A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States : From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848

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Title: A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States : From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848
Author: Flom, George T. (George Tobias)
Language: English
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Transcriber's Note

This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects.
Italics are delimited with the '_' character as _italic_.

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History of Norwegian Immigration

A History of Norwegian Immigration

The United States

From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848

GEORGE T. FLOM, Ph. D. (Columbia)

Professor of Scandinavian Languages and Literatures and Acting
Professor of English Philology, State University of Iowa

[Illustration]

PRIVATELY PRINTED
IOWA CITY, IOWA
1909

THE TORCH PRESS
CEDAR RAPIDS
IOWA

TO MY MOTHER

THROUGH WHOM I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING
OF THE HEROIC WOMANHOOD EXEMPLIFIED IN THE
LIVES OF OUR PIONEER MOTHERS, THIS VOLUME IS
AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

FOREWORD

This volume is intended to present the progress of immigration from
Norway to this country from the beginning down through what may be
termed the first period of settlement. It is possible that I may at
some future time return to these studies to trace the further growth of
the Scandinavian element and its place and influence in American life.

Four years ago I contributed an article to _The Iowa Journal of
History and Politics_ upon "The Scandinavian Factor in the American
Population," in which I discussed briefly the causes of emigration
from the Northern countries. This article forms the basis of chapters
VI-VIII of the present volume, much new evidence from later years
having, however, been added. In a subsequent issue of the same Journal
I published an article on "The Coming of the Norwegians to Iowa," which
is embodied in part in chapters III-V of this volume. The remaining
thirty-six chapters are new. During the last three summers I have
continued my investigation of that part of the subject which deals with
the immigration movement. This book represents the results of that
investigation down to 1848.

For invaluable assistance in the investigation I gratefully acknowledge
indebtedness to the numerous pioneers whom, from time to time, I have
interviewed and who so kindly have given the aid sought. I wish to
thank, also, several persons who generously have accepted the task of
personally gathering pioneer data for certain localities. For such help
I owe a debt of gratitude to the following persons: J. W. Johnson,
Racine, Wisconsin; Reverend A. Jacobson, Decorah, Iowa; Reverend G. A.
Larsen, Clinton, Wisconsin; Henry Natesta, Clinton, Wisconsin; Rev. O.
J. Kvale, Orfordville, Wisconsin; Rev. J. Nordby, Lee, Illinois; Dr. N.
C. Evans, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin; M. J. Engebretson, Gratiot, Wisconsin;
Dan K. Anderson and wife, Woodford, Wisconsin; Ole Jacobson, Elk Horn,
Wisconsin; Samuel Sampson, Rio, Wisconsin; T. M. Newton, Grinnell,
Iowa; Harvey Arveson, Whitewater, Wisconsin; and Reverend Helge
Höverstad, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. My thanks are also due to Reverend
G. G. Krostu of Koshkonong Parsonage for having placed at my disposal
the Koshkonong Church Register from 1844-1850; as also for verifying
my copy of it in some cases of names and dates; for the privilege
accorded me of using these so precious documents I am most grateful.
Reverend K. A. Kasberg of Spring Grove, Minnesota, has given me certain
important data on part of the immigration to East Koshkonong in 1842,
and similarly N. A. Lie of Deerfield, Wisconsin, for immigration from
Voss in 1838-1844, and Mr. Elim Ellingson and wife of Capron, Illinois,
on the founders of the Long Prairie Settlement. Many others might be
mentioned who have given valuable assistance by letter and otherwise
in the course of the investigation, and to whom I owe much. Finally,
I wish to thank Dr. N. C. Evans of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, for the loan
of _Cyclopedia of Wisconsin_ (1906) and _Illustreret Kirkehistorie_
(Chicago, 1898); Mr. O. N. Falk of Stoughton, Wisconsin, for loaning
me _Billed-Magazin_ for 1869-1870, and my brother, Martin O. Flom, of
Stoughton, for securing for my use several Wisconsin Atlases and a copy
of _The Biographical Review of Dane County_ (1893).

Of published works on Norwegian immigration which I have found
especially useful are to be mentioned S. Nilsen's _Billed-Magazin_ on
causes of immigration and the earliest immigrants from Telemarken and
Numedal; R. B. Anderson's _First Chapter on Norwegian Immigration_
for the sloopers of 1825, and their descendants; Strand's _History
of the Norwegians in Illinois_ (1905) for the Norwegians in Chicago;
H. L. Skavlem's sketch of _Scandinavians in the Early Days of Rock
County, Wisconsin_, _Normandsforbundet_ for February, 1909, and several
articles in _Symra_, 1905-1908. I must also mention a most valuable
series of articles on the Rock Prairie Settlement, Rock County,
Wisconsin, which appeared in _Amerika_ in 1906. (See further the
Bibliography at the end of this volume.)

No one who has never been engaged in a similar undertaking can have any
conception of the difficulty of the task and the labor involved in the
collecting, weighing and sifting of the vast amount of detail material.
I have tried to write a work which shall be correct as to details and
historically reliable. That errors have crept in I doubt not. I shall
be grateful to the reader who may discover such errors if he will call
my attention to them.

Finally, I wish to say that I have attempted nothing complete with
reference to the personal sketches of the earliest pioneers; this
was manifestly impossible. I have thought also that this was not
here called for except in cases of founders of settlements, and even
here I have sometimes lacked the full facts. To many it will also
undoubtedly seem that the early days of the church and the founding of
congregations should have received more attention. I can only say that
this volume deals specifically with the causes, course and progress of
Norwegian immigration and that this plan precluded a discussion in this
volume of religious and educational movements among the pioneers, or
of social questions, occupations, public service, and like topics. The
work thus aims to keep only what the title promises, and I hope it will
be found to be a real contribution to history within the scope marked
out for it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 15

CHAPTER I. Norway. Population, Resources, Pursuits of her
People, Social Conditions, Laws and Institutions 18

CHAPTER II. Emigration from Norway 27

CHAPTER III. The Earliest Immigrants from Norway, 1620 to 1825. 35

CHAPTER IV. The Sloopers of 1825. The First Norwegian
Settlement in America. Kleng Peerson 45

CHAPTER V. The Founding of the Fox River Settlement.
Personal Notes on Some of the Founders 55

CHAPTER VI. Causes of Emigration from Norway. General Factors,
Economic 64

CHAPTER VII. Causes of Emigration Continued. Special Factors.
Religion as a Cause. Emigration Agents 73

CHAPTER VIII. Causes of Emigration Continued. The Influence
of Successful Pioneers. "America-Letters." The Spirit
of Adventure. Summary 80

CHAPTER IX. Growth of the Fox River Settlement. The
Immigration of 1836. Further Personal Sketches. 89

CHAPTER X. The Year 1837 Continued. The Sailing of _Aegir_. 97

CHAPTER XI. Beaver Creek. Ole Rynning 102

CHAPTER XII. Some of the Immigrants of 1837. The
First Pathfinders from Numedal and Telemarken 108

CHAPTER XIII. Ansten Nattestad's Return to Norway in 1838.
The Year 1839. Immigration Assumes Larger Proportions.
The Course of Settlement Changes 116

CHAPTER XIV. Shelby County, Missouri. Ansten Nattestad's
Return from Norway in 1839. The Founding of the Jefferson
Prairie Settlement in Rock County, Wisconsin 125

CHAPTER XV. The Earliest White Settlers on Rock and Jefferson
Prairies. The Founding of the Rock Prairie Settlement.
The Earliest Settlers on Rock Prairie 135

CHAPTER XVI. The Rock Run Settlement. Other
Immigrants of 1839. The Immigration of 1840 147

CHAPTER XVII. The Settlement of Norway and Raymond Townships,
Racine County. The Founders of the Settlement.
Immigration to Racine County in 1841-1842 155

CHAPTER XVIII. The Establishment of the Koshkonong Settlement
in Dane County, Wisconsin 164

CHAPTER XIX. The Settling of Koshkonong by Immigrants from
Numedal and Stavanger in 1840. Other Accessions in
1841-1842 172

CHAPTER XX. New Accessions to the Koshkonong Settlement in
1840-1841. The Growth of the Settlement in 1842 180

CHAPTER XXI. The First Norwegian Settlement in Iowa, at Sugar
Creek in Lee County 190

CHAPTER XXII. The Earliest Norwegian Settlers at Wiota,
La Fayette County, and Dodgeville, Iowa County,
Wisconsin 198

CHAPTER XXIII. Growth of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement
from 1841 to 1845. The First Norwegian Land Owners
in Rock County 204

CHAPTER XXIV. Immigration to Rock Prairie from Numedal and
Land in 1842 and Subsequent Years 211

CHAPTER XXV. Immigration from Hallingdal, Norway, to Rock
Prairie from 1843 to 1848. Continued Immigration from
Numedal. Other Early Accessions 216

CHAPTER XXVI. Economic Conditions of Immigrants. Cost of
Passage. Course of the Journey. Duration of the Journey 221

CHAPTER XXVII. Norwegians in Chicago, 1840-1845. A Vossing
Colony. Some Early Settlers in Chicago from Hardanger 230

CHAPTER XXVIII. The Earliest Norwegian Settlers in the
Township of Pleasant Spring, Dane County, Wisconsin 241

CHAPTER XXIX. The First Norwegian Settlers in the Townships
of Dunkirk, Dunn, and Cottage Grove, in Dane County,
Wisconsin 249

CHAPTER XXX. The Expansion of the Koshkonong Settlement
into Sumner and Oakland Townships in Jefferson
County. Increased Immigration from Telemarken. New
Settlers from Kragerö, Drammen and Numedal 255

CHAPTER XXXI. The Coming of the First Large Party of
Immigrants from Sogn. New Accessions from Voss 265

CHAPTER XXXII. Long Prairie in Boone County, Illinois;
A Sogning Settlement 272

CHAPTER XXXIII. The Growth of the Racine County (Muskego)
Settlement, 1843-1847 278

CHAPTER XXXIV. The Heart Prairie Settlement in Walworth Co.,
Wis. Skoponong. Pine Lake 289

CHAPTER XXXV. The Earliest Norwegian Settlers at Sugar Creek,
Walworth County, Wisconsin. The Influx from Land,
Norway, to Wiota and Vicinity, 1844-1852 300

CHAPTER XXXVI. Continued Immigration from Aurland, Sogn,
to Koshkonong. The Arrival of Settlers from Vik
Parish, Sogn, in 1845 305

CHAPTER XXXVII. Kirkeregister. Church Register of East
Koshkonong, West Koshkonong and Liberty Prairie
Congregations as Constituted During the Years of Reverend
J. W. C. Dietrichson's Incumbency of the Pastorate from
1844 to 1850, and as Recorded by Reverend Dietrichson 314

CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Founding of the Norwegian Settlements
of Norway Grove, Spring Prairie and Bonnet Prairie in
Dane and Columbia Counties, Wisconsin 331

CHAPTER XXXIX. Blue Mounds in Western Dane County, Wisconsin 340

CHAPTER XL. The Hardanger Settlement in Lee and De Kalb Counties,
Illinois. Big Grove in Kendall County, and Nettle Creek
in Grundy County, Illinois 350

CHAPTER XLI. The First Norwegian Pioneers in
Northeastern Iowa 362

CHAPTER XLII. Survey of Immigration from Norway to
America. Conclusion 375

APPENDIX I 383

APPENDIX II 386

BIBLIOGRAPHY 387

INDEX 389

INTRODUCTION

In this volume I shall aim to give an account of the Norwegian
immigration movement from 1825 down to 1848. Thereupon will follow
a brief survey of the course of the movement and the growth of the
settlements founded here in that period. In the introductory pages
I shall discuss briefly individual immigration from Norway from its
earliest known beginnings down to 1825.

