl from Bjørnør, N. Thjms. Amt.
    About the Indian unrest in Becker County, one of my correspondents has the following account, "There came rumors that the Indians were on the warpath and that they had killed farmers up in Richwood Town. Everyone fled hastily to what is now Lake Park, where they built a fortification of boards, timbers and anything else that was useful. A warehouse served as bedroom, dining room and storage for provisions. All sorts of weaponry was also gathered here. The farmers (and their families) from near and far kept within the fort and a watch was instituted, both night and day. The men were in great suspense and the women and children wept in fear of the wild Indians, who were expected at every moment. However, in a few days, word came that the whole thing was a false alarm, and the farmers went back to their respective homes. There is, however, one Norwegian who bears a bad scar from the Indians, namely T. K. Torgersen from Hallingdal, but that was in Nicollet County, where he was in conflict with them. Torgersen's father was one of those who took part in a hard battle against the Indians at new Ulm in 1862.
    Hay Creek Congregation, that was established at Lake Park in 1871 by Pastor T. Vetlesen of The Norwegian Synod, and that built a church in 1884, is the oldest Norwegian congregation in the county. Now there are 13 Norwegian churches and 17 congregations, 6 belong to The Lutheran free Church, 5 to The Norwegian Synod, 4 to The United Church, 1 to Hauge's synod and 1 to the Evangelical Free Church.
    In 1871, when Becker County was being organized, the Governor appointed some Norwegians to look after it. For information, both about them and their Norwegian successors, see the section, 'Norwegians in public positions in America'
    Pastor J. H. Myhre began a newspaper 'Fredsbudet' in Cormorant in 1890. And for a time he published one with the name 'Brød og Sværd'
    Lake Park Children's Home was started in 1896. (See the section, 'Norwegian-American Charitable Institutions)
    Post offices with Norwegian names: Voss, Dahl, Senjen, Brager and Sorkness.

Beltrami County, Minnesota
    John Stenerson from Østerdalen as well as H. Samuelsen, H. Kjelsrud and Mr. Storgaard were the first Norwegian and white settlers in the vicinity of Oakwood, they settled there in 1890.
    The first in the area of Bemidji was Hans Rosby, who settled there in 1894. Aksel Knudsen, Lars T. Otterstad and the brothers Andrew and Mons Ericksen were certainly there (hunting and fishing) a little earlier than Rosby, but they did not claim land before 1896.
The first at Olberg was Sam Svalesen from Stavanger, he settled there in 1896.
    The first in the vicinity of Spaulding was a Hans Knudstad, who became mentally ill because of the lonely, sad life he led. (There are, unfortunately, several of our pioneers in America who have succumbed to the same illness)
    The first settlers in Beltrami County were also tormented by the Indians. They were often on the warpath and scared the settlers from their homes. The Indian chieftain, Bemidji, who was an honorable man, went around and warned the whites and instructed then in hunting and tracking. There are many who owe him a debt of gratitude, not only for his guidance and guard service, but also for his hospitality they received in his home. Now they are free of the redskins, since, as soon as they found out that trees and bushes did not give them sufficient protection against Krag-Jørgensen bullets, they disappeared.
(N.B. The mentioned rifle has won official recognition and was much used in America also, which speaks well for Norwegian industry and ingenuity. The rifle is still used in Norway)
    The first Norwegian to hold public office in Beltrami County was Jacob Nygaard, Sheriff.
Landstads Congregation, that was established at Bagley in 1900 by Pastor H. Thoresen of The United Church, was the first norwegian congregation in the county. Its church was built in 1903. Pastor A. K. Lockrem (then of The Lutheran Free Church) was, though, the first priest working in this area. Now there are 6 Norwegian churches and 21 congregations, 11 belong to The United Church, 7 to The Lutheran Free Church and 3 to The Norwegian Synod.
    Places with Norwegian names: Holst, Aure, Rosby, Jette, Langor (Langaard) and Myran.
    A Norwegian newspaper, 'Vort Nye Hjem' was begun in Bemidji in 1905, now its name is 'Normannaheimen'

Benton County, Minnesota
    Ole Ingebrigtsen Gaustad from Lom, Gudbrandsdalen was the first Norwegian in this county. He settled at Glendorado in 1867. Later in the year came Martin Eriksen from Elverum, Ole Solberg from Ørskaug at Kristiania, Even Thompson from Ringsaker and B. A. Frøiseth, Engebret and Sylvester Stenersen Sulem.
    The following excerpts are from a book the enterprising priests, P. Langseth, A. Larsgaard and R. J. Meland have published about the settlements (Benton, Mille Lacs and Sherburne Counties) where they work:
    "The first summer there was so little food in these areas, that the government in St. Pauls had to send a little maize and wheat flour. But the settlers themselves had to fetch it at Clear Lake. It was that summer that Even Thompson and Solberg had to carry the flour sacks on their backs the long way - with great danger to themselves and the sacks over an insecure log bridging across the St. Frances river.
    Almost all the young men who had guns went hunting, and one can still see these old, venerable weapons in their houses. The Indians still moved around in large groups at that time. At 'Indianerhaugen' where Per Stae now has erected his residence, the Indians had a fixed meeting place, where 50-60 could camp during the summer into the fall. From there they would roam about the new settlers and begged for tobacco, bread, meat and anything they could get hold of. Often, also, they would come at mealtimes. Mrs. Ole Engebretsen, who felt sorry for them, often made a fine meal, put a white tablecloth on the table and laid knives and forks. They behaved honorably and took an especial interest in her son, who often met them while hunting. When he had died, some of the Indians came and wept at his grave. Mrs. Perlinus tells that they had a surplus of meat in their camp, but they were not so inclined, that they gave any to the whites. Once, when the chieftain's children were sick, he came and asked for eggs for his children. She also made visits to 'Indianerhaugen' and was then kindly received. They took her into a tent and pointed to the animal hides she was to sit on. The squaws sang so strangely to their children, it sounded so drab and monotonous to her ears. On a little slope south of their camp are the remains of the weapon workshop - and many pieces of flint.
Old Holland asserts that he was the best bear hunter in the whole area. When he first came up there, he could sit in his doorway and shoot bears and deer. Nils Gilbertsen says that when he came, the deer up there came in small herds and that there were for many years, more of them than to see than cattle. In the fall of 1881, Olav Andersen shot 16 or 17 and Jørgen Simonsen, 13. It meant watching at dusk, when they came out to feed. A good hunter had to know its traits and be positioned properly, next have a steady hand, not have buck fever and finally, sight and shoot at the right moment."
    But the amusing is mixed with the sad. There is also recounted this from the pioneer era, "Lars Hegland was pulling a block of ice out of a frozen pond, formed by the river in flood times. Then he fell into the water and when his daughter heard her father's cries, she raced to him and stretched her hand to him. But with that she was pulled into the water and perished along with her father."
    Santiago Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, that was established in 1873 by Pastor H. G. Stub, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first and until now, the only Norwegian Lutheran congregation in the county. Its church was built in 1879. Besides there is a 'free-free' congregation consisting of Norwegians, Swedes and Danes - Anabaptists.
    There is a post office with the name Ronneby (Rønneby) in this county.

Big Stone, County, Minnesota
    C. K. Orton, from whom the City of Ortonville received its name, was the first white man that settled in Big Stone County. He came there from Fillmore County early in the 60s and began trading with the Indians. At his death he was a wealthy man.
    Ole Bolsta from Aamot, Østerdalen and David Johnson from Tromsø were the first Norwegian farmers in Big Stone County. They came from St. Peter, Minn. and settled at Artichoke Lake in 1869. They started growing wheat. To New Ulm, their nearest marketplace, it was 112 miles. They used oxen exclusively for driving and plowing.
    In the vicinity of Beardsley, Mathias and Lars† Olsen from Biri, Arnt Holmlie from the Trondhjem area and Lars Halvorsen Bøe from Nedre Telemarken, were the first settlers, they settled there in 1871.
    In Big Stone County, there are 7 Norwegian churches and 12 congregations, 3 belong to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to The United Church, 3 to The Lutheran free Church, 2 to the Baptists and 1 to the Adventists.
    There once existed a post office with the name Holmlie and one of the Norwegian area still goes under the name of Eidskog. (Norwegian place names - - on American land - - was an adornment for Norwegians. They had to plant them as often as possible and then fight to retain them)

Blue Earth County, Minnesota
    Even Pedersen† , Knudt Strøm† and Anders Strøm from Øier parish, Gudbrandsdalen were the first settlers in Blue Earth County, for in 1857 they settled in Butternut Valley, right by Linden, that was the center for the first Norwegian settlers in Brown, Blue Earth and Watonwan Counties. Linden lies in the southeast corner of Brown, adjoining the other two counties here mentioned. The Indians raided badly here in those days and they had many (sometimes bloody) battles with them.
    The first Norwegian in the vicinity of Rapidan was John Roland† from Gudbrandsdalen
    The first in the area of Medo were Ole Johnson from the Kristiania area and Thron Hoverson from Flekkefjord.
    And the first (or one of the first) at Mankato was Ovald Røsler. He came to America on the sailship 'Marie' from Bergen in 1864. The ship suffered breakdown on the Atlantic Ocean, was 14 weeks underway and the passengers were three times in open boats on the wild sea.
    Blue Earth Congregation, that was established in 1863 by Pastor T. H. Dahl, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, is the county's oldest Norwegian congregation. Its church was built in 1872. Now there are 11 Norwegian churches and 14 congregations, 5 belonging to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to The United Church, 3 to Hauge's Synod, 2 to The Lutheran Free Church and 1 to Eielsen's Society.
    There has been an attempt to build a Norwegian Old Age Home in Mankato.
    Thron Hoverson Ovedal from Bakke, near Mandal, was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county.

Brown County, Minnesota
    The first norwegian here was Andrew Lundberg from Hurdalen. He settled at Linden in 1857. (Compare Brown with Blue Earth and Watonwan, the adjacent counties)
    Pastor A. S. Fredriksen was the first Norwegian who visited these areas, next V. J. Muus and it is to these priests, that Linden Congregation, the first in the county, owes its existence. The first settlers in Butternut Valley, Town of Madelia, Riverdale and Lake Hanska belonged to Linden Congregation, which embraced a large area. It was established in the 60s. Now there are 6 Norwegian congregations, each with its church, in Brown County, 5 of them belong to The United Church and 1 to the Unitarians. Pastor Kristofer Janson, now in Norway, was the founder of the last mentioned congregation, which has its church at Hanska.
    Nils C. Rukke from Næs, Hallingdal was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county. He was elected County Treasurer in 1872. The first of our countrymen to represent Brown Co. in the State Legislature was Knud Helling, elected in 1875.
    The post offices Linden and Godahl have gotten their names from Norwegians in the area. Linden is also the name of a Township, as mentioned above.