Immigration from Norway resulted in the founding of settlements in
New York, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa successively; I shall try to
give a correct narrative of the beginnings and the growth of these
settlements. In this part of the work I shall stress the oldest and
largest settlements in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, for
the relation of these to the whole movement and later colonization
of the Northwestern States by the Norwegians is one of especial
importance. I shall treat somewhat fully of the causes of emigration,
of the growth of the movement, and the part in it that each district
or province in Norway has played. The leaders from each district
and the founders of the settlements here will be named and in many
cases, sketches will be given of their lives. Such questions as the
course of the movement in Norway, the cost of the voyage, the course
of the journey, early wage conditions, the economic conditions of
the immigrants, the geographical trend of settlement, will also be
considered, and approximately complete lists of the accessions in each
settlement for the first few years will be given. The limits of this
volume, however, will preclude the treatment of social or cultural
questions, or to take more than the briefest notice of the pursuits and
occupations of the Norwegian-American and his contribution to American
life. I hope to be able to treat elsewhere, later, of some of these
problems.

The story of the immigrant settler is one that is well worth the
telling; it is one that is justly receiving increased attention in
recent years. I believe that the writer of American history will, in
the future, pay far greater attention than he has in the past to the
immigrant pioneer as a factor in the development of the nation. There
are in America today about one million people of Norwegian birth, or
Norwegian parentage. That is, there are nearly half as many of that
nationality in America as in Norway itself. The transplanting of so
large a proportion of a race from the land to which it is rooted by
birth and by its history is indeed remarkable.

Various European peoples have contributed to the growth of the
American population; they have each given something to the sum total
of present American life and in some measure helped to shape American
institutions. As a people America is yet in the formative period;
racially, at least, one-half of the population is not Anglo-Saxon.
It is by the amalgamation of all its ethnic factors that the future
American people will be evolved. The contribution that each foreign
element will make to that evolution will be determined by the
civilization, which each represents as its racial heritage, the culture
which, in the course of its history, each has evolved as a people
and a nation. As the true student of American history takes note of
these things in the future, the significance of the foreign factor in
the growth and the upbuilding of the country will receive its just
recognition.

We of Norse blood, but American birth, if we are true to the best
that is in us, cannot fail to have an interest in the trials and
the achievements of the pioneer fathers. We must recognize the true
heroism of the men and women who braved the hardships and suffered
the privations of frontier life in the thirties, the forties and
the fifties. The part that the pioneers of those days played in the
development of the Northwest was a great one; in comparison with it
that of the present generation is wholly insignificant. It is to the
memory of those pioneers, in recognition of their true worth, that this
record of their coming is dedicated.

CHAPTER I

_Norway: Population, Resources, Pursuits of her
People, Social Conditions, Laws and Institutions._

Norway is, as we know, a long and narrow strip of country in the west
of the Scandinavian Peninsula, stretching through thirteen degrees of
latitude, and in the north, extending almost three hundred miles into
the arctic zone. Nearly a third of the entire country[1] is the domain
of the midnight sun, where summer is the season of daylight and winter
is one long unbroken night. Even in Southern Norway total darkness is
unknown in summer, the night being merely a period of twilight. In
Christiania the nights are light from April twentieth to the third
week in August, in Trondhjem, a week more at either end. In the latter
city there is broad daylight at midnight from May twenty-third to July
twentieth. Correspondingly there is a period of continuous darkness
in the extreme north. Thus at Tromsö the sun is not visible between
the twenty-sixth of November and the sixteenth day of January. The
long night is therefore short as compared with the long day of summer.
Climatically, also, Norway is naturally a land of extremes, extending,
as it does, over such a vast area north and south. Yet the populous
portion of the country, the southern two-thirds, is not appreciably
colder than the State of Iowa and the southern half of Wisconsin
and Minnesota. The winter is severest in the great inland valleys.
Gudbrandsdalen, Valders and Hallingdal, but especially in Österdalen.
In the last-named valley the lowest temperature ever observed has been
recorded, namely, 50°, mercury often having been frozen.[2] The winter
is also excessively long in these valleys; in Fjeldberg and Jerkin in
the Dovre Mountains the temperature is below the freezing point two
hundred days in the year. In the south and in the west coast-districts
the climate is more uniform and more temperate. Northern Norway, with
its gulf stream coast, presents the same general climatic conditions
as Western and Southern Norway; the inland region of extreme cold is
limited because of the very limited inland area, which also is very
sparsely populated.[3]

[1] Or over thirty-eight thousand square miles.

[2] Compare Björnson's account of the temperature at Kvikne in his
autobiographical sketch, _Blakken_.

[3] The statistical and much of the other matter in this chapter
has been taken from _Norway, Official Publication for the
Paris Exhibition_, 1900, published at Christiania. But I am
also indebted to the stately publication by Norwegian authors
and artists entitled _Norge i det nittende Aarhundrede_, 2
volumes, large folio, 436 and 468 pages. Christiania, 1900. The
scholars who published this are W. C. Brögger, B. Getz, A. N.
Kjær, Moltke Moe, Bredo Morgenstjerne, Gerhard Munthe, Frithjof
Nansen, Eilif Peterssen, Nordahl Rolfsen, J. E. Sars, Gustav
Storm and E. Werenskjold. The editor in chief for the texts is
Nordahl Rolfsen, for the illustrations E. Werenskjold. There
is a large staff of collaborators, each article is prepared by
a specialist; the whole is a rare piece of book-making. The
printers are Alb. Cammermeyers Forlag, Christiania. I wish
to mention also especially here Christensen's _Det nittende
Aarhundredes Kulturkamp i Norge_, Christiania, 1905.

The population of Norway[4] is very unevenly distributed, the north
being rather thinly settled. The area of Norway is 124,495 square
miles, or somewhat more than that of Wisconsin and Illinois together.
About four per cent of this, however, is covered by lakes, and the
average number of inhabitants to the square mile is only seventeen. The
corresponding figures of inhabitants to the square mile for Sweden is
twenty-eight; for Denmark, however, it is one hundred and forty-eight,
and for all Europe, it is ninety-eight. The density of population is
greatest in Larvik and Jarlsberg on the south (barring the cities of
Christiania and Bergen). In these provinces there are one hundred and
sixteen inhabitants to the square mile. In Hedemarken the number falls
to twelve. The western fjord districts, those of Trondhjem Fjord, the
Sogne Fjord and the Hardanger Fjord are thickly populated.

[4] It was 1,490,950 in 1855, 2,350,000 in 1908.

Norway is a land of fjords and lakes, of mountains and glacier
expanses. Less than one-fourth of the country is capable of
cultivation, and eighty per cent of this is forest land. This leaves
less than five per cent under actual cultivation. We may compare again
with Denmark, where seventy-six per cent of the land is cultivated,
while in all Europe the ratio is forty per cent.

Norway's climate is noted for its healthfulness,[5] and its inhabitants
attain a higher degree of longevity than those of most other European
countries. Nearly seven per cent of its people reach the age of sixty
to seventy, while one per cent attain to the age of from ninety to one
hundred years. That is, reckoned as a whole, about twelve per cent
attain to the age of sixty years or more. This is considerable in excess
of that of nearly all other European countries.

[5] Dr. A. Magelson of Christiania has recently written a work on
Norway as a health resort entitled: _To Norway for Health. A
Scientific Account of the Peculiar Advantages of the Norwegian
Climate_, published by Nikolai Olson, Christiania.

The average age in Norway is fifty, while for instance, in Italy it
is thirty-five. But the expectancy is far more than this for him who
passes infancy; thus if one attains to the age of fifty in Norway, one
still may expect to live twenty-three years. Such is the health and the
expectancy of life among our immigrants from Norway.

The predominant pursuit in Norway is agriculture, cattle farming and
forest cultivation. Herein forty-eight per cent of the population seeks
its maintenance. The immigrant pioneer generally selects in America
the pursuit or occupation for which he has been trained in his native
country. And so we find that the great majority of Norwegian immigrants
have sought homes in rural communities and engaged in farming and
related pursuits. In fact, more than eighty-eight per cent of our
Norwegian immigrants have come from rural communities. Twenty-three
per cent of the population of Norway are engaged in industries and
mining. To these occupations in this country, Norway has, especially
in the later period of immigration, contributed a considerable share.
A little over eight per cent of her people are engaged in fishing.
And so we find that a proportionately very large amount of the New
England fisheries is conducted by fishermen who have come from Norway.
Navigation engages six per cent of the population of Norway. In this
connection I note that our warships in the Spanish-American war were
many of them manned almost exclusively by Norwegian sailors;[6] and
there were Norwegians in the American marine service as early as the
War of Independence, as again in no small proportion in the Civil War
in the sixties.

[6] _The Reliance_ which defended the America cup against _Shamrock
III_ in 1903 was manned almost exclusively by Norwegians. They
were from the following towns in Norway: Arendal, Aalesund,
Stavanger, Bergen, Larvik, Christiania, and Haugesund.

Perhaps about five per cent of Norway's population is engaged in
intellectual work. Here, too, the contribution of Norway to our
population in America has been considerable, especially during the last
twenty years.

Nearly all of the Norwegian population is of the Protestant faith, and
the great majority of these are members of the state church, which is
the Lutheran. Somewhat similar are the affiliations in America.

The constitution of Norway is liberal and the government highly
democratic. In these respects the people of Norway are now perhaps as
favorably circumstanced as we in America. The Norwegian readily enters
into the spirit of American laws and institutions, for their laws are
not essentially different from his own. Being accustomed to a high
degree of freedom, he has been trained to a high conception of the
responsibilities that that freedom entails. He has long been accustomed
to representation and sharing in the rights of franchise, and he
exercises that right as a privilege and a solemn duty. It may be said,
I believe, that no people has a higher sense of right and wrong and a
stronger moral incentive to right. Frauds in elections and graft in
official life are yet unheard-of among our Norwegian-American citizens.

Norway is, next to Finland, the most temperate of European countries.
The sale of liquor is permitted only in incorporated cities and
towns, and only by an association that is organized under government
supervision. It is the so-called Gothenburg system that is in use. Of
the earnings of such organization the government takes five per cent,
the county ten per cent and the municipality fifteen per cent, while
the net profit of the association must not exceed five per cent on the
investment in any one year. The hours of sale are very much restricted.
Not only is there no sale of liquor on Sundays, but places of such
business must close at one o'clock on Saturday and on days preceding
holidays. Norway is essentially a temperate country. Statistics show
that out of every thousand deaths, only one is due to drink. The
Norwegian people have educated themselves to abstinence, and the
temperance movement found wide support earlier in Norway than anywhere
else. _Det norske Totalafholds Selskab_[7] was organized in 1859; ten
years ago it had ten hundred and twenty branches and a hundred and
thirty thousand members, while other temperance associations also have
a considerable membership. Here in America, the Norwegian immigrant has
taken a prominent part in legislation looking toward the restriction of
the sale of intoxicating liquors,[8] and the Prohibition party finds
its strongest support among the Norwegians, as it finds a relatively
large number of its candidates for state and county offices from among
them.

[7] The Norwegian Total Abstinence Society.

[8] When the Sunday closing order was instituted in Minneapolis
in December, 1905, the _Minneapolis Journal_ commented upon
the fact that the Norwegian citizens made no complaint, as it
appears others did.

Crime conditions in Norway are similarly significant. Comparative
statistics are difficult of access, but Norway's proportion of
serious offences is very low. In the whole period from 1891-1895
the total number was only two hundred and sixty-one. Norway has its
poor as every country has, but it has its excellent system of taking
care of the poor. Thus every municipality has a Board of Guardians
(fattigkommission), which consists of the parish minister, a police
officer, and several men chosen by a local board. Norway keeps her
criminals and takes care of her poor; she does not send them to
America, as has only too often been the case in some other countries.

Norway has a highly developed school system crowned by the Royal
Frederik University at Christiania. It has compulsory education, its
boards of inspection and its great Department of Public Instruction. It
has its People's High School, its Workingmen's Colleges, and a system
of secondary schools, whose curricula are still on a conservative
basis. Its one University ranks with the foremost in Europe, and with
it are connected various laboratories and scientific institutions, and
it has a library of three hundred and fifty thousand volumes. Here
too are located its Botanical Gardens, the Historical Museum, the
Astronomical and Magnetic Observatory, the Meteriological Institute
and the Biological Marine Station.[9] The salaries of its teachers
in _Middelskole Gymnasium_, and of instructors and professors in the
University, reckoned by the purchasing power of money, is approximately
thirty per cent greater than that of our middle western universities.
I shall also mention _The Royal Norwegian Scientific Society_ at
Trondhjem, founded 1760, a similar society in Christiania, founded
1857, the _Bergen Museum_, founded 1825, with its literary and
scientific collections illustrative of the life and cultural history of
Western Norway, _The Norwegian National Museum_ in Christiania, founded
1894, similar, but more general in character, _The Industrial Arts
Museum_,[10] and the various archives of the Kingdom.

[9] This is located at Dröbak.

[10] Though Norway's participation in the Universal Exposition at
St. Louis in 1904 as regards number of exhibits was limited,
its exhibits were acknowledged to be of very high grade,
thus in its tapestries, in carved and inlaid work, in silver
and enamel displays it received the highest awards. Report
by Consul Fr. Waage, General Commissioner to the St. Louis
Exposition, _Skandinaven_, June 14th, 1905.

As to the Norwegian language I shall merely speak of its highly
analytic character, in which respect it has for a long time been
developing in the same direction as English, though of course,
absolutely independently. Being closely cognate with English, a large
part of the vocabulary of the two is of the same stock. Further, its
sound system is fundamentally similar. These three considerations,
especially perhaps the first, will make clear to us the reason why
the Norwegian so readily learns to use the English language, and
if he learns it in youth, even to the point of mastery. This is of
the greatest importance, for language is in modern times the real
badge of nationality. A correct use of the English language is the
first and chief stamp of American nationality, the key without which
the foreigner cannot enter into the spirit of American life and
institutions.

Norwegian literature I cannot either discuss here. The great movements
it represents in recent times are fairly well known; its significance
and its broad influence are beginning to be understood. The genius of
Norwegian literature is morality and truth. It expresses herein the
high ethical sense of the nation, which is pagan-racial, but which is
also Christian-Lutheran, a church which in its preëminent spirituality
is the typical Teutonic church.

CHAPTER II

_Emigration from Norway._

Emigration from Norway has in large part been transatlantic. Norway
has lost by American emigration a comparatively larger portion of
her population than any other country in Europe, with the exception
of Ireland. The great majority of the emigrants have gone to the
northwestern states and found there their future homes. In Northern
Illinois, in Wisconsin and Minnesota, in Northern and Western Iowa,
in North and South Dakota, they form a very large proportion of the
population. Emigration to European countries has been directed chiefly
to Sweden and Denmark, though not few have settled in England and
Germany and some in Holland. Between 1871 and 1875 about fifteen
hundred persons emigrated from Norway to Australia; the number that
have gone there since that has been much smaller. These have settled
chiefly in South Australia, Victoria and New Zealand. In recent
years some have settled in the Argentine Republic in South America.
Norwegians are found in considerable numbers in Western Canada, but the
majority of these have emigrated from the Norwegian communities in the
western states, especially Minnesota and North Dakota.

Norwegian emigration to the United States took systematic form with
the sailing of Norden and _Den Norske Klippe_ in 1836. In 1843 it began
to assume larger proportions; in that year sixteen hundred immigrants
from Norway settled in the United States. During 1866-1870, a period
of financial depression in Norway, there left, on an average, about
fifteen thousand a year. The rate fell in the seventies, rose again
in the eighties, the figure for 1882 being 29,101 persons, while it
averaged over eighteen thousand per annum also for the next decade.
In 1898 it was not quite five thousand, then again it rose steadily,
reaching 24,461 in 1903.

The Norwegian emigration has been mostly from rural districts,
day-laborers, artisans, farmers, seamen, but also those representing
other pursuits. Not a few with professional or technical education have
settled in America; we find them in the medical profession,[11] in the
ministry,[12] in journalism, in the faculties of our colleges. All the
age-classes are represented among immigrants from Norway, but by far
the largest number of both men and women have come during the ages of
twenty to thirty-five, and particularly the first half of these series
of years.

[11] Mostly in recent years.

[12] In the early period chiefly.

This great emigration of the Norwegian race during the nineteenth
century has, of course, very materially retarded the growth of the
population in Norway, especially in the period from 1865 to 1890. The
increase between 1815 and 1835 was as high as 1.34 per cent annually.
From 1835 to 1865 it was 1.18 per cent, but during 1865-1890 it fell
to 0.65 per cent. Since 1890 the increase has been considerable again.
But during 1866-1903 the total emigration from Norway to the United
States alone aggregated five hundred and twenty-four thousand. To this
number should be added the children of these if we are to have a proper
basis of estimation for the increase of the race in the last half
century. This increase thus has been 1.40 per cent annually, that is,
the race has doubled itself in fifty years. We may compare with France,
where the increase has been 0.23 per cent, Russia,[13] where it has
been 1.35, in Servia, where it has been 2.00 per cent, this being the
highest in Europe. The increase in Sweden and Denmark is about the same
as in Norway--reckoning the racial increase.

[13] The figures here are for the period closing with 1890 before
which year Russia had furnished very few emigrants to the
United States.

It will be of interest here to consider briefly the immigration from
the Scandinavian countries as a whole.

During the years 1820-1830 not more than 283 emigrated from the
Scandinavian countries to the United States. In the following decade
the number only slightly exceeded two thousand. Since 1850 our
statistics regarding the foreign born population are more complete. In
that year we find there were a little over eighteen thousand persons
in the country of Scandinavian birth. In 1880 this number had reached
440,262; while the unprecedented exodus of 1882 and the following
years had by 1890 brought the number up to 933,249. Thus the immigrant
population from these countries, which in 1850 was less than one per
cent, had in 1890 reached ten per cent of the whole foreign element.
The following table will show the proportion contributed by the
countries designated for each decade since 1850:

TABLE I

_1850_ _1860_ _1870_ _1880_ _1890_ _1900_
-------------PER CENT-------------
Ireland 42.8 38.9 33.3 27.8 20.2 15.6
Germany 26 30.8 30.4 29.4 30.1 25.8
England 12.4 10.5 10 9.9 9.8 8.1
Canada 6.6 6 8.9 10.7 10.6 11.4
Scotland and Wales 4.4 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.2
Scandinavia .9 1.7 4.3 6.6 10.1 10.3

Thus it will be seen that among European countries Scandinavia,
considered as one, stands third in the number of persons contributed
to the American foreign-born population, exceeding that of Scotland
and Wales in 1870 and that of England in 1890. Both the Irish and
the German immigration reached considerable numbers at least fifteen
years before that from the North, Ireland having contributed nearly
forty-three per cent of the total in 1850, and Germany twenty-six. By
1900 the Irish quota had fallen to fifteen per cent, while the German
is nearly twenty-six and that from Scandinavia ten per cent. In 1870
our Scandinavian-born immigrant population was twice as large as the
French and equalled the total from Holland, Switzerland, Austria,
Bohemia, Italy, Hungary, Poland and Russia.[14]

[14] The four last named countries have, as we know, in the last
decade entered very extensively into the emigration movement.

The Norwegians are the pioneers in the emigration movement from the
North in the nineteenth century; the Danes were the last to come in
considerable numbers. Statistics, however, show that one hundred
eighty-nine Danes had emigrated to this country before 1830, while
there were only ninety-four from Norway and Sweden. The Norwegian
foreign-born population had in 1850 reached 12,678; while that from
Sweden was 3,559; and Denmark had furnished a little over eighteen
hundred. The Danish immigration was not over five thousand a year until
1880 and has never reached twelve thousand. The Swedish immigration
received a new impulse in 1852; it was five thousand in 1868; it
reached its climax of 64,607 in 1882. According to Norwegian statistics
the emigration from Norway to the United States was six thousand and
fifty in 1853, but according to our census reports did not reach five
thousand before 1866; the highest figure, 29,101, was reached in 1882
(according to our census).[15]

[15] Or 28,000 according to Norwegian statistics.

The total emigration from the Scandinavian countries to America between
1820 and 1903 was 1,617,111. This remarkable figure becomes doubly
remarkable when we stop to consider that the population of Denmark,
Norway, and Sweden is only two and one-half per cent of the total
population of Europe; yet they have contributed nearly ten per cent of
our immigrant population. There are in this country nearly one-third
as many Scandinavians (counting those of foreign birth and foreign
parentage both) as in the Scandinavian countries; for the German
element the ratio is one to thirteen.

At this point I may refer the reader to the table in Appendix I of
this volume, showing the growth and distribution of the Scandinavian
factor, especially in the northwestern states, since 1850. Table I
shows Wisconsin as having almost as large a Scandinavian population
in 1850 as all the rest of the country. Wisconsin was the destination
of the Norwegian immigrant from the time emigration began to assume
larger proportions, and it held the lead for twenty-five years. Iowa
and Southern Minnesota began entering into competition prominently
since 1852 and 1855 respectively. The growth of Swedish immigration in
the fifties and sixties gave the lead to Minnesota by 1870, Illinois
taking second place in 1890. Returning now to the Norwegian immigration
specifically, it may be observed that it was directed to the Northwest
down to recent years, almost to the exclusion of the rest of the
country. The reader may now be referred to Table II in the Appendix,
which shows the growth of the Norwegian population in each state since
1850.

This table tells its own story. In New England the Norwegian factor is
unimportant. There has been a high ratio of growth in New York and
New Jersey since 1880, but the total number is not large. In the rest
of the Atlantic seaboard states, as in the gulf states, the Norwegian
population has remained almost stationary at a very low figure. Such is
also the case with the inland states of the South, as in the Southwest.
The effort to direct Norwegian immigration to Texas, which goes back to
the forties, has been productive of only meagre results. Even Kansas
is too far south for the Norwegian. In the extreme West, however,
considerable numbers of Norwegians have established homes since about
1882, particularly in California, Oregon and Washington, since 1895
also in Montana, and in recent years even in the extreme North, in
Alaska.

What were the influences that directed the Norwegian immigrants so
largely to the Northwest in the early period and down to 1890?

The great majority came for the sake of bettering their material
condition. They came here to found a home and to make a living.
Moreover, as I have observed above, immigrants in their new home
generally enter the same pursuits and engage in the same occupations in
which they were engaged in their native country.

Three-fourths of the population of Norway live in the rural districts
and are mostly engaged in some form of farming.[16] Thus seventy-two
per cent of the Norwegian immigrants are found in the rural districts
and in towns with less than twenty-five thousand population. The fact
that the influx of the immigrants from Norway coincided with the
opening up of the middle western states resulted in the settlement of
those states by Norwegian immigrants. Land could be had for almost
nothing in the West. Land-seekers from New England, New York and
Pennsylvania were in those days flocking to the West.[17] About ninety
per cent of the Norwegian immigrants at that time were land-seekers. As
a rule long before he emigrated the Norseman had made up his mind to
settle in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, or Minnesota.

[16] This includes also fishermen and foresters.