Carlton County, Minnesota
    Anton Dahl from Gudbrandsdalen was the first Norwegian in the vicinity of Wrenshall, where there is a small Norwegian settlement. He settled there in 1895.
    At Cloquet, there are also a number of Norwegians. Ole Brune from Volden, Søndmøre was one of the first here.
    One of the Norwegians - a logger, who traveled in the forests up there before there were any white settlers, tells that it was anything but pleasant to live up there among the ravenous wolves and wild Indians. And he adds, "Many of those who have disappeared in America without anyone knowing where, have probably closed their eyes in the primeval forest, they get no grave marker, no posthumous fame, no recognition and thus are that class that, more than any other, opened the way for civilization."
    There are 2 Norwegian churches and 5 congregations in Carlton County, 3 of them belong to The Norwegian Synod and 2 to The Lutheran Free Church.
    Norman P.O. has probably gotten its name from Norwegians.

Carver County, Minnesota
    A man by the name Axel Jørgensen from Fredrikshald, who was quite an adventurer, settled at a place where Carver City now lies, as early as 1852, but he moved away within a few years.
    In 1855, there was a small company of Norwegians who settled right by the aforementioned place, namely Paul Olsen Voldberg with wife and children (among them Ole Paulson, later a priest) and Ole Hendricksen from Grue, Solør as well as Østen Gunnøvsen with his son from Tinn, Telemarken It is also said that there were some from Lands parish. But they soon moved away and turned the area over to the Swedes. There is no Norwegian settlement in Carver County.

Cass County, Minnesota
    In the vicinity of Pequot, where there is a small Norwegian settlement, the first was Kittel Halvorson, who came there in 1891.
    In the area of Graff, there are also some Norwegians. Hal. Rosendal from Trondhjem was the first here. He came in 1896.
    Lunde Congregation, that was established at Pequot in 1895 by Pastor D. J. Grove, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, is the county's oldest Norwegian congregation. It built a church in 1900. The Norwegian settlement in Cass County is, however, new. Several congregations were under organization at the time when this information was obtained.
    The first Norwegian to hold public office in this county was M. J. Quam from Inderøen, he was elected Registrar of Deeds in 1898.
    J. P. Bakken moved the Norwegian newspaper 'Arbeidsmanden' from Fertile, Polk County to this (Cass ) Co. in 1901 and continued the same here.
    Graff P.O. got its name from the Norwegian Flategraff there.

Chippewa County, Minnesota
    One of the very first Norwegians in this county was Ole G. Heen from Vang, Valders. He writes from Maynard, where he has lived for 47 years, since he came there in 1857.
    Further west - in the vicinity of Montevideo and Watson, these were the first: Ole Jacobsen Haugland from Bøe, Telemarken, Hans Halvorsen from Hadeland, Knut Angrimsen from Sætersdalen, Ole F. Roe from Tønsberg, as well as Hans Gulden† , Ole Svennungsen† and Angrim Knutsen† , who settled there in 1867. They lived in dugouts until they were in a position to build proper houses, or as one of the old-timers says in his travel account, "- - and then on the wild prairie, where we dug ourselves into a gravel pile." Wheat growing became the county's main source of income.
    Immanuel Congregation, that was established at Watson in 1870 by Pastor L. J. Markhus, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Its church was built in 1876. The same year, Zions church was built in Tunsberg Township, it was also Synod people who built it. Now there are 19 Norwegian churches and 20 congregations, 11 belong to The United Church, 5 to The Norwegian Synod, 2 to the Methodists, 1 to the Baptists and 1 to The Lutheran Free Church.
    The first Norwegian county officials were Ole Torgersen Rød and Oliver Helgesen, County Commissioners, Ole Overson† , Sheriff and Iver Knudsen† , Registrar of Deeds - they were elected in 1869.
    Ole O. Lien from Røldal was the first Norwegian to represent the Chippewa County in the State Legislature, in 1878.
    Townships with Norwegian names: Mandt, Kragerø and Tunsberg (Tønsberg). Post offices with Norwegian names: Seljord, Kragerø, Risør, Tunsberg, Kalmia, Hagan (Hagen) and Wegdahl. Only the last two exist now.

Chisago County, Minnesota
    There are not many Norwegians - and just one congregation, belonging to The Lutheran Free Church. The congregation has recently built a church. It was the Swedes who occupied this area.

Clay County, Minnesota
    Ole Thompson from Aal, Hallingdal was the first Norwegian in this county. He came from St. Ansgar, Ia. and settled at Holy Cross, Minn. in 1869. (His address now is Kurtz, Minn.)
    Later in the year came P. Røkken from Sogn and Bernt Anderson from Hedemarken. The latter settled at Hickson N.D., right across from Ole Thompson - on the other side of the Red River. Narve Moen also came about this time. They began to grow wheat and oats, but they had to go all the way to Alexandria to sell their products and to obtain necessities. "The oxen had to scurry along, you can be sure."
    The first Norwegians in the vicinity of Rollag and Hawley were Martin Olsen from Beitstaden, N. Trondhjem's Amt and Johannes Tetli from Frosten, they came from Winneshiek Co., Ia. in 1870. Right after them came Tom Gundersen† from Moland, Telemarken, Claus Olsen, similarly from Telemarken, Petrus P. Solum from Namsos, Sevrin P. Solum from the same place, Erik Hansen† , Tov Herbrandsen† and Torsten Arneson, the last three from Rollag, Nummedalen, A. Rusfelt from Finmarken, Knut O. Myrbø from Telemarken and Jørgen ?? from Toten. About the same time came John O. Tansem from Eidsvold, Amund Røgle from Nannestad and Iver Ranum† from Opdal. Tansem settled in the area where a P.O. bears his name. Røgle and Ranum settled closer to Norwegian Grove.
    In the vicinity of Stockwood, Martin Thomson† was the first. He settled here in 1870 or '71. It was a long time before the iron horse puffed across the prairie. However, they could see Indians travel back and forth and sometimes they would visit a home, frightening the women and children. What a difference from then and now! Now there are rolling fields, splendid houses, railway stations, schools and churches everywhere - and it was the Norwegians, more than anyone else, that have built this great change. The grasshoppers and the Indians who had sworn to drive the vikings to flight, had to flee themselves. It was in the 70s that the control struggle took place in Clay County.
    One of the old settlers gives an example about how the mosquitoes pestered them, "I was going to town to get some provisions," he says, "but since I did not know this area, I got lost on the return trip just as dusk fell. Thus, I could not drive further. It was warm and humid and the air was fully packed with mosquitoes, so that I could not open my mouth without filling my mouth with them. My horse rolled and foamed from pain and sought to break away from me. I tried to change things by lying down and rolling but I suffered just as much. I will never forget that night's torture. For several days my body was terribly swollen from the mosquito poison."
    Grong Norwegian Evangelical Congregation, that was established at Rollag in 1872 by Pastor B. Hagbø, belonging to The Conference, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Now there are 20 Norwegian congregations and 17 churches, 11 belonging to The United Church, 4 to The Norwegian Synod, 4 to The lutheran Free Church and 1 to the Adventists.
    The first Norwegian to hold public office in the county was John Thorsgaard† from Gudbrandsdalen, he was elected County Treasurer in 1876.
Peter E. Thompson of Barnesville was the first to be elected as a member of the State Legislature (in 1890).
    Norwegian place names (Townships and post offices) in Clay County: Kragness, Lund, Hitterdal, Viding, Moøand, Rollag, Hagen, Morken and Tansem.
    Concordia College, a Norwegian school, was started in the Moorhead in 1891.
    The newspaper 'Nye Nordmanden' appeared in the latter city in 1894 and a short time later 'Dagen' was begun.

Clearwater County, Minnesota
    P. O. Enneberg from Sigdal parish was the first Norwegian to settle in this county. He came from Fertile, Minn. and took land at Willborg in 1883. He was accompanied by a Nils Berg. Later in the year came Tor Klevstad, Christ Stenerson, Andrew Stensrson, Peder Berg, Andreas Morstad and a Mr. Rode† . Potato growing and logging was the new settlers main source of income. The nearest marketplace, Crookston, was 65 miles away. The first time Enneberg went to Crookston, it took him a month, but he had to chop his way in several places through the forest, and he had to build bridges over a couple of rivers so he could get across with his load. However, one of the bridges gave away under the weight of the load and so both the driver and his horses got a highly involuntary bath in the icy waters. Most of what he had with him, he found along the shore.
    Once, rumors came that the Indians had gathered for a war dance and he (Enneberg) and his neighbors, who lived closest to the reservation, would be the first victims. Then there was great fear, especially among the women and children. But just then a company of soldiers came and protected the settlers against the savages. The redskins were, however, good except when whisky appeared among them.
    Clearwater Congregation, that was established at Shevlin in 1895 by Pastor J. R. Vaaler, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. There are now 13 congregations and 8 churches, 5 of them belonging to The Lutheran free Church, 4 to The Norwegian Synod and 4 to The United Church.
    Most of the first officials (who took office in 1902) are Norwegian. See the section 'Norwegians in public positions in America'
    Post offices with Norwegian names: Olberg, Holst and Gonwick (Gonvik).

Cook County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegians in this county were H. E. and J. E. Redmayer (Rømyr) from Tromsø. They settled here in 1882. The settlement was called Redmayer, but when the founders moved to New Hall, Wash., the settlement's name was changed to Schroder. The next settlers were: H. O. Engelsen as well as John, Andrew, Johannes, Eddie, Hans, Helge, Martin and Nils Tofte, Andy Sho, Nels Eide, Sivert Eide and Thomas Lande, all from Halsnøen, Søndhordland, Berge Bertwet from Storøen and Ole Narvik from Skudesnæs. They settled at a place to which they gave the name Tofte. Logging and fishing has been the Norwegian's main source of income. To Two Harbors, that in the beginning, was their nearest marketplace, it was 64 miles. They used dogs as draft animals.
    Peder Rindal from Rindalen and Hans Gulbrandsen from Ringerike were the first in the vicinity of Grand Marais, they came there in 1891. At that time there were only Indians nearby. Mr. Rindal says that the difficulties and trial they had to go through at first, when there were no other white settlers, it was indescribable, but that is what the trail blazers had to undergo and they held out. Now it is good to be here.
There is 1 Norwegian church and 3 congregations in Cook County, 2 of them belong to Hauge's Synod and 1 to the Methodists.
    Norwegian place names: Hovland, Tofte and Rømyren.

Cottonwood County, Minnesota
    Haagen Anderson† from Sigdal was the first Norwegian to take land in Cottonwood Co. but Gullick, Carolius† and Ole† Pedersen and Joe Christensen, all from Helgeland, were the first to get their houses built. They came from Dakota Co., Minn. and settled in the vicinity of Westbrook in 1868. It was partly dugouts and partly log cabins, they welcomed their families to. Wheat was the settlement's main source of income. In the first time, they also had some furs to sell, for with the lack of people, there were many animals. New Ulm, ca 60 miles away, was the new settlers' nearest marketplace.
    Mr. K. R. Langeland, one of my correspondents in Cottonwood Co., writes, "During the Indian War in 1862, I lost my wife and 4 children as well as everything else I owned. I remained without all earthly goods. Some of my Norwegian neighbors were also killed. (More information under Jackson Co., for it was there the aforementioned murders took place).
    A bad grasshopper year was 1876 for the people of Cottonwood County. They ate everything to the ground. The following year, they were a little gentler, since they left a bit of the harvest.
    There are 5 Norwegian churches and 7 congregations in this county, 4 belong to The United Church, 2 to The Lutheran free Church and 1 to the Methodists.
    Erick Sevatsen from Hallingdal was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county, he was elected Sheriff in 1870. He was also the first Norwegian to be elected from here as a Member of the State Legislature (in 1887).
    Places with Norwegian names: Dale and Storden. Dale is a Township, Storden is both a Township and a post office.