[17] Outside of Chicago, Illinois had in 1840 a population of
142,210; Wisconsin was organized as a Territory in 1836, its
population in 1840 was 30,945; Iowa had a population of only
192,212 in 1850; and Minnesota, organized at a Territory in
1849, had in 1850, 1,056 inhabitants. To the square mile the
population of each was in 1850: Illinois, 15.37; Wisconsin,
5.66; Iowa, 3.77; Minnesota, .04.

CHAPTER III

_The Earliest Immigrants from Norway, 1620 to 1825._

Our data regarding Norwegian emigration to America prior to 1825
are very fragmentary, but it is possible to trace that emigration
as far back as 1624.[18] In that year a small colony of Norwegians
was established in New Jersey on the site of the present city of
Bergen.[19] While it is not known that the names of any of these first
colonists have come down to us, we do have the name of one Norwegian,
who visited the American coast on a voyage of exploration in the year
1619, that is, the year before the landing of the _Mayflower_. In the
early part of 1619 King Christian IV of Denmark fitted out two ships
for the purpose of finding a northwest passage to Asia. The names of
the ships were _Eenhjörningen_ and _Lampreren_, and the commander was
a Norwegian, Jens Munk, who was born at Barby, Norway, in 1579. With
sixty-six men Jens Munk sailed from Copenhagen, May ninth, 1619. During
the autumn of that year and the early part of the following year he
explored Hudson Bay and took possession of the surrounding country in
the name of King Christian, calling it Nova Dania. The expedition
was, however, a failure, and all but three of the party perished
from disease and exposure to cold in the winter of 1620. The three
survivors, among whom was the commander, Jens Munk, returned to Norway
in September, 1620.[20]

[18] The Vinland voyages in the 11th-14th centuries do not come
within the scope of our discussion.

[19] It seems that this city was so named by the colonists after
the city of Bergen, Norway.

[20] Anderson's _First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration_, p. 21.

In the early days of the New Netherlands colony, Norwegians sometimes
came across in Dutch ships and settled among the Dutch. The names of
at least two such have been preserved in the Dutch colonial records.
They are Hans Hansen and Claes Carstensen (possibly originally Klaus
Kristenson). The former emigrated in a Dutch ship in 1633 and joined
the Dutch colony in New Amsterdam. His name appears in the colonial
records variously as Hans Noorman, Hans Hansen de Noorman, Hans Bergen,
Hans Hansen von Bergen, and Hans Hansen von Bergen in Norwegen. Hans
Bergen became the ancestor of a large American family by that name.[21]
Claes Carstensen's name appears variously as Claes Noorman, Claes
Carstensen Noorman and Claes Van Sant, the latter being the Norwegian
name Sande in Jarlsberg, where Claes Carstenson was born, 1607. He came
to America about 1640 and settled a few years later on fifty-eight
acres of land on the site of the present Williamsburg. The ministerial
records of the old Dutch Reformed Church in New York state that Claes
Carstensen was married April 15, 1646, to Helletje Hendricks. The
latter was, it seems, a sister of Annecken Hendricks, who was there
married on February first, 1650, to Jan Arentzen van der Bilt, the
colonial ancestor of Commodore Vanderbilt. Annecken Hendricks is
further designated as being from Bergen, Norway, the names "Helletje"
and "Annecken" being Dutch diminutive forms of the Norwegian Helen and
Anne. Claes Carstensen died November sixth, 1679.

[21] See _The Bergen Family_, by Teunis Bergen.

About the year 1700 there were a number of families of Norwegian and
Danish descent living in New York. In 1704 a stone church was erected
by them on the corner of Broadway and Rector Streets. The property was
later sold to Trinity Church, the present churchyard occupying the site
of the original church.[22] Prof. R. B. Anderson, speaking of these
people, says, that they were probably mostly Norwegians and not Danes,
for those of their descendants with whom he has spoken have all claimed
Norwegian descent. The pastor who ministered to the spiritual wants of
this first Scandinavian Lutheran congregation in America was a Dane by
the name of Rasmus Jensen Aarhus. He died on the southwest coast of
Hudson Bay, February twentieth, 1720.

[22] Our authority here is Rev. Rasmus Anderson, who has given this
subject much study.

In 1740 Norwegian Moravians took part in the founding of a Moravian
colony at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and in 1747 of one at Bethabara,
North Carolina. At Bethlehem these Norwegian (and Swedish and Danish)
Moravians came in contact with their kinsmen, the Swedish Lutherans of
Delaware and adjoining parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Swedes
on the Delaware had lost their independence in 1656. New Sweden as a
political state existed but sixteen years. Ecclesiastically, however,
the Lutherans of New Sweden remained subject to the state church at
home for one hundred and fifty years more, and linguistically the
colony was Swedish nearly as long. In the church records of this colony
there appear not a few Norwegian names, particularly in the later
period. We know that Norwegians in considerable numbers came to America
and joined the Delaware Swedes in the eighteenth century. Gothenburg,
which lies not far distant from the province of Smaalenene, was at the
time, and has continued to be, the regular Swedish sailing port for
America-bound ships.

One of the most prominent members of the Bethabara Colony was Dr. John
M. Calberlane, born 1722 in Trondhjem, Norway. He came to New York in
1753, having sailed from London on the ship _Irene_, June thirteenth,
arriving on September ninth. Dr. Calberlane's name occupies a foremost
place among the old colonial physicians; he was a man of much ability,
noble in character and untiring in his devotion to the welfare of his
fellow colonists. On July twenty-eighth, 1759, he himself succumbed to
a contagious fever that visited the settlement. In a sermon delivered
on Easter Sunday, 1760, Bishop Spangenberg gave public recognition of
Calberlane's service in his short life of six years in the colony.[23]

[23] The name John M. Calberlane, originally Hans Martin Kalberlahn,
is an interesting instance of an early Americanization of a
Norwegian name.

Other Norwegians among these Moravian colonists were: Susanna
Stokkeberg, from Söndmöre, Norway, born 1715, who came to America in
1744 with her husband, Abraham Reinke, a Swede, to whom she had been
married that year in Stockholm. Reinke is reputed to have been an able
preacher of the gospel, the two laboring together in the congregations
of Bethlehem, Nazareth, Philadelphia, and Lancaster. She died in 1758,
he in 1760, leaving a son, Abraham Reinke. Peter Peterson, who was
born in Norway in 1728, and had joined the church in London, came to
America as a sailor on the ship _Irene_ in 1749. He died in 1750.
Jens Wittenberg, a tanner from Christiania, born 1719, came on the
_Irene_ in 1754; he died in the colony, 1788. Martha Mans (probably
Monsdatter), from Bergen, born 1716, came on the _Irene_ in 1749. She
lived in Bethabara as a teacher and religious adviser until 1773.
At the same time, also, came Enert Enerson, a carpenter, while in
1759 came Catherine Kalberlahn, and in 1762 Christian Christensen, a
shoemaker, from Christiana. The latter was born in 1718; he had lived
some years in Holland before coming to America. The year of his death
is 1777. Erik Ingebretsen came over June twenty-second, 1750, via
Dover, having been on the ocean six weeks, a remarkably short passage
for that time.[24]

[24] For some of these facts I am indebted to Juul Dieserud,
Washington, D. C.

The names of several Norwegians are recorded who served in the War of
the Revolution. Thus under John Paul Jones served Thomas Johnson, who
was born 1758, the son of a pilot in Mandal, Norway. The _New England
Historical Register_, Volume XXVIII, pages 18-21, gives an account
of Johnson's career in the American marine, from which we learn that
he was among those who served on board the _Bon Homme Richard_ in
her cruise in 1779, having been transferred by Paul Jones from the
_Ranger_. Later he went with Paul Jones to the _Serapis_ and the
_Alliance_ and finally to the _Ariel_. With the last ship he arrived
in Philadelphia February eighteenth, 1781. For a fuller account of
Johnson's career the interested reader is referred to the source of
which mention has already been made.

Thomas Johnson lived to the good old age of ninety-three, dying July
twelfth, 1807, in the United States Naval Hospital in Philadelphia.
He had been a pensionist here for a number of years, being known
generally by the nickname "Paul Jones." A biography of Johnson written
by John Henry Sherburne was published at Washington in 1825, to which I
have, however, not had access. Another Norwegian by the name of Lewis
Brown (Lars Bruun) also served under John Paul Jones. I lack further
particulars, however, regarding Brown, except that he is spoken of in
Sherburne's book, _Life of Thomas Johnson_.

A Norwegian sailor, Captain Iverson, settled in Georgia some time about
the close of the eighteenth century. United States Senator Iverson from
Georgia was a grandson of this Norwegian sailor pioneer in Georgia.[25]
About 1805 another sailor, Torgus Torkelson Gromstu, from Gjerpen, near
Skien, Norway, settled in New York.

[25] P. S. Vig in his book _De Danske i Amerika_ says Iverson was
of Danish descent but gives no reasons for the claim. As the
name "Iver" is peculiarly Norwegian I must therefore adhere to
my view as formerly expressed (_Sc. Immig. to Iowa_).

In my article on "The Danish Contingent in the Population of Early
Iowa," _Iowa Journal of History and Politics_, 1906, I spoke of a
society, styling itself _Scandinavia_, as having been organized in New
York City on June twenty-seventh, 1844. I there designated this as the
earliest organization of the kind in this country. This I find now
to be incorrect. As early as 1769 the _Societas Scandinaviensis_ was
founded in Philadelphia. The membership of this society was made up of
Swedes, Norwegians and Danes, the first of these presumably being in
the majority. The first president of the society was Abraham Markoe
(Markö), a Norwegian. One of the memorable events in the history of the
society was a farewell reception given in "City Tavern" on December
eleventh, 1782, in honor of Baron Axel Ferson, hero of the Battle of
Yorktown. The committee of seven appointed to present the invitation
and also to wait upon General George Washington at Hasbrouch House,
Newburg, with a view of securing his presence consisted of the
following: Captain Abraham Markoe, Sakarias Paulsen, Andreasen
Taasinge, Rev. Andrew Goeranson, Jacob Van der Weer, John Stille and
Andrew Keen. Says the chronicler of the event:

"This event was one of the most glorious in the Society's history.
The reception was held at the City Tavern, Wednesday evening,
December eleventh, 1782. The President of the St. Andrew's Society,
Rev. Wm. Smith, D. D., lauded the bravery of the Baron and his men
at the Battle of Yorktown, whereupon General Washington in thanking
the members of the Society for their forethought in tendering
the reception to the noble officer (he subsequently decorated
Ferson with the "Order of the Cincinnati" for valor displayed)
expressed his pleasure at being present among the people of his
forefathers' blood, as he claimed descent from the family of Wass,
who emigrated from Denmark in the year A. D. 970, and settled in
the County Durham, England, where they built a small town, calling
it Wass-in-ga-tun (town of Wass.)"[26]

[26] Cited from a prospectus of the Society issued in December, 1901,
and kindly sent me by C. M. Machold of Philadelphia.

Variant forms of the name Wassingatun are, as given in the prospectus,
Wessington, Whessingtone, Wasengtone, Wassington and finally
Washington. The prospectus itself cites from Machold's _History of the
Scandinavians in Pennsylvania_.

In January, 1783, General George Washington was elected honorary member
of the Society on account of his Norse ancestry. On the twenty-sixth
of August, that year, a banquet was given at the City Tavern under
the auspices of the Society, in celebration of the recognition by
Sweden, Norway, and Denmark of the independence of the United States of
America. John Stille was for many years secretary of the Society; after
his death in 1802 all traces of it seem to have vanished. Just when the
Societies Scandinaviensis ceased to exist, the Historian cannot say. On
February twentieth, 1868, eighteen gentlemen, all of Scandinavian birth
and residents of Philadelphia, met together for the purpose of forming
a society, and _The Scandinavian Society of Philadelphia_ was founded,
an organization which regards itself a continuation of the original
society. The chief object of the Society is benevolence.