Crow Wing County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian settler in this county was Nils Tørris from the Bergen area. He settled 9 miles east of Brainerd. The year is not known.
    The first in the vicinity of Garrison, where there is also a small Norwegian settlement now, was the Stavanger man by the name of E. Eliasen, who became Postmaster and began a store among the Indians and the Irishmen (in 1897).
    The Lutheran congregation, the was established at Brainerd in 1886 by Pastor K. Bjørgo, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, is the county's oldest Norwegian congregation. Its church was built in 1888. Now there are 9 congregations and 7 churches, 4 of them belonging to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to     The Lutheran Free Church, 1 to The United Church and 1 to Hauge's Synod.
    The first Norwegian official in Crow Wing Co. was Anton Mahlum from Næs, Hedemarken.

Dakota County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegians in Dakota County were Peter Sampson† from Voss, Ole Olsen† and Ole Toresen from Hallingdal and Johannes Jacobsen† from Vinje, Telemarken They came from Wisconsin and settled in 1853 in the area that was later called the Christiania Settlement.
O. P. Ruh, who settled there a couple of years later, writes, "We came up here with oxen 400 miles (from Muskego, Wis.) and continued to use them 10 years after that time. Our nearest towns, Hastings and St. Paul were 25 to 30 miles away. If one wished to tell of the new settlers' struggles, the Indian raids and war fears, it would be too much."
    They first began growing hay but wheat became the settlement's main source of income later on. People who wished to earn cash, received 50 cents a day. There was ample clearing work to do.
    The Telemarking, Halvor Torgersen, who lived here for a time but now lives in Homen, N.D., writes, "In 1862, when the Indian Wars broke out, we were not secure in the Christiania Settlement either. In case of need, the new settlers had decided on a gathering place, namely John Jacobsen's. It happened once, when Ouver Olsen and Torger Juveland led a group of refugees (with women and children) that Ouver shouted the command, 'drop down!' (which meant that the Indians were approaching). Everyone dropped headlong, thinking certain death was at hand. After a moment, Torger Juveland, who was the bravest of the leaders, peeked up to see where the Indians were, but when he saw none he said, 'You can get up now, it was just the back side of a deer that Ouver saw!' and this awakened a feeling of good spirits in the fleeing group. Torger still tells this anecdote, even though he is now over 80 years old. He still lives on his homestead in the aforementioned settlement."
    Christiania Congregation, that was established in 1857, that built a church in 1862 and that belonged to The Augustana Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. My correspondent adds, however, that The Norwegian Synod established a congregation about the same time. Now there are 2 Norwegian churches and 2 congregations, 1 belonging to The Norwegian Synod and 1 to The Lutheran Free Church. The aforementioned settlement lies west of the City of Farmington.
    There have been in Dakota County two post offices with good Norwegian names, namely Christiania and Eidsvold.

Dodge County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian settlers in this county were Knut Rockne† from Voss, Louis Evenson Folkestad from Bø, Telemarken, Ole Benson† from Valders as well as Jacob Helgesen Dalen† and Anders Christophersen† , they settled in the vicinity of Mantorville in 1854. A short time after came Johannes Bendikson Fjerestad† and Bottolf Larson Eithoren† from Vik in Sogn, Hans Kittelsen and Jacob Hansen† from Kviteseid, Telemarken, Ole Monsen† from Voss and Tollef Hellicksen† from Valders.
    In the vicinity of Oslo, the following were the first: John Kittelsen† , Nils Sjursen Gilderus† , Andreas Torgrimsen Moen† , Jacob Knudsen Thoe† , Ole O. Lia, Helleck Gulbrandsen Waagtveit, Erik Reiersen Bakko, Halvor Knudsen Berg† , Erik Clausen Himle, Lars Sjursen Gilderus† , Ole Olsen Esterli, Torgrim Torgrimson Moen† , Isak Anderson† , Anders Ellefsen† , Erik Knudsen Torvik† and Sjur Olsen Brækhus. They came from Dane Co., Wis. They began to grow wheat and had to drive right to Winona, ca. 70 miles. It was oxen they used for plowing and driving.
That it was far between farms in those days, the following example from St. Olaf Settlement will possibly convince us, "An old man was going in foggy weather to a neighbor to borrow a large kettle. On his way home he lost his bearings and kept going through the wilderness until he came to Brownsdale, about 20 miles to the southwest, where there were some settlers. Since he could not find his way from there, he walked to Highforest in Olmstead Co., about 16 miles southeast from his home, where there was a road he knew. He carried the kettle the whole time."
    In Dodge County there are 3 Norwegian churches and 5 congregations, 3 of them belong to The Norwegian Synod, 1 to The United Church and 1 to Hauge's Synod.
    L. G. Nelson from Naas, Drangedal was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county. He was elected Registrar of Deeds in 1872.
    And John N. Hansen from Furness in Hedemarken was elected as member of the State Legislature the same year.
    Post offices with Norwegian names: Thoe and Oslo, both closed.

Douglas County, Minnesota
    Nels Mickelsen† from the Røraas area was the first Norwegian in Douglas County. He settled in the vicinity of Holmes City in 1865. At that time there were Indians in the neighborhood. In 1866 many Norwegians came, of whom can be named: John Arntsen from Kobbervik, Ole Brandson† from Hedemarken, Ole Urness† , Lars Grinden† and Amos Johnson† , all from Sogn, Mathias Wolstad† , Sivert Olsen† and Hans Pedersen, all from Hedemarken, Gunder Johnson and Ole Hammer from Trondhjem, Renhard Bottner† from Solør. Petter E. Julin from Hammerfest, Ole Ellefsen from Telemarken as well as Petter Stenstrup, Tore Evensen† , Ole Amundsen† , Albert Barsness, Torsten Hovde, Gunder Knudsen, Jens Gundersen† , Charley Brown† , Karm Øen, Ole Pedersen and Johannes Olesen.
    Some dug dugouts, others built log cabins, all were poor. Nor was work to be found in the area, but those who had oxen and wagons went to St. Cloud, where there was the opportunity to carry goods west to the forts (where soldiers were stationed against the Indians). The settlers who did not have the means for this transport, supported themselves mainly with trapping muskrats, of which there were many, and a good price was paid. My informant adds that if there had not been something to trap, it would have been impossible for the new settlers to manage. Now it is different. Wheat has made people prosperous.
    Another of the old settlers in Douglas county writes, "I emigrated in 1854 on the sailship 'Urania' from Stavanger and was 11 weeks on the sea. When we came to Montreal, the cholera began to rage. About half of our company died on the way to Chicago. We were 203 persons in all - the greater number from Strand and Fister parishes and islands in Ryfylke. I especially remember a family from Monstrevaag. The man's name was Peder Knudsen Rygmyre, as far as I can remember. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon all were healthy, by 9 in the evening, his wife and three eldest children were dead, and now the man remained alone with a child that was only 8 months old. But then I had to weep with him even though at that time I was just a youth. The trip from Montreal to Chicago will never be forgotten by those who survived it."
    A third writes, "When we came here to Evansville, there were not many white people here, however many Indians. I was with them now and then and saw them eat muskrats. Now the Indians are gone, game and fish similarly - and the land has changed - yes, and it seems even the climate is different from what it was in the old days."
    Vor Frelsers Congregation, that was established at Holmes City in 1867 by Pastor L. A. Carlson, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. The first church was built in 1877 by Moe Congregation, belonging to The Synod. Now there are 12 congregations and 11 churches, 7 belong to The United Church, 3 to The Norwegian Synod and 2 to The Lutheran Free Church.
    The first Norwegian to hold public office here was Thorer Evensen, who was elected Co. Commissioner in 1871.
    The current Senator Knute Nelson was the first Norwegian who represented Douglas Co. in the State Legislature (in 1875). For detailed information in the political field see the section, 'Norwegians in public positions in America.
    Townships with Norwegian names: Lund, Moe, Solem, Brandon and Urness. Post offices with Norwegian names: Melby, Moe, Urness and Brandon.
    Wartburg Mission School was started in Alexandria in 1901.

Faribault County, Minnesota
    Knut Thompsen Trovatten from Vinje, Telemarken was the first Norwegian in this county. He settled in the area of Delavan in 1855. No Norwegians accompanied Thompsen nor did any come the first years he was here.
    In the settlement at Blue Earth City, these were the first: Ole Nilsen Hundery, Anders Tenhold† , Gilbert Gilbertson and Ole Johnson, all from Sogn as well as C. C. Hamre, Jeff Amundsen and Stener Mikkelsen. Where the last three came from in Norway is not known. Mikkelsen is dead. Hamre lives in Blue Earth and Amundsen in Frost.
    Dugouts and log cabins were the pioneers' first homes. Wheat growing was their main source of income. Hastings was their nearest marketplace, to there it was 120 miles and they went there with help of oxen.
    "Jackson Lake Congregation" that was established at Delavan in 1862 by Pastor B. J. Muns then of The Norwegian Synod, was the county's first Norwegian congregation. The church was built in 1870. Now there are 9 Norwegian churches and 13 congregations, 5 of them belong to The Norwegian Synod, 4 to The United Church, 3 to Hauge's Synod and 1 to Elling Eielsen's Society.
    Fred P. Brown (Brun) from Kopervik was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county. He was elected Registrar of Deeds in 1872.
    The first to be elected a Member of the State Legislature was the Telemarking, T. S. Wraalie (in 1878)
    Post offices with Norwegian names: Homedahl and Olesen.