The name of at least one Norwegian who fell in the early wars against
the Indians has come down to us. Frank Peterson, who had enlisted on
the fifteenth of June, 1808, was among those who fell at Fort Dearborn
in 1812, among the "first martyrs of the West," in an attack by five
hundred Pottawattamie Indians. In this battle two-thirds of the whites
were killed and the rest taken prisoners.

At a later date some other names also appear, but those given are the
only ones of which we have any record. I shall mention here that of Ole
Haugen, who probably was the first Norwegian to settle in the State of
Massachusetts. Haugen was from Bergen, Norway, and located in Middlesex
County, that state, in 1815. Alexander Paaske, himself an early
immigrant from Bergen, living in Lowell, Mass., and who was present
at Haugen's deathbed, is the source of the above fact. Though going
beyond the scope of our brief survey of this earliest immigration, it
may be of interest here to know that as early as 1817, a girl from
Voss, Norway, Anna Vetlahuso, emigrated to America with her husband, a
German sailor in Bergen, and settled somewhere in South America. The
next recorded names in the order of emigration to the United States
are Kleng Peerson and Knud Olson Eide, who in 1821 became the advance
guard of a group of fifty-two emigrants that in 1825 founded the first
Norwegian settlement in this country. It is of this sailing and the
leaders of this group that I now wish to speak; of Peerson I shall give
a brief account below.

CHAPTER IV

_The Sloopers of 1825. The First Norwegian Settlement
in America. Kleng Peerson._

The story of the Sloopers from Stavanger, Norway, who came to America
in 1825, has often been told; I shall therefore be very brief in my
account of that expedition. Under causes of emigration I shall have
occasion below to note briefly some of the circumstances that seem to
have led to their departure for America in that year. The director
of the expedition and the chief owner of the boat was Lars Larson i
Jeilane; the captain was Lars Olsen. The company consisted of fifty-two
persons, all but one being natives of Stavanger and vicinity; the one
exception was the mate, Nels Erikson, who came from Bergen. Relative
to the leading spirit in this first group of emigrants, Lars Larson, I
shall say here: He was born near Stavanger, September twenty-fourth,
1787. He became a sailor, was captured in the Napoleonic wars and
kept a prisoner in London for seven years. Being released in 1814,
he remained in London, however, till 1815, when he and several other
prisoners returned to Norway. In London they had been converted to the
Quaker faith by Mrs. Margaret Allen, and upon returning to Stavanger,
Lars Larson, Elias Tastad, Thomas Helle and Metta Helle became the
founders of the first Quaker society in that city, a society which is
still in existence.

In 1821 the Stavanger Quakers began to form plans for emigrating to
America. It seems that Kleng Peerson and Knud Eide, whom we have
mentioned above, were deputed to go to America for the purpose of
learning something of the country with a view to planting there a
Quaker colony. Kleng Peerson returned to Stavanger in 1824 with a
favorable report and many of the members of the Quaker colony began to
make preparations for emigrating to the locality selected by Peerson,
namely, Orleans County, New York State. A sloop of only forty-five
tons capacity which they called _Restaurationen_, built in Hardanger,
was purchased and loaded with a cargo of iron and made ready for the
journey. Larson himself had married in December, 1824, Georgiana
Person, who was born October 19, 1803, on Fogn, a small island near
Stavanger. Besides him there were five other heads of families. On
the fourth of July, 1825, they set sail from Stavanger. The following
fifty-two persons made up the party: Lars Larson and wife Martha
Georgiana; Lars Olson, who was captain of the boat, Cornelius Nelson
Hersdal, wife and four children;[27] Daniel Stenson Rossadal, wife and
five children;[28] Thomas Madland, wife and three children,[29] Nels
Nelson Hersdal and wife Bertha, Knud Anderson Slogvig, Jacob Anderson
Slogvig, Gudmund Haugaas, Johannes Stene, wife and two children, Öien
Thorson (Thompson) wife and three children,[30] Simon Lima, wife and
three children, Henrik Christopherson Hervig, and wife, Ole Johnson,
George Johnson, Thorsten Olson Bjaaland, Nels Thorson, Ole Olson
Hetletvedt, Sara Larson (sister of Lars Larson), Halvor Iverson, Andrew
Stangeland, the mate, Nels Erikson, and the cook, Endre Dahl.

[27] Anne (b. 1814), Nels (b. 1816), Inger (b. 1819), and Martha
(b. 1823).

[28] Ellen (b. 1807), Ove (b. 1809), Lars (b. 1812), John (b.
1821), Hulda (b. 1825).

[29] Rachel (b. 1807), Julia (b. 1810), Senena (b. 1814).

[30] Sara (b. 1818), Anna Maria (b. 1819), Caroline (b. 1825).

After a perilous voyage of fourteen weeks they landed in New York,
October ninth. An account of that voyage, which also it seems was a
rather adventurous one, was given by the New York papers at the time;
it was reproduced in Norwegian translation in _Billed-Magazin_ in
1869, whence it has been copied in other works. The arrival of this
first party of Norwegian immigrants, and in so small a boat, created
nothing less than a sensation at the time, as we may infer from the
wide attention the event received in the eastern press. Thus the _New
York Daily Advertiser_ for October twelfth, 1825, under the head lines,
"A Novel Sight," gives an account of the boat, the destination of the
immigrants, the country they came from, their appearance, etc. For
this citation I may refer the reader to page 39 of my article on "The
Coming of the Norwegians to Iowa" in _The Iowa Journal of History and
Politics_, 1905, or to R. B. Anderson's _First Chapter of Norwegian
Immigration_, 1896, 70-71.

In New York the immigrants met Mr. Joseph Fellows, a Quaker, from whom
they purchased land in Orleans County, New York. It seems to have been
upon the suggestion of Mr. Fellows that they were induced to settle
here, although it is possible that the land had already been selected
for them by Kleng Peerson, who was in New York at the time. The price
to be paid for the land was five dollars an acre, each head of a family
and adult person purchasing forty acres. The immigrants not being able
to pay for the land, Mr. Fellows agreed to let them redeem it in ten
annual installments. For the further history of the colony, with which
we are here not so much concerned, the reader is referred to Knud
Langeland's _Nordmaendene i Amerika_, Chicago, 1889, pp. 10-19, or to
Anderson's _First Chapter_, pp. 77-90.

We have already mentioned Kleng Peerson, a name familiar to every
student of Norwegian pioneer history. Much has been written about
this pathfinder in the West, and romance and legend already adorn his
memory. It would be interesting to recount what we know of his life in
America, but as this has been dealt with at length by Professor R. B.
Anderson in his monograph on Norwegian Immigration, which is in large
part devoted to the slooper's history, I may refer the interested
reader to this work. _Symra_ (Decorah, Iowa) for 1906 also contains a
brief, somewhat eulogistic account in Norwegian of Peerson's stay in
New York and his journey of exploration to Illinois, Missouri, and
Texas. The briefest facts I may, however, relate here.

Kleng Peerson was born on the seventeenth of May, 1782, on the estate
Hesthammer in Tysvær Parish, Province of Ryfylke. In 1820 we find
him in Stavanger, where William Allen, an English Quaker, was then
organizing a Quaker society. In 1821 Kleng Peerson and a certain Knud
Olson Eide were, as we have seen, commissioned, it appears, by the
Quakers to go to America and examine the possibility of organizing a
Norwegian colony there. The two explorers secured work in New York
City, but Knud Eide fell ill and died not long after, and Peerson went
west alone in quest of a suitable location for a colony. Just how far
west he may have come on this first journey is not known. After some
time he decided upon Orleans County on the shores of the Ontario as the
best place to plant his colony, and in 1824 he returned to Norway. We
have noted already the results of Peerson's mission. When Lars Larson's
party prepared to go to America Kleng Peerson also left, but he did
not take passage in _Restaurationen_. It seems that he embarked by way
of Gothenburg and was in New York to receive the sloopers upon their
arrival.

It would be natural to suppose that Peerson did not go alone from
Stavanger when he returned to America via Gothenburg in 1825. After
much inquiry I have also succeeded in discovering the name of one man,
who, with his family, accompanied Peerson that year. This man was
Björn Björnson from Stavanger, a cousin of Kleng Peerson; he brought
his wife and several children with him, but left two girl twins, born
in May of that year, with a relative who then lived in Tjensvold, near
Stavanger. Further facts about this family will be given in the chapter
on Chicago.

As Peerson seems to play no role in the founding of the Orleans County
settlement, I shall leave him here. There will be occasion to speak
briefly of him again later in connection with the second Norwegian
settlement. I wish to add a few words here about Lars Larson, however.
He and his family located in Rochester, where he became a builder
of canal boats, prospered; and kept in close touch with immigrant
Norwegians during the two decades of his life there. His home became a
kind of Mecca for hosts of intending settlers in the New World. Larson
died by accident on a canal boat in November, 1845, but his widow lived
till October, 1887. They had eight children, of whom the first one,
Margaret Allen, was born on the Atlantic Ocean, September second, 1825.
Of her and others of Lars Larson's descendants I shall speak briefly
below. We shall now return to the settlers in Orleans County, New York.

The colony was in many respects unfortunate; it cannot be said to
have prospered and has never played any important part as a colony in
Norwegian-American history. But it is important as being the first,
and also as being the parent of a very large and progressive Norwegian
settlement founded in 1834-35 in La Salle County, Illinois, of which
more below. And yet the economic conditions of the Quaker immigrants
gradually became better and the future looked more promising. They felt
now that America offered many advantages to the able and the capable,
and they began writing encouraging letters to relatives and friends in
the old country, urging them to seek their fortune here. As a result
there was, if not a large, at any rate a fairly constant emigration
of individuals and families from Stavanger and adjacent region during
the following eight or nine years, although few seem to have come
before 1829. In this year, e. g., came Gudmund Sandsberg (b. 1787) from
Hjelmeland, in Ryfylke, Norway, and his wife Marie and three children,
Bertha, Anna, and Torbjör.

Passage was secured in the beginning for the most part with American
sailships carrying Swedish iron from Gothenburg. But as this was
attended by much uncertainty, often necessitating several weeks of
waiting, the intending emigrants began to go to Hamburg, where German
emigration by means of regular going American packet ships had already
begun. Here, however, another difficulty met them. The already somewhat
heavy emigration at this port made it necessary to order passage
several weeks ahead in order to insure accommodations, and failing in
this, the emigrant was forced to wait there until the next packet boat
should sail. And so it came about that many of the early Norwegian
immigrants to America came by way of Havre, France, where passage was
always certain, emigration from this point being as yet very limited.

Among those who came via Gothenburg was Gjert Hovland, a farmer from
Hardanger, who left Norway with his family on the twenty-fourth of
June, 1831, sailed from Gothenburg June thirtieth and arrived in New
York September eighteenth. He does not seem to have gone directly to
Kendall, for we find him soon after the owner of fifty acres of forest
land in Morris County, New Jersey.

Gjert Hovland seems to be the first one from the province of Hardanger
to emigrate to America. Other emigrants during these years are:
Christian Olson, who came in 1829, settling in Kendall; Knut Evenson,
wife and daughter Katherine, who emigrated in 1831 in the same ship
by which Hovland came; and Ingebret Larson Narvig from Tysvær Parish,
Ryfylke, who came in 1831 and two years later located in Michigan.
It seems probable that also Johan Nordboe and wife from Ringebo, in
Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, came to Orleans County in 1832. Nordboe was the
first to emigrate from Gudbrandsdalen, a province from which actual
immigration did not begin until sixteen years later.