Freeborn County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegians in this county were Even Nelson from Næs, Hedemarken and Ole Gulbranson, who settled at Albert Lea in 1855.
    Next after them came Rollef Thykesen, Gunner Thykesen, Stener Mikkelsen and Ole O. Kleppe, all from Telemarken and Nels Nelson Wangen from Voss. They settled in the area of Manchester, the 15th June, 1856.
    Later the same year (1856) came Thor Anderson, Anders Evenson, Ole Kittelson† , Ole Petterson Slette† and Halvor Petterson Slette† , all from Sigdal, O.  O. Fossum and Peder Fossum from Telemarken as well as Anders Lybeck† from Krødsherrred. They settled in the area of Manchester, as mentioned, in 1856. At that time this area was a wilderness full of Indians and wild animals* Albert Lea, which is now a large city, then consisted of two log cabins.
    Halvor Opsahl from Hjertdal, Telemarken was the first in the area of Bath. He settled there in 1857.
    In the same year (1857) came Lars Torkelsen from Sigdal, Torsten Eriksen from Eggedal, Thore Hoff from Hallingdal as well as Lars Nilsen, Nils Nilsen and Isak Johnson, the last three from Hedemarken, to the area of Knatvold, where they settled.
    In 1857, the following persons also came to Freeborn Co., but the report does not mention what area they settled in but it looks like they settled in the area of Hayward. Their names are: Guttorm Bottolfsen† , Anders Bottolfsen, Joh. Hermundsen and Anders Syversen Sjelve, all from Vik in Sogn, Charley Pedersen from Hakedalen, Anders Olsen† from Lyster, Sogn, Christopher Mikkelsen† from Nannestad, Peder Lunde† and Endre Gulbrandsen from Aadalen, the brothers Ole and Torstein Morheim from Telemarken, Ole Narveson† and Ole Varnaas† from Sogndal, Ole Styve Sr. and his son O. O. Styve and Ole Mittun from Voss and Bjørn Atlesen Øen, whose birthplace is unknown to the author.
    The first Norwegian in the area of Freeborn was Syvert Olsen from Nummedal. And the first in Emmons was H. G. Emmons from Eggedal. The post office bears his name.
    Most of Freeborn County's first settlers had lived for a short time in Wisconsin, from where they came in small groups (caravans) and settled in various places, usually near forests. Their nearest marketplaces were Winona and McGregor, Ia., about 100 miles away. Their main articles for sale were butter and meat.
    A. N. Teslow of Hayward concludes one of his letters with, "The first years here were full of mosquitoes, snakes and other horrors such that we were in danger of losing our lives, but see, we still live, both my wife and me, and we are 77 years old."
    The most traveled man in Freeborn County is Andreas Sandersen of Hayward. He came from Norway to Wisconsin and was there for 3 years. But then came rumors that gold could be found in large nuggets in California. He and a comrade went to New York and took the sea route - around South America, naturally - to California. How it went with the gold digging is not known but when they were finished, they put their packs on their backs and walked to San Francisco, which was then a little shanty town. From there they went to Sacramento, which was also nothing much. Their walking trip continued through all of Oregon, Washington and a part of British Columbia. Tacoma, Wash. did not exist in those days and the population of Victoria consisted of only 3 fisher families. Sandersen returned to Wisconsin via the Panama peninsula after having been off on his adventure for 4 years and 5 months. He finally ended up in Minnesota.
    Ole J. Ellingsen was the first Norwegian to hold public office here. He was elected Co. Treasurer in 1860.
    T. G. Johnsrud from Aadalen was the first to be elected to the State Legislature (in 1872)
    "Søndre Minnesota Tidende" and "Albert Lea Skandinav" were published for a short time. "Signalet", a Baptist newspaper was also published in Albert Lea.
    Luther Academy, a Norwegian school was established in Albert Lea in 1888.
    Post offices with Norwegian names: Knatvold, Emmons and Lerdal (Lærdal)
    *Newry Township was similarly settled in 1856 - by the brothers Knut, Syver and Bennet Benson from Hemsedal, Helg Olsen Otterdokken from Gol and Jens Amundsen from Næs, Hallingdal. T. A. Halvig, one of the pioneers here writes: "At this time the Indians were numerous in this as well as adjacent areas, and they were a great fear - especially for the women and children when they were home alone. The men had to travel to town now and then and this took two weeks as a rule. That was probably in Winona where they sold their farm produce and make purchases, but when grain was to be ground, they had to go far down to Iowa. When the winters were longer than expected, it could happen that the grain had to be ground in coffee mills."

Goodhue County, Minnesota
    It was in 1854* when Norwegians first captured Goodhue County, they took it, so to say, by storm and settled in two townships at the same time - in Holden and Wanamingo, yes, and a part of Leon and Mineola Townships as well. As soon as the Norwegians came, the Indian dominion was history, although to the white settlers, the Indians remained a regular nuisance, of which we will later give examples. Here is a list of the first Norwegian settlers: Hans Ovaldsen† from Kragerø, Henrik† and Tøge† Nilsen Talla from Lyster, Sogn, William Rønningen from Sandøkedal, Anders Vaanhus from Søvde, Telemarken, John Strømme† , Anders Hesjedalen† and Haldor Eide† , the last three from Strilelandet, Tosten Aaby† from Sigdal, Bernt Sauland from Jæderen, Torbjørn Wraalstad from Drangedal, Nils Fenne† and Enver Homedal† from Voss, Gunder Hestemyr† from Sandøkedal, Ole P. Ness from Vik in Sogn, Guttorm Otternes from Aurland, Mathias Rindal† from Faaberg, Christian Lunde† and Andreas Erstad from Land, Tosten Gulbrandsen† from Gudbrandsdalen, Ole† and Aamund Ofteli from Telemarken, Knut, Anders, Ole and H. K. Finseth from Hallingdal as well as Jens Ottum, O. J. Sortedal, Kolben Egtveit† , O. O. Huset, Halvor Enersen, Torbjørn Enersen Ole O. Oakland, Ole J. Bakke, Tosten Andersen and Nels Gudbrandsen. As far is known, they all came in 1854 - most from Wisconsin. Next after them came Svend Norgaard† from Telemarken, Ole Qvernhus from Krødsherred, Kristian Halvorsen Dokken† from Hallingdal, Ragnvald Olmstad from Aurland in Sogn as well as Ole Eriksen, Elling Halgrimsen† , Lars By† , G. K. Norsving, Ole O. Nesseth, Erick Anderson, Nils Mikkelsen, Mikkel Johnson, P. R. Langemo, Syvert Halvorsen Dokken† , Halvor Syvertsen Dokken† , Syvert Markussen and Lars Markussen† , Helge Gulbrandsen Bakken† from Vang, Valders, who also came about the same time, came by foot from Decorah, Ia.
    Mrs. Ole Bakke, the first white woman in Holden tells, that she left her child lying alone in bed when she went out for water, and when she came back, the child was gone. She hurried out and when she heard the child's cry from a nearby grove, where she ran as fast as she could. An Indian woman had stolen the child, but when she heard the mother come, she laid the child down and ran away. Mrs. Torbjørn Enersen delivered the first child in Holden. And Erik Elton died here in the fall of 1855, this was the first death in the county.
    The pioneers in Goodhue County were just as poor as they were skilled. The worst was that they did not have the clothing to face the harsh cold. But they got through it quickly. They soon began to grow wheat on a larger scale.
    As an example of what the first settlers had to endure, a man who was on his way to Oronoco, Olmstead Co. in the winter of 1855, stayed overnight with Erik Talla and continued his travels the next morning. But three days later he came back. The whole time he had wandered the prairie - in a blinding snowstorm - without knowing where he was, and not finding people.
    The following Indian story comes from Mr. Kleng J. Dale, "It was in the year 1862. One evening about 7 o'clock, the warning came that the Indians were on the move and that they had murdered our nearest neighbor and his family. A good solution was not easy. The thought to save some of our possessions, we gave up. We thought it was advisable to flee, as we were. With our year old daughter, my wife and I went eastward to Osmund Wing and found he was in the process of loading his family in a wagon. The decision was that we would proceed in an easterly direction to Torger Rygh, an old faithful countryman with whom people often gathered. There was soon a large group of people there. The women and children found place on the second floor while we men stayed below and armed ourselves as well as we could with clubs and hay forks since we did not own guns. Those of the men who had the most of Viking blood in them were stationed as guards. But the Indians did not come. In the morning we sent out two scouts, who were to see how it was with our homes. They came back with the word that as far as they could see and hear, everything was quiet and our homes were in order, we left and returned home. Further west - in the area of New Ulm - many whites were killed and their homes destroyed by the Indians. At this time B. J. Muus was the priest for the Holden congregation, he fled with his family right to Red Wing." But he came back and worked until he became old.
    Herman Hansen Bakke, who now lives at Spring Valley, Wis., tells that he settled at Belvidere Mills, Goodhue Co. in 1855 and that he had no harvest the first five years. The prairie fires ruined it for him. One time, he also lost his farm equipment and everything else he owned, except for his house.
    Ole Serumgard, who is now the manager of the US Land Office at Devil's Lake, North Dakota writes (after having referred to Amund Nilsen Opheim - 'Pioneer Nilsen', who we find mentioned in Griggs County, N. Dak.), "Another Norwegian worthy of mention who moved to the Sheyenne Valley (in the aforementioned State) in 1881, was Sven Norgard. He was a veteran of the Civil War and in his youth he had been a boisterous fellow. Norwegian readers know Mr. Janson's story of the 'Bygdekonge' (Community Boss). In this there is an account of the battle between the Boss and his gang and a young pioneer, who with his wife and children, tried to clear a home on land the others had illegally tried to keep free of settlers. Janson's story is a real depiction of the young pioneer who, with his wife and children, tried to clear some land in the woods of Goodhue County, Minn., and eventually won the 'Klubbeslaget' (club battle) and beat the Boss black and blue, was none other than than the same Sven Norgard. He was big and strong and a real Viking - in his younger days he would more properly called a berserker- and there are many old settlers in Goodhue County that can tell about his activities. From there he moved to Yellow Medicine County, Minn. where he was elected as District Attorney. While he was there some Norwegian neighbors were charged with illegal cutting of timber on railroad property. Norgard defended them. The case came to court in New Ulm, Minn. The case lasted a long time and the defendants were almost worn out. One evening when the case was to be handled, the lights in the courtroom went out, and when the lamps were lit, the case documents had disappeared. The most careful search could not find them and the case was dismissed and Norgard's clients went free. Reliable sources say that Norgard, when the lights went out, got hold of the papers and ate them. This is clearly a lawyer's trick that no one has repeated. That the old one, with his wildness, still had a good heart is shown by the following. Omund Opheim had a daughter who was not always sensible. She was married to a rowdie by the name of Olsen who left her and their five children. Olsen had a fine homestead in the woods at Sheyenne. When he left, he sold a relinquishment to a saloonkeeper in Moorhead, but when the old Governor Austin, who was then the Registrar in the Land Office in Fargo, was advised of the situation, he refused to accept the relinquishment since he thought it was just that the land in this case belonged to the wife and children. The wife went insane and was sent to the asylum in Yankton. This was in 1885. The grandfather took in the children but he died and a Swede by the name of Olsen obtained the land as a homestead through underhanded means since the necessary final proof had not been done in the right time. Old Norgard, now a senior, could not stand to see that this injustice should befall his old friend's descendants and took on the case - and the land was granted to the mentally ill wife and her children in 1899, almost 20 years after it was first claimed as a homestead by pioneer Nelson's son-in-law. These two men, Pioneer Nelson and Sven Nordgard, stand out for me as true types of Norwegian pioneers here in the northwest. Without much education but with a surplus of natural talent in a long life on civilization's frontier they have developed a brave, sterling character. It is such as these we can thank for the respect we have won among the population in our new home in the northwest."
    Pioneer Peder Langemo tells, "The houses were small, as a rule only 10x12, but small as they were, they housed two-three families and even 'the bailiff'. The first year after Minnesota became a state, came the order that the town treasurer was to collect the taxes. In Holden Township, it happened that the Treasurer and his family lived together with another man in their log cabin, which seemingly was smaller than the others. It happened one day that a Halling, who lived on the west side of the town, came to pay his taxes. But as he approached, he feared he had come to the wrong place. After examining the cabin from all sides, he asked, "Is it here, the bailiff lives?" The treasurer was the honorable Ole Solberg and after a confirming answer, the Halling paid his taxes.
    Holden Congregation, that was established in 1856 by Pastor H. A. Stub of The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. The congregation had no steady services before Pastor V. J. Muus came (in 1859). The church was built in 1861. Now there are 26 Norwegian congregations and 25 churches, 11 to The United Church, 5 to Hauge's Synod, 3 to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to 'Brodersamfunnet', 2 to The Lutheran Free Church and 2 to the Methodist Church.
    Hans Hansen Holtan was the first Norwegian to hold an official position in Goodhue County (1857). For information about him and others, see the section 'Norwegians in public positions in America'
    'Budbæreren', Hauge's Synod's organ, that started in Red Wing in 1868 was the county's oldest Norwegian newspaper. Later came 'Børnevennen', 'The Little Messenger' and 'Nordstjernen', all in Red Wing as well as 'Broderbaandet' in Kenyon. For more information, see the section, 'Norwegian-American newspapers and periodicals'
    For information about the Red Wing Seminary, the Hauge's Synod school, and 'Lutheran Ladies' Seminary, supported mostly by the people of The Norwegian Synod, see the section, 'Norwegian-American Teaching Schools'
    One can find further information about the United Church's hospital in Zumbrota under the title, 'Norwegian-American Benevolent Institutions'
    Places with Norwegian names in Goodhue County: Holden, Norway, Toten, Eidsvold, Dovre, Sogn, Henning, Vang, Nansen, Aspelund and Stuberg. Only the last three post offices exist now. The free postal service (R.F.D.) has taken the place of the smaller post offices here and in other parts of America.
    * Mathias Pedersen Ringdahl from Hadeland had come to Red Wing in 1851 and stayed there for a year, then he moved away, but came back to the same town in 1853. He was therefore he first Norwegian in Goodhue Co. But he established no settlement.