Norwegian immigrants who came during these years generally located
in Orleans County, but rarely remained there permanently. The
northwestern states were just then beginning to be opened up to
settlers. At this time migration from the eastern states was directed
particularly to Illinois. Good government land could be had here
for $1.25 an acre. The very heavily wooded land that the Norwegian
immigrants in Orleans County had purchased proved very difficult of
improvement, and many began to think of moving to a more favorable
locality.

In 1833 Kleng Peerson, who seems to have lived in Kendall at this
time, made a journey to the West, evidently for the purpose of finding
a suitable site for a new settlement. He was accompanied by Ingebret
Larson Narvig as far as Erie, Monroe County, Michigan, where the latter
remained, Peerson continuing the journey farther west. After several
months of wandering across Michigan, and down into Ohio and Indiana, he
at last arrived at Chicago, then a village of about twenty huts. The
marshes of Chicago did not appeal to Peerson and he went to Milwaukee,
but the reports he received of the endless forests of Wisconsin soon
drove him back again into Illinois. After several days' journey on foot
again west of Chicago he at last found a spot which seemed to him as
if providentially designated as the proper locality for his western
colony. The place was immediately south of the present village of
Norway in La Salle County. His choice made, Peerson returned to Orleans
County, having covered over 2,000 miles on foot since he left.

Peerson's selection was universally approved and a considerable
number of the Kendall settlers decided to move west. Among those of
the sloopers who remained in New York I shall here name: Ole Johnson,
Henrik C. Hervig and Andrew Stangeland, who, however, some years later
bought a tract of land in Noble County, Indiana; Lars Olson located in
New York City, and, as we have seen, Lars Larson settled in Rochester;
Nels Erikson went back to Norway, while Öien Thompson and Thomas
Madland died in Kendall in 1826, and Cornelius Hersdal died there in
1833.

CHAPTER V

_The Founding of the Fox River Settlement.
Personal Notes on Some of the Founders._

In the spring of 1834 Jacob Anderson Slogvig, Knud Anderson Slogvig,
Gudmund Haugaas, Thorsten Olson Bjaaland, Nels Thompson,[31] Andrew
(Endre) Dahl, and Kleng Peerson left for La Salle County; they became,
therefore, as far as we know, the first Norwegian settlers in Illinois,
and indeed in the Northwest, barring Ingebret Narvig, who had located
in Michigan the year before. These men selected their land and
perfected their purchase as soon as it came into market the following
spring. The first two to buy land were Jacob Slogvig and Gudmund
Haugaas, whose purchase is recorded under June fifteenth, 1835, the
former of eighty acres, the latter one hundred and sixty acres, both
in that part of what was then called Mission Township, but later came
to be Rutland. On June seventeenth, Kleng Peerson's purchase of eighty
acres is recorded, as also that of his sister, Carrie Nelson, widow of
Cornelius Nelson Hersdal, namely, eighty acres of land bought for her
by Peerson. For this date are also recorded the purchases of Thorsten
Olson Bjaaland, eighty acres, Nels Thompson, one hundred and sixty
acres, in what later became Miller Township.

[31] Nels Thompson had married Bertha Caroline, the widow of
Olen Thompson in 1827. She had three daughters by her first
husband: Sara, born 1818; Anna, born 1819; and Caroline, born
1825 (died in Rochester, N. Y., 1826). Nels Thompson and wife
had two children: Serena, born 1828; Abraham, born 1830; and
Caroline, born in 1833.

In 1835 Daniel Rossadal and family, Nels Nelson Hersdal, George
Johnson, and Carrie Nelson Hersdal with family of seven children moved
to La Salle County. Nels Hersdal secured six hundred and forty acres in
exchange for one hundred acres he owned in Orleans County, New York.
The slooper Thomas Madland, as we have seen, died in 1826; his widow
and family of seven also moved to Illinois in 1831. Gjert Hovland came
in 1835, and on June seventeenth purchased one hundred and sixty acres
of land in Miller Township. Nels Hersdal purchased on September fifth
Thorsten Bjaaland's eighty acres in the same township; the latter,
however, bought a hundred and sixty acres again on January sixteenth,
1836, in the same locality. The record of these purchases was copied by
R. B. Anderson and printed in his book, _First Chapter_, etc., cited
above and also in Strand's _History of the Norwegians of Illinois_,
page 75.

Knud Slogvig, who, as we see, came in 1834, did not buy land but
somewhat later returned east and in 1835 went back to Norway. There
he married a sister of the slooper, Ole Olson Hetletvedt and, as
we shall have occasion to note under causes of emigration, became
largely instrumental in bringing about the emigration of 1836.
Baldwin's _History of La Salle County_ also states, page 74, that
Oliver Canuteson,[32] Oliver Knutson,[32] Christian Olson, and Ole
Olson Hetletvedt came to the county in 1834, but the date seems to be
uncertain. With regard to Christian Olson the fact seems rather to be
that he came in 1836 or possibly not till 1837, while also Hetletvedt
seems to be dated about two years too early here. Among those who
came in 1836 according to apparently reliable records are: Ole Olson
Hetletvedt and Gudmund Sandsberg.

[32] Or are these two the same person?

Relative to the founders of the Fox River Settlement, as that of La
Salle County came to be called, I wish to add here the following
facts of personal history: Gudmund Haugaas, one of the two first to
record the purchase of land, had married Julia, the daughter of Thomas
Madland, in Orleans County in 1827. She died in Rutland Township, La
Salle County, in 1846 and he later married Caroline Hervig, a sister
of Henrik Hervig (Harwick). He had ten children by his first wife.
In Illinois he joined the Mormon Church and became an elder in that
church, practicing medicine at the same time, and, it is said, with
much success. He died of the cholera on the homestead near Norway in
July, 1849; his widow, Caroline, survived him three years.[33]

[33] Mrs. R. W. Bower of Sheridan, Illinois, is a daughter of
Haugaas and his wife Caroline. Other children of his are
Daniel Haugaas in Henderson, Iowa, and Mrs. Isabel Lewis,
Emington, Illinois, and Thomas Haugaas.

Jacob Slogvig married Serena, daughter of Thomas Madland, in March,
1831. He became one of the founders of the Norwegian settlement in Lee
County, Iowa, in 1840 (see below), later went to California, where
he died in May, 1864. The widow lived until about 1897. Some time
before her death she had been living at the home of her son, Andrew J.
Anderson, at San Diego, California.

Mrs. Carrie Nelson had seven children, of whom Anne, Nels, Inger, and
Martha were born in Norway; Sarah, Peter, and Amelia were born at
Kendall, New York. Carrie Nelson died in 1848. The son, Nels Nelson,
born 1816, married Catherine Iverson about 1840; he died in Sheridan,
Illinois, in August, 1893, as the last male member of the sloop party,
being survived by his widow and four of twelve children. The daughter
Inger was in 1836 married to John S. Mitchell, of Ottawa, Illinois;
Martha married Beach Fallows, a settler of 1835, and Sarah married in
1849 Canute Marsett, an immigrant of 1837, who some years later became
a Mormon bishop at Ephraim, Utah. Their oldest son, Peter Cornelius
Marsett, born at Salt Lake City June second, 1850, was the first child
born of Norwegian parents in Utah.[34] Peter C. Nelson, the youngest
son of Carrie Nelson, born 1830, later settled in Larned, Kansas, where
he died in 1904. Sara Thompson, oldest daughter of Öien Thompson,
and born 1818, married George Olmstead in 1857 in La Salle County;
he died in 1849, and in 1855 she married William W. Richey. Mrs.
Richey settled in Guthrie Center, Iowa, in 1882, where she lived until
recently. Benson C. Olmsted, Charles B. Olmsted and Will F. Richey of
Guthrie Center, Iowa, are sons of Mrs. Sara Richey. Nels Thompson died
in La Salle County, Illinois, in July, 1863. Daniel Rossadal and his
wife, Bertha, both died in La Salle County in 1854. Nels Nelson Hersdal
was born in July, 1800, and his wife, Bertha, in May, 1804; they were
married a few months before the departure of the sloop. He, "Big Nels",
as he was called, came to Illinois in 1835, returned to New York and
did not bring his family to Illinois until 1846, though he moved west
before. He lived until 1886, his wife having died in 1882. Peter Nelson
and Ira Nelson of La Salle County, are their sons. George Johnson died
from cholera in 1849.

[34] For these facts I am indebted to R. B. Anderson, as also
for other details of the personal history of the slooper's
descendants.

Andrew Dahl went to Utah in the fifties, being one of the earliest
pioneers of that state. A son of his, A. S. Anderson, was a member
of the Utah Constitutional Convention in 1895. Ole Hetletvedt, who
located at Niagara Falls, not therefore in Orleans County, had three
sons, Porter C., Sören L. and James W. The first of these, born 1831,
became captain and later colonel in Company F, 36th Regiment, Illinois
Volunteers, in the War of the Rebellion, and was Acting Brigadier
General when he was killed in the Battle of Franklin (Tenn.). Sören
Olson was killed in the Battle of Murfreesboro. James Olson, who also
went to the front, lived to return to his home after the war. Porter
Olson lies buried at Newark, Illinois, where a fitting monument adorns
his grave. Finally I wish to add that Margaret Allen, the "sloop girl"
born on the Atlantic, daughter of Lars Larson, married John Atwater in
Rochester, New York, in 1857. They afterwards moved to Chicago, where
he died in the early nineties, while Mrs. Atwater is, I believe, still
living at Western Springs, Cook County. We shall now return to our
settlement in La Salle County.

We have given above a brief account of the founding of the Fox River
settlement. Out of that nucleus of about thirty persons, whom we
know to have come there in 1834-35 grew up one of the largest and
most prosperous of rural communities in the country. The settlement
developed rapidly, before many years extending into Kendall, Grundy and
DeKalb counties and becoming a distributing point in the westward march
of Norwegian immigration during the following years. The settlement
in Orleans County, New York, ceased to grow, the objective point of
immigrants from Norway had been changed and the Fox River region
received large accessions, especially during the year 1836.

Immigration from Norway which heretofore had been more or less
sporadic, in which individuals and very small groups are found to take
part, now enters upon a new phase, begins in fact to assume the form of
organized effort. The year 1836 inaugurated this change, while in 1837
there was something approaching an exodus from certain localities in
Western Norway. The desire to emigrate to America had also now spread
far beyond the original center, at Stavanger; the source of emigration
was transferred to a more northerly region and with it, as we have had
occasion to observe above, the course of settlement in this country is
not only directed to a more westerly region, Illinois, but also soon
extends into the northern border counties of Illinois and into southern
and southeastern Wisconsin.

As this increased immigration is historically associated with the names
of two of those whom we have already met as pioneers in New York, New
Jersey and Illinois, a brief account of their share in the promotion
of immigration from Norway will be in place. These two are Gjert
Hovland and Knud Slogvig. We have seen that the former of these came
to America in 1831, being probably the first immigrant from Hardanger.
His name deserves special mention as an early promoter of emigration
from southwestern Norway, especially from his own province. He was
a man of much enlightenment and liberalmindedness to whom America's
free institutions made a strong appeal. He wrote letters home to
friends urging emigration and these were circulated far and wide. In
one of these letters from Morris County, New Jersey, 1835, he writes
enthusiastically of American laws, and he contrasts its spirit of
liberty with the oppressions of the class aristocracy in Norway. He
advised all who could do so to come to America, where it was permitted
to settle wherever one chose, he says. Hovland was well known in
several parishes in the Province of South Bergenhus, and hundreds of
copies of his letters were circulated there; they aroused the greatest
interest among the people and were no small factor in leading many in
that region to emigrate in 1836-37.

Thus it may be noted specifically that in 1836 a lay preacher
travelling in Voss had in his possession one of Gjert Hovland's
letters, which letter was read by Nils Röthe, Nils Bolstad and John H.
Björgo and others. These three since said that it was the reading of
Hovland's letter which induced them to immigrate.[35] Gjert Hovland,
as we have seen, came to Illinois in 1835. His purchase of one hundred
and sixty acres of land in the present Miller Township was recorded
on June seventeenth of that year, the same date that the purchases of
Kleng Peerson, Nels Thompson and Thorsten Bjaaland were recorded. Gjert
Hovland lived there till his death in 1870.

[35] _First Chapter_, p. 331.

The other name, that I referred to, is that of Knud Anderson Slogvig,
who undoubtedly was the chief promoter of immigration in 1836. He had
come in the sloop in 1825, and, as we have seen, settled in La Salle
County in 1834. In 1835 he returned to Skjold, Norway, and there
married a sister of Ole O. Hetletvedt, the slooper whom we find as one
of the early pioneers of La Salle County. While there, people came to
talk with him about America from all parts of southwestern Norway; and
a large number in and about Stavanger decided to emigrate. Slogvig's
return may be said to have started the "America-fever" in Norway,
though it took some years before it reached the central and the eastern
parts of the country. It was his intention to return to America in
1836, and a large party was preparing to emigrate with him.

In the spring of that year the two brigs, _Norden_ and _Den Norske
Klippe_, were fitted out from Stavanger. The former sailed on the first
Wednesday after Pentecost, arriving in New York July twelfth, 1836. The
latter sailed a few weeks later. They carried altogether two hundred
immigrants, most of whom went directly to La Salle County. Of these two
brigs I shall speak again in a subsequent chapter.

I have above given some of the facts of Knud Slogvig's personal
history. Having already spoken of one element in the cause of
emigration I believe it will be in place to give a fuller account at
this point of the various general and special factors that have been
instrumental in bringing about the coming to America of such a large
part of the population of Norway in the 19th century.

CHAPTER VI

_Causes of Emigration from Norway.
General Factors, Economic._

What are the causes that have brought about the exodus from Norway
and in general from the Scandinavian countries in the 19th century?
The question is not a simple one to answer; for the causes have been
many and varied, and it would be impossible in the following pages to
discuss all the circumstances and influences that have operated to
promote the northern emigration and directed it to America. Perhaps
there is something in the highly developed migratory instinct of
Indo-European peoples. Especially has this instinct characterized the
Germanic branch, whether it be Goth or Vandal, Anglo-Saxon, Viking or
Norman,[36] or their descendants, the Teutonic peoples of modern times,
by whom chiefly the United States has been peopled and developed.

[36] That is, "Northman."

Of tangible motives, one that has everywhere been a fundamental
factor in promoting emigration from European countries in modern
times has been the prospect of material betterment. Where no barriers
have been put against the emigration of the poor or the ambitious,
unless special causes have arisen to create discontent with one's
condition, the extent to which European countries have contributed
to our immigrant population may be measured fairly closely by the
economic conditions at home. As far as the Northern countries are
concerned I would class all these causes under two heads: the first
will comprise all those conditions, natural and artificial, that can be
summarized under the term economic; the second will include a number of
special circumstances or motives which may vary somewhat for the three
countries, indeed often for the locality and the individual.

First then we may consider the causes which arise from economic
conditions. These are well illustrated by the Scandinavian countries,
slightly modified in each case by the operation of the special causes.
Norway is a land of mountains, these making up in the fact fifty-nine
per cent of its total area, while forty-four per cent of the soil of
Sweden is unproductive. The winters are long and severe, the cold
weather frequently sets in too early for the crops to ripen; with crop
failure comes lack of work for the laboring classes, and, burdened
by heavy taxation, as was the Norwegian farmer only too often in the
middle of the last century, debt and impoverishment for the holders
of the numerous encumbered smaller estates. In Norway, especially,
the rewards of labor are meagre and the opportunities for material
betterment small.[37] "Hard times" and the inability of the country
to support the rapidly increasing population has, then, been a most
potent factor.[38] The same will hold true of Sweden, though in a
somewhat less degree. Denmark is better able to support a population
of one hundred and forty-eight to the square mile than Sweden one of
twenty-eight or Norway one of eighteen.[39]

[37] A great change for the better has been taking place during the
last few years.

[38] Thus the failure of crops and the famine in Northern Sweden,
Finland, and Norway in 1902 was followed by a vastly increased
immigration from these sections. See above page 28. Compare
Table II, Appendix.

[39] The area and population of the three countries are:--Sweden,
area 172,876 sq. m., population in 1901, 5,175,228; Norway,
area 124,129, population in 1900, 2,239,880; Denmark, area
15,360, population in 1901, 2,447,441.

In this connection compare above the statistics of immigration from
the three countries, which are much lower for Denmark than for Norway
and Sweden. The Danes at home are a contented people, and it is
noticeable also that it is they who are most conservative here, who
foster the closest relation with the old home, and who consequently
become Americanized last. The Norwegians are the most discontented, are
readiest for a change, are quickest to try the new; and it is they who
most readily break the bonds that bind them to their native country,
who most quickly adapt themselves to the conditions here, and who most
rapidly become Americanized.

Professor R. B. Anderson, in his book on the early Norwegian
immigration[40] puts religious persecution as the primary cause of
emigration from Norway. I cannot possibly believe that even in the
immigration of the first half of the nineteenth century religious
persecution was, except in a few cases, the primary or even a very
important cause in the Scandinavian countries. In conversation with and
in numerous letters from pioneers and their descendants, especially
in Iowa and Wisconsin, I have found that the hope of larger returns
for one's labor is everywhere given as the main motive, sometimes as
the only one. Whether it be the pioneers of La Salle County, Illinois,
in the thirties, those of Rock or Dane counties, Wisconsin, in the
forties, or the Norwegian settlers of Clayton and Winneshiek counties,
Iowa, in the late forties and the fifties; the causes are everywhere
principally economic. But letters written by pioneers and by those
about to emigrate testify amply to the fact that it was the hard times
that was the chief cause. And the same applies almost as generally to
the Swedes; among the Danes the economic factor has not operated so
extensively, though here, also, it was the preponderating cause.

[40] _First Chapter, etc._

A Norwegian journal, _Billed-Magazin_, published in Chicago in 1869-70
and edited by Professor Svein Nilsen, offers much that throws light
on this question. It contains brief accounts of the early Norwegian
immigration and the earliest settlements, a regular column of news
from the Scandinavian countries, interviews with pioneers, etc. In one
interview, Ole Nattestad, who sailed in 1837 from Vægli, Numedal, and
became the founder of the fourth Norwegian settlement in America, that
of Jefferson Prairie in Rock County, Wisconsin, and the neighboring
Boone County in Illinois, describes his experience as a farmer in
Numedal and how the difficulty of making any headway finally drove him
to emigrate to America.[41] The statement of another pioneer I quote
in its entirety.[42] It is that of John Nelson Luraas, who came from
Tin in Telemarken, to Muskego, Wisconsin, in 1839, and in 1843 moved to
Dane County, Wisconsin. He says:

I was my father's oldest son, and consequently heir to the Luraas
farm. It was regarded as one of the best in that neighborhood,
but there was a $1,400 mortgage on it. I had worked for my father
until I was twenty-five years old, and had had no opportunity of
getting money. It was plain to me that I would have a hard time of
it, if I should take the farm with the debt resting on it, pay a
reasonable amount to my brothers and sisters, and assume the care
of my aged father. I saw to my horror how one farm after the other
fell into the hands of the lendsman and other money-lenders, and
this increased my dread of attempting farming. But I got married
and had to do something. Then it occurred to me that the best thing
might be to emigrate to America. I was encouraged in this purpose
by letters written by Norwegian settlers in Illinois who had lived
two years in America. Such were the causes that led me to emigrate
and I presume the rest of our company were actuated by similar
motives.[43]

[41] _Billed-Magazin_, 1869, pp. 82-83.

[42] _Billed-Magazin_, 1869, pp. 6-7.

[43] In 1868, Mr. Luraas moved to Webster County, Iowa, returning
to Dane County, Wisconsin, in 1873. I knew him in the early
nineties as a well-to-do retired farmer living in Stoughton,
Wisconsin. He died in 1894.

In a letter written by Andreas Sandsberg at Hellen, Norway, September
twelfth, 1831, to Gudmund Sandsberg in Kendall, New York, the former
complains of the hard times in Norway. In the spring of 1836 the second
party of emigrants from Stavanger County came to America. On the 14th
of May of that year Andreas Sandsberg wrote his brother Gudmund in
America as follows:

A considerable number of people are now getting ready to go to
America from this Amt. Two brigs are to depart from Stavanger in
about eight days from now, and will carry these people to America,
and if good reports come from them, the number of emigrants will
doubtless be still larger next year. A pressing and general lack
of money entering into every branch of industry, stops or at least
hampers business and makes it difficult for many people to earn the
necessaries of life. While this is the case on this side of the
Atlantic there is hope for abundance on the other, and this I take
it, is the chief cause of this growing disposition to emigrate.[44]

[44] Letter copied from the original by R. B. Anderson in 1896 and
printed in _First Chapter_, pp. 135-136.

Ole Olson Menes, who came to America in 1845, is cited in
_Billed-Magazin_, 1870, page 130, as follows, illustrating the
prominence of the economic cause nine years later:

The emigrants of the preceding year (1844) ... wrote home ... and
told of the fertility of the soil, the cheap prices of land and of
good wages. In a letter which I received from Iver Hove, he writes
that there they raise thirty-five bushels of wheat per acre, and
the grass is so thick that one can easily cut enough in one day for
winter feed for the cow. Such things fell to our liking, and many
looked forward with eager longing to the distant West, which was
pictured as the Eden that loving Providence had destined as a home
for the workingman of Norway, so oppressed with cares and want.

Of those here cited, Nattestad was from Numedal, Luraas from
Telemarken, Menes from Sogn, while Sandsberg came from Ryfylke. But
the conditions were the same also in other provinces. In 1844, Hans
C. Tollefsrude and wife emigrated from Land. Of the cause of his
emigrating and that of early emigration from Land in general, his son
Christian H. Tollefsrude of Rolfe, Iowa, writes me:

The causes were, no personal means and no prospect even securing a
home in their native district, Torpen, Nordre Land (letter of July
27, 1904).

Rev. Abraham Jacobson of Decorah, Iowa, a pioneer himself, writes:

Reasons for emigrating were mostly economic, very few if any
religious.... Wages here were at the very least double that in
Norway, and generally much more than that.

Of the emigration from Ringsaker, I may cite Simon Simerson of Belmond,
Iowa:

The causes were economic. In the case of my parents, they came
here to create the home that they saw no chance of securing in the
mother country. (Letter of Oct. 12, 1904.)

Similar evidence might be adduced for other districts and for all the
older settlements throughout the Northwest. At a meeting held at the
home of Ole O. Flom in Stoughton, Wisconsin, on July twenty-eighth,
1908, when the present writer read a paper on "Early Norwegian
Immigration," testimony to the same effect was given by old pioneers
there present. There is no need of further multiplying the evidence.

A highly developed spirit of independence has always been a dominant
element in the Scandinavian character,--I have reference here
particularly to his desire for personal independence, that is,
independence in his condition in life. Nothing is so repugnant to him
as indebtedness to others and dependence on others. An able-bodied
Scandinavian who was a burden to his fellows was well-nigh unheard
of. By the right of primogeniture the paternal estate would go to the
oldest son. The families being frequently large, the owning of a home
was to a great many practically an impossibility under wage conditions
as they were in the North in the first half and more of the preceding
century.

Thus the Scandinavian farmer's son, with his love of personal
independence and his strong inherent desire to own a home, finding
himself so circumstanced in his native country that there was little
hope of his being able to realize this ambition except in the distant
uncertain future, listens, with a willing ear to descriptions of
America, with its quick returns and its great opportunities. And so
he decides to emigrate. And this he is free to do for the government
puts no barrier upon his emigrating. This trait has impelled many a
Scandinavian to come and settle in America; and it is a trait that is
the surest guarantee of the character of his citizenship. Here, too, a
social factor merits mention.