Grant County, Minnesota
    Ole Gudmunsen from Støtvig, Smaalenene and Peder Gran from Vestre Toten were the first Norwegians in Grant County, they came from Houston County by ox and wagon and settled at Elk Lake Township in 1865.
    The first in the vicinity of Erdahl were A. Hansen from Kristiania, Lars† and Elland† Anderson from Eidsvold and Jacob Olsen from Valders, who settled there in 1866.
    The first in Ashby was Knut Melby, who settled there in 1867. A part of Ashby was built on his land.* In the fall of the same year came John P. Sætre from Numedal, who settled nearby.
    Ole E. Lien from Hemsedal settled in the vicinity of Barrett the same year (1867) and was thus, the first there.
    Knut Laastuen from Hallingdal was the first at Elbow Lake.
    And Ole Torstensen from Hadeland was the first at Hoffman.
    The first in the vicinity of Aastad were Hans Haavig, Tørris Hansen† , Knut Hansen† , Gunder Ericksen† , R. G. Baasen, K. P. Eidal and Jens E. Pletan.
    Ole O. Hillestad from Lærdal was the first at Norcross.
    Wheat growing became the county's leading source of income. Besides, the first settlers did much hunting and trapping. Day pay at that time was 50 cents.
That the Indians terrified people in this as well as the adjacent counties is obvious. Once, there came rumors that the Indians were on the warpath. Everyone took their oxen and fled from their homes and went toward Alexandria. But on the way they learned that the rumor was false, so they returned to their daily  duties. This was before there were any soldiers stationed at Pomme de Terre Fort.
    Pomme de Terre Congregation, that was established in 1869 by Pastor L. Carlson, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Now there are 12 Norwegian congregations and 8 churches, 6 belong to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to The United Church, 1 to Hauge's Synod, 1 is Independent Lutheran and 1 belongs to the Methodists.
    The first Norwegian county officials were Wendelbo Olson† , Ole Larson Sundvold† , Ole Thompson Ring, S. Frogner† and K. R. O. Melby. They were all elected in 1873.
    Gilbert Hagen published the newspaper 'Samhold' in Elbow Lake in the 90s.
    Places with Norwegian names: Erdahl and Lien Townships, Fridheim, Erdahl, Pikop, Thorsborg, Ramstad, Lillemon and Aastad post offices.
    *Another part of Ashby stretches over Simon Larsen's land. When he came here, he had everything he owned in a gunny sack. It would be much harder for anyone to carry everything he owns now. And the gunny sack would be far too small.

Hennepin County, Minnesota
    The first person of Norwegian origin that settled in Hennepin County (the county that makes up the center of the Norwegian northwest and that includes Minneapolis - Norway in America's capital) was a woman and her name was Ingeborg. In 1850, she came to Meomny (about 8 miles north of St. Anthony) where for a time she had employment in a small hotel. The City of Minneapolis was founded later - in 1855 - it took St. Anthony's place and it has, as we know, grown very large - yes, now it reaches almost up to the place where Ingeborg settled. She has herself told that it was not many years before she met    people from the Land of the Midnight Sun, where she had come from. About that time she married an Irishman by the name of Clark.
    However, her destiny was that she would get a Norwegian husband. It went so, Mr. Clark died after a short marriage, and. thus, the Norwegian woman became a widow. And further out in Minnesota there was a Norwegian by the name Michael Johnson, who after a couple years stay at Smith Lake (Wright County) had moved to Acton (Meeker County) in 1860, and who lost his wife while he lived at that place. A bit later (the spring of 1864) he went to Hennepin County to seek work and came by chance to the aforementioned widow, who had a farm, horses, livestock etc., and who needed a working man. To this post then, the Norwegian Michael Johnson (from the Moen farm in Selbu, near Trondheim) was the very man. We can guess the result of this meeting. But we can certainly write it down. These two then became man and wife - in the fall of 1864. Their home was in Brooklyn Township, to which, in the course of time there came several people from Norway - likely from Selbu - and where they established a Norwegian Lutheran congregation in 1876. Ingeborg died some time ago. However Michael is still alive and lives with his son, J. M. Johnson, 720 8th Ave. S., Minneapolis. (I will add that Mr. Chris. Swensen, one of Michael Johnson's earlier neighbors, who now lives in Robbindale and who got the task of finding him and paid almost a dozen streetcar fares before his mission succeeded. This is an example how difficult it has been to get hold of such persons, who could give reliable information about the old days. Auth.)
    In this connection, it is told that at this time, a Norwegian, who stayed temporarily in St. Anthony in the 50s, and who was for a time the owner of Nicollet Island (now Minneapolis' centrum). He claimed the land by preemption. Later he sold it for $500.00, which he thought was well done, since he had obtained it free from the government (that is, by using his homestead rights). Now, it is worth several millions. Further information about the man cannot be found. Even his name is unknown. All that is known of him is that he moved westward to become a farmer. But later (in the 60s) Norwegians began to settle in Minneapolis, that is now the most Norwegian city in America in relation to its size, since ca. 45,000 of its 300,000 citizens are of Norwegian ancestry.
    The Norwegian Lutheran Trefoldigheds Congregation in Minneapolis, that now belongs to The Lutheran Free Church and was established in 1867 by Pastor Nils Olson (who at that time lived in the Christiania Settlement in Dakota County), is the oldest Norwegian congregation in Hennepin County. Its first church (that was also the first Norwegian church in the county) was built at the corner of 3rd Street and 13th Avenue South, in 1868. Pastor Ole Poulsen was Minneapolis' first Norwegian priest, since he had taken over the service of the aforementioned congregation by 1868. Both he and Nils Olsen (the congregation's founder) were Augustana men. Vor Frelsers Congregation was established in 1869 by Pastor Nils Ylvisaker, belonging to The Norwegian Synod. Its first church was built in 1871, where the Great Western Railway Station now stands. The number of Norwegian congregations has now grown to 23, while the churches have reached the number of 22. The congregations are divided so:
The Norwegian Synod - 9, The Lutheran Free Church - 4, The United Church - 2, Methodists - 2, The Evangelical Free Church - 1, Hauge's Synod - 1, M. Falck Gjertsen - 1, The Brethren - 1, Baptists - 1 and Unitarians - 1.
    'Nordisk Folkeblad' that was begun in 1870 by Hjalmar Eger, a student from Kristiania University, was the first Norwegian newspaper in Minneapolis. Later there were started, 'Norsk Maanedstidende', 'Budstikken' (a continuation of 'Fedrelandet og Emigranten', now 'Daglig Tidende' and 'Minneapolis Tidende'), 'Minnesota', 'Normanna', 'Norsk Maanedskrift', 'Folkebladet', 'Familie-Vennen', 'Felt-Raabet', 'Kvartal-Skriftet', 'Luthersk Børneblad', 'The North', 'Saamanden', 'Samfundet' (now 'Lutheraneren'), 'Ungdommens Ven', 'Det Frie Ord', 'Krydseren', 'Viking', 'Typografstidende', 'Lynilden', 'Nye Nordmanden' (now 'Politikken', 'Santhalmissionæren', 'Gasseren', 'Luthersk Børneblad', 'Den Lutherske Missionær', 'Missionsvennen', 'Den Forente Kirkes Missionsblad', 'Vingaardsmanden', Northland Weekly', 'Children's Companion', 'Sønner av Norge', 'Gaa paa', 'Vor Tid', 'Den Kristelige Lægmand' and 'Kvindens Magasin'. For more information about these and other newspaper ventures, see the section 'Norwegian-American Newspapers and Periodicals'.
    Augsburg Seminary, that was founded in its own building in 1872, was the first Norwegian school in Minneapolis. Later came Wraamann's Academy, Minnesota Normal School, The United Church's Seminary and Skørdalsvold's School. For further information, see the section 'Norwegian-American Teaching Institutions'.
    The Norwegian Lutheran Deaconess Home, that was started in 1889, was the first of that kind. Now money is being collected for hospitals.
In the '90s, the Norwegians erected several society buildings, The Norwegian Christian Youth Society and Normanna Hall, but both were lost because of debts. The Ole Bull Statue, that was designed by sculptor Jakob Fjelde and that was raised in Central Park in 1897, will be permanent, since it was paid for in advance. *
    Of societies that work in comprehensive activities, one can mention 'Sønner av Norge', 'Døtre av Norge', the Christian relief societies and temperance societies.
    The first Norwegian to hold public office here was George H. Johnson, elected as Sheriff in 1870.
    Civil War veteran Albert E. Rice was the first Norwegian to represent Minneapolis in the Stae Legislature (1870), he moved to Willmar that same year. Later he became Lt. Governor.
    For further information about these and others who have had official positions, see the section 'Norwegians in Public Positions in America'.
    *But have Norwegians over here only done that which is creditable? No. Take for example, the bank scandals that took place in Minneapolis a few years ago. A half dozen 'prominent' Norwegians and some other 'smart' fellows went into the banking business with more debts than money. They managed to get some references, and after trusting people, likely Scandinavian workers, deposited their savings, these went as 'loans' to the 'bank directors' themselves and their friends - and so the bank went bankrupt - to a pecuniary loss for the depositors and damage to the Norwegian name in America.- and especially in Minneapolis. After that time here, it has been rather difficult for Norwegians to obtain positions of trust of any significance. Now a similar scandal has taken place in Chicago.
    What a single person has done cannot rightly be laid to a people as a whole. The facts still say that the Norwegian immigrants as a whole conduct themselves well. As an example it can be mentioned that in a newly prepared crime statistic for Chicago that Norwegians (compared with other nationalities) are listed with the least number of lawbreakers.

Houston County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian in this county was Torkel Aagesen† from Stavanger. He settled in the area of Blackhammer in 1853. Knut Olsen from Stavanger as well as Guttorm Olsen and Jens Winjum, both from Urland, Sogn, who also settled in that area in 1853, but a little later in the year, as far as is known.
    Hans Nilsen Myra from Hadeland was the first at Spring Grove.
    The first in the area of Houston was Hans A. Dahle from Øvre Telemarken.
    The land was mainly covered with forest. After this was cleared away they began wheat growing as their main source of income. From 25 to 35 cents a day and board was what a man received for rail-splitting and grubbing in those days. But the farmers did almost all their work themselves. There were not many workers nor did anyone have much to pay with. With the lack of a flour mill nearby, they often had to grind their grain in a coffee mill. Mills were not found any closer that Lansing, Ia., and if one wished to go there, it was a trip of two to three weeks.Guttorm Guttormsen Øino from Rotnem in Gol, Hallingdal, Ole Evensen Dølehus from Hemsedal as well as the Stutelien brothers and G. G. Karsenborg from Valders were the first white settlers at South Fork River, but at that time the area was full of drunken Indians and even though they were not hostile, one had a constant fear of them.About the aforementioned Guttorm Øino, it is told, "After an 18 week trip by sailship, he and his family landed in New York and then they were without money or food. Nevertheless, in the course of the following three weeks they got to Illinois (on a lighter, most of the way) They now had to get out to find some land and one day, as they wandered in a wild area, a terrible storm blew up. But towards evening they found a farmer, who allowed them to overnight in an old tumble-down stable. There his wife became ill - and bore a child in the course of the night - and there they remained in a pitiful state for several weeks, after which she died of childbirth and swamp fever. Her name was Helga Larsdatter from Hulebaklien in Gol. Øino's and the other pioneers' hardships here in Houston County will be for many to consider.One of Spring Grove's oldest settlers has sent me a long poem instead of an account in prose. I cite a couple of verses in which he speaks of the new builders so:
    "First you had a cabin and then a steering yoke,
    To that a wagon and then your spirits rose.
    You broke up some fields and sowed your seed,
    And it bore much fruit and lightened your temper.
    You felt so lost and lonely many times
    Without help and means in the primitive land.
    But your spirit never left, you went to work again.
    For your and your children, you built a home."
    He concludes by saying that the young must be grateful to their elders that they have received everything in good condition from them. An he turns over to the poets of the new generation to correct his poem with all the art's rules since he himself is not and does not pretend to be a poet.
    'Norwegian Ridge Congregation', belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was founded in Spring Grove in 1855 and it was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. C. L. Clausen was its first priest. Now there are 7 Norwegian congregations and 7 churches, 5 belonging to The Norwegian Synod and 2 to The United Church.
    Ole Knudsen, who was elected County Commissioner in 1856 and who died long ago, was the first Norwegian official in the county.
    Jørgen Timansen Quarve, who is also dead, was the first Norwegian who represented Houston County in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1859.
Sven Ellestad published a newspaper with the name 'Spring Grove Posten' for a time.
    The post offices Nittedal and Norman, that both got their names from Norwegians, have been closed.

Hubbard County, Minnesota
    Jacob Evensen, who came from La Salle County, Ill. and settled at Dorset was the first Norwegian in Hubbard County. Evensen's parents were from Stavanger.
    The first Norwegian in the area of Rosby was Ole J. Færden from Valders. He writes, "The first years we were here there was no railroad station closer than 70 miles, we had to drive there with oxen. In the winter we often had to go on skis to get what we needed to maintain life."
    There are 5 Norwegian congregations in the county, 2 belonging to The Lutheran Free Church, 2 to The Norwegian Synod and 1 to The United Church.
A. G. Johndal, who was elected County Commissioner in 1900, was the first Norwegian official here.
    Places with Norwegian names: Farden (Færden), Helga, and Hendrickson (Townships), Rosby, Dorset and Maltby (Post Offices).

Itasca County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian in this county was Thomas Irgens from Modum. He came from Dakota and settled at Grand Rapids in 1888. Later in the year came Johannes Jensen† from Kristiania, Fredrik Christiansen from Frøiøen near Kristiansund, Kolbjørn and Bernt E. Bensen and O. K. Sherman from Vaaler, Solør, L. A. Willmann from Ørkedalsøren, Lars Orge from Søndmøre, Fritjof and Martin Madsen from Kristiania, Ole Hansen from Kragerø and Ed Holum from Overhalden. Firewood, timber and game have, until now, been the Norwegian settlement's main source of subsistence.
    P. O. Bohn was the first in the vicinity of Rosy. He was from Ørskoug, Søndmøre. Indians were the first Norwegians' nearest neighbors. One of the pioneer's writes, "I settled in here in the thick primeval forest to fight with mosquitoes, brush ticks - and wild people, if necessary. And how I chopped, cleared and dug! But it is now good to be here."
    There are 4 Norwegian congregations in the county, 2 belonging to The Norwegian Synod, 1 to The Lutheran Free Church and 1 to The United Church.

Jackson County, Minnesota
    Simon Olsen Slaabakken from Tolgen, Jackson County's first official, writes, "The immigration of Norwegians began in 1860, for then came Børre Olsen from Holtaalen, with his three sons (Bersvend, Ole and Jonas), his daughter and son-in-law (Hans Lien from Røraas) after an arduous journey from Winneshiek Co. Ia. They came here to the lovely Des Moines Valley, that was richly covered with forest - something that the Norwegians eagerly sought as the first necessity when they wished to build a home, they wished to settle where there was a forest. But alas, every single grove was occupied by a Yankee. 'Well,' says Bør, 'we came here to find a home. The land is good, we will have to ask Mr. Yankee how much it will take to get him out.'*
    Besides the aforementioned persons, there came Ole Pedersen from Røraas, Engebret and Anders Olsen Slaabakken from Tolgen, Ole O. Førde and Knud Midtstad from Voss along with several others, 15-20 families altogether. This was thus in 1860.
    In 1861 many others came, some bought claims, others found free forested land, and all felt happy and well satisfied.
    Even though there were no Indians nearby, we did not feel very safe. In May, D. M. West went to the Governor and received a number of guns and ammunition. Then we organized ourselves as a home guard with drills every Saturday afternoon. However, there came a request for soldiers to hold in check the rebels in the South. And from the little settlement at Jackson, 22 men left. Many of those who were to protect the settlers from the Indians also went away.
    About the 20th of August news came that the Indians were on the warpath and that they had robbed and murdered people at New Ulm. They gathered together - two to three families at each place - to assist each other in case of need. On Sunday, the 24th August, when a number of the population were gathered for services, Ole Førde's eldest son came, dripping with sweat and blood, and told that the Indians had arrived, he had been shot through his arm. One can imagine the fright that arose. Everyone ran to their respective homes as fast as they could, but most soon gathered again at the home of the Postmaster in Jackson. The most intrepid wanted that they should fortify themselves and face the attack with such weapons that they had. However, the majority of those present were so frightened that they wished to go to Etherville, Ia., about 25 miles south of here. Just before sunset they left and reached there the next morning, received food and drink and began to organize a company of horse, that on Thursday drove up to those places they were informed that the savages had murdered and plundered. They found 12 dead and some wounded. Among them were two daughters of Knud Langeland, one was dead, the other survived. Anders, the son of Knut Slaabakken, they had shot twice, hit on the neck and stabbed in the side with a large knife and was left with the thought that he was dead. He came to life and crept to a water spring where, after getting a good drink, was in such condition that could reach his home, where he hoped to find something to eat. But everything was destroyed. He then went to the barn and laid down in the manger to die. There he lay from Sunday until Wednesday, when he was found and taken to Etherville, a doctor was called and his life saved. Just think, what he had to go through in those three days!"
    A list of those who were killed by the Indians the 24th of August, 1862:
    Mikkel Olsen Slaabakken from Tolgen, born 1st March, 1831
    Ole O. Førde from Evanger, Bergens Stift, born 18th January, 1822.
    Johannes K. Exe from Voss, Bergens Stift, born 26th August, 1833.
    Knudt Midtstad from Voss.
    Brita Midtstad from Voss.
    Lars Larsen Førenes from Strilelandet, born 1834.
    Anna Larsen, his wife, born 1834.
    Anna Langeland, Knut Langeland's wife, born 1824.
    Anna Langeland, Knut Langeland's daughter, born 1853.
    Aagaata Langeland, Knut Langeland's daughter, b. 1857.
    Nicolai Johan Langeland, Knut Langeland's son, born 1860.
    Knud Langeland, Knud Langeland's son, born 1861.
    Now there was a temporary end to the Norwegian settlement in Jackson: all the survivors moved eastward, some to Winneshiek County, Ia., others to Houston County, Minn.
    The new settlement began in 1864. The Indian troubles had obliterated all organization and it became necessary to reorganize the county, which was done in 1865 by the aforementioned Simon Olsen Slaabakken and two Americans, who were appointed by the Governor.
Anders Olsen, another of the old settlers, writes that he transported the materials for the first church in the county - from Mankato - a distance of 80 miles - 160 miles each trip! Once he went astray in a snowstorm and stumbled around the prairie for 5 days - without food - and poorly clad. Grain, cattle and swine were the first settlers' main source of income. The nearest marketplace was Mankato. In 1873 and the following 4 years, grasshoppers destroyed most of the crops, so it was rather tight for the people.
    There are 9 Norwegian churches and 11 congregations in Jackson County, 4 belong to Hauge's Synod, 3 to The United Church, 3 to The Norwegian Synod and 1 to Elling Eielsen's Society.
    For information in the political area, see the section 'Norwegians in public office in America'
    Places with Norwegian names: Christiania (Township), Verdal (Værdalen), Bergen and Namsos (Post Offices). Only the last P.O. still exists.
    *They learned this. The price for a good forest claim was usually a pair of oxen and a wagon. The price was paid and the Yankees had to move.

Kanabec County, Minnesota
    The first, or at least one of the first, Norwegians in this county was H.E. Sjøbøen from Os parish, near Bergen. He moved from Winneshiek County,Iowa to the vicinity of Mora in 1898. There were many Indians at that time and few whites. The Norwegians were mainly occupied in mixed farming.
    In the area of Lewis Lake, Ole and P. Langlie, S. Huser, H. Olsen, A. J. and H. Hansen, A. E. Mehl and P. Stark were the first.
    The aforementioned H. E. Sjøbøen was to first Norwegian to receive public office in the county. He was elected County Commissioner in 1900. Hauge's Synod, The Norwegian Synod and The Lutheran Free Church each have a congregation in this county.

Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
    Even Railsen (Glesne), Andrew Railsen (Glesne), Ole Knudsen and E. O. Glesne, all from Sigdal had settled by Norway Lake by 1858 and were thus the first Norwegian settlers in the county. Next after them came Christopher C. Engen from Nordre Land, Erik Kopperud from Hadeland as well as Lars Andersen† , Ole Hagen† and Sivert Andersen and more. St. Cloud, about 60 miles away, was their nearest marketplace. They began with growing wheat and had just gotten on their feet with buildings and farming, when that bloody Indian uprising took place (in 1862).
    Ole Hagen, who lived on Section 32, was found dead at the edge of the road, not far from his home. He had filled his wounds with grass in the hope that would stop the blood loss, but it did not help him. The bodies of Berge Bergesen, Fredrik Olsen and Mrs. Olsen were also found near Hagen's home.
    The same day, 4 Indians came to Lars Andersen's house, where they begged for milk, that he (Andersen himself) carried out to them, but when he went back to the house, he was shot. His son, Endre, on orders from the Indians, went to the garden to dig up some potatoes for them and after that was done, they killed him. His brother, Ole, was shot in the shoulder and fell, seemingly dead, behind the stove. Their sisters, Guri and Brita, the first 17 and the other 8 years, were carried off by the Indians. But the next morning, while the Indians were out looking for their horses, that had broken loose during the night, they had the oppostunity to flee. Mrs. Lars Andersen had hidden in the cellar with her 21⁄2 year old child. From the cellar, she was witness to the extermination of her family. And, thinking they were all dead, she began to lose her composure, but then she found that her son, Ole, mentioned above, came to and she got her courage back. They got hold of a pair of oxen and a sled and drove to Oscar Ericksen's home.
    But here also, the Indians had carried out their bloodbath. An unmarried Swede by the name of Carlson, who stayed with the Erickson family, had been killed, Ericksen himself was badly wounded in the abdomen and an American, who also lived there with his family, was similarly badly wounded. The women in the house, themselves, had to take up the combat against the savages after their men had been rendered unfit to fight. They barricaded the doors and windows and shot through cracks and holes with such skill that the redskins found it advisable to withdraw, taking their wounded and one dead. The women noticed, however, that one of their neighbor's houses had been set afire, and since they feared the same fate, they decided to flee with their children while the Indians were distant. Their wounded men, they had to leave where they lay. It was luck, however, that Mrs. Andersen and her son came with a vehicle and she took these men with her to Forest City, where their families had fled ahead of them.
    The whole settlement was the object of plunder and murder. At Ole Knudsen's a number of refugees had gathered one evening. Knudsen and his wife took a child each on their shoulder in all haste to Even Railsen's home, but since Railsen and his family had already abandoned their home, Knudsen and his group took refuge on a little island in Norway Lake, that was out of gun range, to which they got with help of a tree trunk that they pushed back and forth until all were brought to safety. There they would resist, if necessary.
    Among other Norwegians, who through a narrow squeak, had avoided the redskin's murderous hand, was Thomas Osmundsen and his father-in-law, Svend Borgen, from Nummedal. While they were occupied with moving some furnishings and foodstuffs from Borgen's house, the Indians, who were hiding in ambush, began to shoot at them. But when those on the nearby island heard their cries, they began to raise their voices so loudly that the Indians became frightened and took flight.
    Rumours of the unhappy conditions at Norway Lake had, however reached Paynesville, where it did not take long to equip a small army to help their neighbors in the west. Among the first refugees the Paynesville expedition met on their march westward were 5 children belonging to a Johannes Iversen, that the Indians had killed. This group of children had wandered around the prairie, crying and hungry and without a destination. About the same time, Even Olsen, Erik Kopperud and Lars Iversen and their families came to Paynesville and thence others began coming, one caravan after another.The company continued further eastward in the direction of St. Cloud and over time as they flooded forth, the company grew, since no one wished to be the first victim of the redskins, who they believed were on a hunt for the whites.
    When the company reached the City of St. Cloud obstacles met them since the ferry was closed and they could not get across the large river that ran through that city. The businessmen and others, who were dependent on the farmers, did not wish to see that the area could be laid waste. But, the aforementioned Thomas Osmundsen was not at a loss as to what to do. He mounted one of his oxen and had it swim over with him - and his example was contagious, both people and livestock quickly got across to the other bank. However, they agreed on seizing the ferry by force, if the police would give way willingly. From the refugee group's leaders people soon got the understanding that they could just as well fight with the citizens of St. Cloud than go back and fight the Indians. The consequence then, was that they got their way. The police did not say a word.
    The first Norwegian settler in the area of Kingville was Halvor Jørdal of Drangedal parish. He later took part in the Civil War, where he fell. See the section 'Norwegians in American Wars'
    George Johnson, from Gudbransdalen, was the first settler in the area of Georgeville.
    The first who settled in the neighborhood of Willmar were Erik Nelson Elgeraas from Sveen parish, Søndhordland. He came from Burnett County, Wisc., and settled in the aforementioned place in 1863, thus after the Indian uprising. Next after him came Olai Olsen from Ranen, Nordland, Ole Aslaksen, Tollef Homen, Halvor Sondresen and Andreas Aslaksen† from Vinje, Telemarken. A little later came Helmer Martinsen† from Lofoten, Ole L. Elgeraas from Sveen, Søndhordland, Halvor Olsnes from Vinje, Telemarken as well as John Oson, Matias Olsen, Mads Knudsen, Knud Staland† , Ellef Ellefsen, Ole Sletten† , Thore Lindland† , Asbjørn Pedersen, Tore Feiring† , Ole Torkelsen† , Jacob Jacobsen and Anders Christiansen, who all settled near Willmar.
    About this time also, the settlers who had to flee the Norway Lake district during the Indian uprising, began to return to their homes. A few others also settled there now, namely, Martin Engen, Johan Haavelsen and Erik Negaard, all from Nordre Land, Elling Sagadalen† and Erik Ruud from Hallingdal, Anders Skare† , John Hamre and Erik Kvenrud from Eggedal, Iver K. Syse from Hardanger, Jacob Ramstad from Sigdal and Lars Næs† from Sogndal.
Toløre Torgersen from Telemarken was the first to settle at Kandiyohi Station.
    And the first in the area of Irving were B. C. Bensen from Helgeland, Ole C. Christensen† from Næsne, Nordland as well as N. Emeson and Størk Larson. This settlement was called Nordland because it was founded by Nordlændinger (1866). It lies in the northeast part of Kandiyohi County and the northwest part of the adjacent part of Meeker County.
    Norway Lake congregation, that was founded in 1866, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Pastor Th. Johnson, of the Norwegian Synod was its first serving priest. Its church was built in 1868. Now there are 19 Norwegian congregations in and 16 churches in the county, 6 of the congregations belong to The Lutheran Free Church, 5 to The United Church and 5 to The Norwegian Synod, 2 to Hauge's Synod and 1 to the 'Free-Free'
The first Norwegian to hold an official position was the Nummedaling, C. G. Lien, he was elected County Treasurer in 1867. (The northern half of the present Kandiyohi County was then called Magnolia County and it was here he was the Treasurer.
    Andrew Railson of Norway Lake was the first Norwegian who represented the county in the State Legislature (elected 1867)
    Willmar Seminary, a Norwegian school was founded in 1882. Recently a school was established at Norway lake, mainly for Norwegian children. The Free Church Children's Home was moved from Lamberton to Willmar, Kandiyohi County this year (1905). For more information on these establishments, see their respective sections, later in the book.
    Places with Norwegian names: Arctander, Aspelien, Dovre, Hawick (Havig), Holum, Grue, Negord (Negaard), Norway Lake and Thorpe.

Kittson County, Minnesota
    A. C. Teien, from Drammen was, as far as is known, the first Norwegian to settle in this county. He settled in the area that now bears his name, in 1879.
    G. Medso from Overhalden was the first in the area of Hallock.
    And B. M. Bothun, from Bergen, the first at Beaton.
    About the journey to America, one of the oldtimers (one who first lived in Wisconsin) had this to say, "I came to America on a little brig from Kristiania. That was in 1862. We were 82 days on the trip from Norway to Quebec and 16 days on the trip inland. During two terrible storms, herring bunkers and boxes and everything else on the deck was washed to sea. During one of the storms we lost all the rigging. Masts, yards and sails - everything went overboard - while the one wave after the other washed over the vessel. We all thought that our time had come. One could hear many cries to God for mercy for our souls. We did not soon forget the danger we had faced. Finally we came ashore. It took 16 days before we reached our destination. The trip through the country was long and unpleasant also. †œWhat a difference there is in an American trip, then and now!"
    Skjeberg congregation, founded in the Town of Teien in 1883 by Pastor Iver Tharalfsen, of the Norwegian Conference, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. There are now 11 Norwegian congregations and 8 churches, 6 belonging to The United Church, 3 to The Lutheran Free Church, 1 to The Norwegian Synod and 1 to Hauge's Synod.
    Ole Holter was the first Norwegian to hold a public position in the county.
    P. M. Hendricks is so far the only Norwegian who has represented Kittson County in the State Legislature.
    Places with Norwegian names: Norway, Teien, Reinholt, Visby and Siggestad.

Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian settlers settled by the Lac qui Parle River in 1869.
    It was a group of 40 families, mainly from Stavanger and the Bergen area that settled amongst the Indians here. They came from Fayette County, Ia. with F. Jacobsen as their leader, and he was also the first to take land. Peter Thompson accompanied the colony as priest and Peter Skoven as teacher.
    The first in the area of Louisburg were Jacob Nilsen and Torkel Thompson from Hallingdal and Ole Skordal from Telemarken. The first in the area of Marietta was A. M. Aves from the Trondhjem area. The first in the area of Boyd was Peder Quaal from Ørkedalen.
    The first in the county's southern part - in the area of Freeland, was Andreas Eriksen from Eidsvold, a veteran of the Civil War.
    In "The Town of Freeland's History" that some enterprising Norwegians had written, Eriksen tells, "In the beginning, we lived 15 miles from our nearest neighbors. The Indians visited us regularly in the first years and made much mischief by pilfering anything they could manage, when they lay fishing along Florida Creek. Once, when my wife and children were home alone, an Indian chieftain came from the Sisseton Reservation with a tomahawk in his hand and sat in the middle of the floor in the house. His aim was to frighten my wife and children out of there so he could help himself to the foodstuffs, and his wish was fulfilled, since the terrified woman took her children and fled as fast as she could. Otherwise, these Indians were peaceful. In 1878, when the government decided that they should move back to their reservation, they came in a great group with a peace pipe, which we all had to smoke with them as a sign of peace and friendship. When this ceremony was over, they withdrew peacefully and we never saw them again."
    He tells further, "In 1876-77 the grasshoppers came in monstrous swarms that blotted out the sun as they flew in the air. They landed in the fields and destroyed everything on their way. in 1877 we had 18 acres of wheat. We worked without a break, night and day, took straw, hay and other combustible material and took it to the side of the wheat fields and set fires, and so hindered the grasshoppers from ruining the harvest, with fire and smoke.
    This was strenuous work but it was a matter of a living for the family. Our efforts were richly rewarded, on the 18 acres, we got 200 bushels of wheat, enough for ourselves and for next year's seed. On other places the crop was totally destroyed, yes even the grass and the leaves on the trees were eaten by the voracious insects.
    "Another dangerous element were the prairie fires that from time immemorial have ravaged these plains. Just for fun, the Indians set fire to the high grass and the fires were driven by the wind at lightning speed across the prairie, consuming everything in the way in a sea of flames. Like a consuming sea, the fire came racing over the endless plateau. No plowed field, no river could do anything to stop or slow its furious speed. Some furrows around our houses was the only protection and sometimes that failed.
    Often one lost everything one owned and escaped with his life by the skin of his teeth. Many times I fought against prairie fires until I was more dead than alive," adds Ericksen.
    "Of snakes and serpents there was such a number," he says, "that there was great trouble and fear, they crept into our houses, that were not as tight as the farmer's houses nowadays, and often got up into our beds. One time my wife found a snake lying rather cozily beside our little child in bed. Once we found 15-20 in one place. In a short time we lost our fear of them. It showed that their bite was not poisonous and they were eradicated after the land was cultivated."
    Another of the old settlers, Berger Steffensen from Eidskogen, tells about how it went when he wanted to buy a 'team' for the first time. It was a pair of oxenf he wished to obtain. Naturally, he had to go east to get them. After many days of difficult travel, he finally bought a pair, northeast of Montevideo. He was poor and had to buy them on credit but he was nevertheless happy to have his own team. It was arduous to get to the oxen home, there were no bridges over rivers or creeks, and there was no road. To get across the Minnesota River, the oxen swam with the owner hanging onto their tails, but later he got one of the animals to carry him on its back. Late in the fall he went to Appleton, the nearest place one could get grain milled. He was completely unfamiliar with the land, nor was there any road. Then the skies opened and it began to rain heavily and the wet soil heaved. "I finally got there and had my grain ground," he says. "On the way home the weather changed to snow and biting cold. What the oxen and I suffered on that trip is impossible to recount. After 5-6 days of adversity, we finally got home."
    Herman Olsen Dale from Eidskogen tells, "In the year 1881, when we had a bad snow winter, our dugout, that we lived in was often buried in snowdrifts so that in the morning we had to shovel the snow into the room so that we could get out, and the lamps had to be lit all the time to get light because the snow lay 8 - 10 feet deep. However, we were comfortable and warm and suffered no want."
    "Lac qui Parle Congregation", that was established in 1870 by Pastor Peder Thompson of Elling Eielsen's Society was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Now there are 27 Norwegian congregations and 24 churches, 15 of them belong to The United Church, 7 to Hauge's Synod, 2 to The Evangelical free Church, 1 to The Norwegian Synod, 1 to The Lutheran Free Church and 1 to Elling Eielsen's Society.
    Peter F. Jacobsen and Colbe Anderson, who were elected in 1872 to County Treasurer and County Commissioner respectively, were the first Norwegians in public positions in the county.
    The aforementioned Peter Jacobsen was also the first Norwegian to represent Lac qui Parle County in the State Legislature, elected 1875.
    "Minnesota Tidende" (For a time called "Madison Tidende") was published in the aforementioned city in the 90s.
    The United Church's Normal School was founded in Madison, Minn. in 1892.
    Post Offices with Norwegian names: Norman, Vaaler and Sverdrup, all closed.

Lake County, Minnesota
    The first Norwegian in this county was Chas. M. Flaathe from Hommelvigen near Trondhjem. He settled at Two Harbors in 1884. Later in the year came the brothers Ole and Andrew Hansen from Romsdalen, M. A. and P. M. Johnson from Vefsen as well as John Osbakken from Nordland. The major part of Lake County was covered by forest. Logging was therefore the main source of income. Now it is almost all cleared and as a consequence they have begun farming.
    There are 2 Norwegian churches and 3 congregations, 2 of them belonging to The United Church and 1 to The Methodists.
    For information about Norwegian county officials see the section, "Norwegians in public positions in America.
    *One of the correspondents begins his message with the following notation: "Now I have done my best with regard to the sought information. But there are probably some of the readers who will discover spelling mistakes in one or another of the names, that they will criticize. These people demand the impossible." -- Yes, they do, because they have not tried themselves, they speak as if they are colour blind. They concern themselves only with what is, as a rule, is nearest them, and the object of the main work, they do not see. Therefore neither should we pay much attention to them.

Lincoln County, Minnesota
    Knut T. Nomeland from Bakke, Sætersdalen writes, "Before I mention our present home, I will mention 'the home we left'. We settled in the Rock River Settlement, 9 miles from Watertown, Wis. in 1844. There we lived for 3 years. Our house was built of basswood. A large tree, whose bark was loosened on one side, served as both door and hinge. From Wisconsin we moved to Boone County, Ill., where we lived until 1870. Then I went to Lincoln County, Minn. At that time this area was wilderness. I believe certainly that I was the first white man that visited Lincoln County with the intention of taking land. Some Indians (half-breeds) told me that there was still forest to be found, and forest was what we all coveted at that time. I wandered around for 4 days without finding either people or wagon tracks, but I found what I was looking for. Later in the year, I received many neighbors. The land was still not surveyed. To our little post office it was 35 miles, the nearest flour mill was 60 miles away. Now, it is only 2 miles to the nearest town - Porter."
    The Honorable John Hanson, Hendricks, Minn. says:
    "In the election of 1873, Lyon County was divided in two parts and the western part (15 Townships) was organized under the name Lincoln County. At that time there were only a few Norwegian settlers, and they had settled in the northeast part of the county, near where the little Town of Porter in Yellow Stone County was later built.
    Of these can be mentioned: Jacob and Johannes Dahl from the Trondhjem area, who are both dead. And Amund Gunderson from Sætersdalen, he still lives there and cultivates his farm. Also, Ole Syverson from Gudbrandsdalen, he is still alive but has moved from there. These and some others were the first settlers in the Town of Alta Vista. To the west lies the Town of Marble. This town also received some new settlers in 1872, among them, Ole Fladeland from Sætersdalen and Martin Paulson from Nordland, but these two families moved from here many years ago and are likely dead.
    West of Marble, we have Hansonville, where the author of this account, John Hanson was the first settler. I settled here the 4th July 1873 and functioned as absolute ruler for almost 3 years, but since I had only grasshoppers and blackbirds to rule, the position was not so great as the words suggest, but big enough and good enough since I sat here as one of Uncle Sam's sons (bachelors) and my freedom was unlimited. But it is not good for people to be alone, I needed neighbors and the emigration here had stopped. Whether it was the grasshoppers that scared people off, I do not know, but I will put the blame on them anyway, for they were very numerous, but for me it made no difference, but they took all we sowed and planted and this people usually detested. With these conditions, I found no other way to get more people in our Township than to take a wife, and this ceremony took place the 5th April 1876, when Miss Karen Caulum from Næs, Hedemarken abandoned her maiden name and took the name Mrs. Karen J. Hanson. This ceremony doubled the immigrant population in our Township but diminished my lordship fifty percent.
    As mentioned, in the spring of 1876 our Township had only one family, but in 1880, when as an enumerator for the U.S. Census Department,, I did the census for these three mentioned Townships, it was 30 families and in all three Townships, not quite a hundred and fifty families, of which at least ninety percent of the parents were Norwegian born.
    By this time the grasshoppers had disappeared and the worst had been overcome, and a degree of prosperity had begun to take the place of poverty, even though in 1881 almost everyone needed to grind their flour in a coffee mill, since we had 3 to 20 feet of snow in the fields so that no one could go the 30 to 40 miles to the mill. But we had enough wheat that, as soon as we learned the milling profession, we also had our own flour - a sort of first patent.
Then we were in our best age and of capable ancestry, had good health and appetite and were not concerned that cold and snow drifts bit a little in the ears and noses, we overcame everything we had to go through very well.
    Since 1872 until now, great changes have taken place, the prairies has been converted to fertile fields and gardens and greater or smaller forest groves are to be seen on almost every farm, so prosperity and pleasant homes are to be seen everywhere. Instead of sod huts we have large, splendid, modern houses, the horse had taken the ox's place, threshing machines are run with steam, 'fine' wagons are Top buggies and Surreys, the homesteader is called Master, the wife uses false teeth and is called 'Missus'."
    Of the oldest settlers there should be mentioned Lars Fjeseth, John Knutsen, Ole Nesseth, Nils Thoresen† and Ole E. Larson, all from Singsaas, Knut Støver from Opdal, as well as Jens Hansen, John Thoresen and M. B. Nygaard. They came here in 1876, most of them from Allamakee County, Ia.
    There are 3 Norwegian churches and 5 congregations in the county, 2 belong to The United Church, 2 to the Methodists and 1 to The Norwegian Synod.
    The aforementioned John Hanson of Hendricks was the first Norwegian official in this county. He was elected County Commissioner in 1874. He was also the first and, until now, the only Norwegian to represent the county in the State Legislature (elected 1886).
    Townships whose names are of Norwegian origin: Hansonville and Drammen. And for a time the was a post office with the name Harstad.

Lyon County, Minnesota
    Johan Mo, Trønder and bachelor, was the first Norwegian here. He settled in the vicinity of Cottonwood in 1870. In 1871 came another Trønder, Nils Nilsen Rosvold (from Leksviken). He and his wife walked from Brownsville to Spring Grove, Houston County, and from there by oxcart to their present home. The first thing they did was dig a hole in the hillside, they lived there for 8 years. Their dugout was often covered with snow so they had to dig a hole to get in an out, much like the prairie gophers. It was such houses the new settlers had to be satisfied with. Also in 1871, came three Valdriser, Johannes Andersen (from Etnedalen) and O. Brenna and Ole Brotten. Next after them came Knut Brotten and Mikkel Snortum, similarly from Valdres.
    The first in the vicinity of Minneota were the brothers Svennung and Ole Pedersen from Solør, Johannes Ilstad from Stavanger, Torjus Flom from Sogn, Nils Torgersen, Halvor Nyland, Vetle Hovden, Torjus Loftsgaarden and Ole Nordbo, all from Telemarken, Fred Holritz from Kristiania, Nils Gregersen, Tobias Trana, Niels Anderson and Ole Myrvik, t