While the nobility was abolished in Norway in 1814, the lines between
the upper and lower classes, the wealthy and the poor, were tightly
drawn and social classes were well defined. And while Norway is today
the most democratic country in Europe, and Sweden and Denmark are
also thoroughly liberal (in part through the influence of America and
American-Scandinavians), a titled aristocracy still exists in these
countries. The extreme deference to those in superior station or
position that custom and existing conditions enforced upon those in
humbler condition was repugnant to them. Not infrequently have pioneers
given this as one cause for emigrating in connection with that of
economic advantage.

CHAPTER VII

_Causes of Emigration Continued. Special Factors.
Religion as a Cause. Emigration Agents._

In the class of special causes which have influenced the Scandinavian
emigration, political oppression has operated only in the case of the
Danes in Southern Jutland.[45]

[45] As a result of the Dano-Prussian war of 1864 Jutland below
Skodborghus became a province of Prussia. The greatly
increased taxes that immediately followed and the restrictions
imposed by the Prussian government upon the use of the
Danish language, as well as other oppressive measures that
formed a part of the general plan of the Prussianizing of
Sleswick-Holstein, drove large numbers of Danes away from
their homes, and most of these came to the United States. In
notes and correspondence from Denmark in Scandinavian-American
papers during these years complaints regarding such
regulations constantly appear, and figures of emigration of
Danes "who did not wish to be Prussians" are unusually large
for this period; for example in the foreign column of the
_Billed-Magazin_. The United States statistics also show a
sudden increase in the Danish immigration during the sixties
and the early seventies. From 1850-1861 not more than 3,983
had emigrated from Denmark; while in the thirteen years from
1862 to 1874 the number reached 30,978.

Military service, which elsewhere has often played such an important
part in promoting emigration, has, in the Scandinavian countries, been
only a minor factor, the period of service required being very short.
Nevertheless it has in not a few cases been a secondary cause for
emigrating. Those with whom I have spoken who have given this as their
motive have, however, been mostly Norwegians and Swedes; but none of
those who belong to the earlier period of emigration give their desire
to escape military service as a cause.

Religious persecution has played a part in some cases, especially in
Norway and Sweden. The state church is the Lutheran, but every sect
has been tolerated since the middle of the century, in Norway since
1845. While few countries have been freer from the evil of active
persecution because of religious belief, intolerance and religious
narrowness have not been wanting. In the beginning of the nineteenth
century, the followers of the lay preacher, Hans Nielsen Hauge, in
Norway were everywhere persecuted. Hauge himself was imprisoned in
Christiania for eight years. And the Jansenists in Helsingland, Sweden,
were in the forties subjected to similar persecution. Thus Eric
Jansen was arrested several times for conducting religious meetings
between 1842-1846,--though it must in fairness be admitted that his
first arrest was undoubtedly provoked by the extreme procedure of the
dissenters themselves. After having been put in prison repeatedly,
Jansen embarked for America in 1846 and became the founder of the
communistic colony of followers at Bishopshille,[46] Henry County,
Illinois. No such organized emigration took place among the Haugians,
but we have no means of knowing to what extent individual emigration of
the followers of Hauge took place during the three decades immediately
after his death. The well-known Elling Eielson, a lay preacher and
an ardent Haugian, emigrated in 1839 to Fox River, La Salle County,
Illinois, and many of those who believed in the methods of Hauge and
Eielson came to America in the following years.

[46] So named from _Biskopskulla_, Jansen's native place in Sweden.
See article by Major John Swainson on "The Swedish Colony at
Bishopshill, Illinois," in Nelson's _Scandinavians_, I, p.
142. This article gives an excellent account of the founding
of the Bishopshill settlement and Jansen's connection with it.
See also _American Communities_ by Wm. Alfred Hinds, 1902, pp.
300-320.

It was persecution also that drove many Scandinavian Moravians to
America in 1740 and 1747. Moravian societies had been formed in
Christiania in 1737, in Copenhagen in 1739, in Stockholm in 1740, and
in Bergen in 1740.[47] In 1735 German Moravians from Herrnhut, Saxony,
established a colony at Savannah, Georgia.[47] In this colony there
seem to have been some Danes and Norwegians. In 1740 a permanent colony
was located at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and in 1747 one at Bethabara,
North Carolina. Persecuted Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Moravians
took part in the founding of both these colonies.

[47] _Decorah-Posten_, September 9, 1904, p. 5. See also above p. 37.

As we have seen, the first Norwegian settlement in America was
established in Kendall, Orleans County, New York, in 1825. It has been
claimed that the "sloopers" were driven to emigrate by persecution at
home.[48] Another writer has shown that the only one of the Stavanger
Quakers who suffered for his belief prior to 1826 was Elias Tastad,
and he, it seems, did not emigrate.[49] The leader of the emigrants in
_Restaurationen_, Lars Larson i Jeilane, had spent one year in London
in the employ of the noted English Quaker, William Allen. In 1818,
Stephen Grellet, a French nobleman, who had become a Quaker in America,
and William Allen preached in Stavanger.[49] The Quakers of Stavanger
were of the poorest of the people. It is highly probable, as another
writer states,[50] that Grellet, while there, suggested to them that
they emigrate to America where they could better their condition in
material things and at the same time practice their religion without
violating the laws of the country. The main motive was therefore
probably economic.

[48] R. B. Anderson is emphatic in this view. Pages 45-131 of his
_First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration_ are devoted to a
discussion of the sloop "Restaurationen" and the Quaker Colony
in Orleans County.

[49] Nelson's _History of Scandinavians_, 1901, p. 133.

[50] B. L. Wick, in _The Friends_, Philadelphia, 1894, according to
Nelson, p. 134. I have not been able to secure a copy of the
above article, therefore cannot here state the arguments, or
cite more fully.

It is perfectly clear to me that not very many of the Orleans County
colonists were devout Quakers; for we soon find them wandering apart
into various other churches. Some returned to Lutheranism; those who
went west became mostly Methodists or Mormons; others did not join
any church; while the descendants of those who remained are to-day
Methodists. The Orleans County Quakers do not seem to have even erected
a meeting-house; and in Scandinavian settlements a church, however
humble, is, next to a home, the first thought.[51] Nevertheless the
Quakers of Stavanger did suffer annoyances, and it must be remembered
that the leader of the expedition and the owner of the sloop was a
devout Quaker,[52] as were also at least two other leading members of
the party. Had it not been for these very men the party would probably
not have emigrated, at least not at that time.

[51] The reader who knows Björnson's _Synnöve Solbakken_ will
remember the author's introduction of this feature in Chapter
II, the first two pages.

[52] Lars Larson settled in Rochester where he could attend a
Quaker church. The same is true of Ole Johnson, another of the
"sloopers" who later settled in Kendall but finally returned
to Rochester, where he died in 1877.

There was much persecution of the early converts to the Baptist faith
in Denmark between 1850-1860; and not a few of this sect emigrated. In
1848 F. O. Nilson, one of the early leaders of the Baptist Church in
Sweden, was imprisoned and later banished from the country. He fled
to Denmark, and in 1851 embarked for America. In the fifties Swedish
Baptists in considerable numbers came to the United States because of
persecution. There are, however, very few Norwegian Baptists, and I
know of no cases where persecution drove Baptists to leave Norway.

Proselyting of some non-Lutheran churches in Scandinavia has been the
means of bringing many Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes to this country.
In the fifties Mormon missionaries were especially active in Denmark
and Norway. Their efforts did not seem to be attended by much success
in Norway, though not a few converts were made among the Norwegians
in the early settlements in Illinois and Iowa, as in the Fox River
Settlement.[53] In Denmark, however, Mormon proselyting was more
successful than in Norway. All those who accepted Mormonism emigrated
to America of course, and most of them to Utah. In the years 1851,
1852, and 1853 there emigrated fourteen, three, and thirty-two Danes,
respectively, to this country. But in 1854 the number rose to 691, and
in the following three years to 1,736. In 1850 there were in Utah two
Danes; in 1870 there were 4,957. The first Norwegian to go to Utah
probably was Henrik E. Sebbe, who came to America in 1836, and went to
Utah in 1848, where he became a Mormon.[53]

[53] Some of the early Mormon leaders were Norwegians, however,
as Bishop Canute Peterson (Marsett), of Ephraim, Utah, who
came to America in 1837 from Hardanger, Norway. The slooper
Gudmund Haugaas became an elder in the church of the Latter
Day Saints in La Salle County, Illinois; he died in 1849 and
was succeeded by his son Thomas Haugaas.

In 1849 a Norwegian-American, O. P. Peterson, first introduced
Methodism in Norway.[54] After 1855 a regular Methodist mission was
established in Scandinavia under the supervision of a Danish-American,
C. B. Willerup.[55] While the Methodist church has not prospered in
the Scandinavian countries, especially in Denmark and Norway, there are
large numbers of Methodists among the Scandinavian immigrants in this
country,[56] and the early congregations were recruited for a large
part from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

[54] See a brief account by Rev. N. M. Liljegren in Nelson's
_History of Scandinavians_, I, pp. 205-209.

[55] Methodism had been introduced into Sweden from England early
in the century.

The efforts of steamship companies and emigration agents have been a
powerful factor in promoting Scandinavian emigration. Through them
literature advertising in glowing terms the advantages of the New
World was scattered far and wide in Scandinavia. Such literature often
dealt with the prosperity of Scandinavians who had previously settled
in America. Letters from successful settlers were often printed and
distributed broadcast. The early immigrants from the North settled
largely in Illinois, Wisconsin, and, a little later, in Iowa. As
clearers of the forest and tillers of the soil they contributed their
large share to the development of the country. None could better endure
the hardships of pioneer life on the western frontier. Knowing this,
many western states began to advertise their respective advantages in
the Scandinavian countries.

[56] By far the larger number, however, are Swedes.

CHAPTER VIII

_Causes of Emigration continued. The Influence of
Successful Pioneers. "America-letters."
The Spirit of Adventure. Summary._

Far more influential, however, than the factors just noted were the
efforts put forth by successful immigrants to induce their relatives
and friends to follow them. Numerous letters were written home praising
American laws and institutions, and setting forth the opportunities
here offered. These letters were read and passed around to friends.
Many who had relatives in America would travel long distances to
hear what the last "America-letter" had to report. Among the early
immigrants who did much in this way to promote emigration from their
native districts was one whom we have already spoken of, Gjert
Hovland. He wrote many letters home praising American institutions.
These letters "were transcribed and the copies distributed far and
wide in the Province of Bergen; and a large number were thus led to
emigrate."[57]

[57] See _Billed-Magazin_, p. 74.

The interviews in _Billed-Magazin_ contain statements from several
among the early settlers on Koshkonong Prairie and the neighborhood
of Stoughton which give evidence of the part that "America-letters"
played in their emigration. On page 123 occurs a statement of Gaute
Ingbrigtson (Gulliksrud) who came from Tin in Telemarken in 1843 and
became one of the earliest pioneers of Dunkirk Township in Dane County.
He says: "Two of my uncles and a brother emigrated in 1839. I, however,
remained at home with my father who was a farmer in the Parish of Tin.
But then letters came with good news from America, and my relatives as
well as other acquaintances on this side of the ocean were encouraged
to emigrate. From this it came about that I and many others in my
native district prepared for leaving in the spring of 1843. The party
numbered about one hundred and twenty...."

We have already had occasion to refer to a letter received by Ole
Menes of Stoughton in 1845. Ingbrigt Helle came from Kragerö in
1845 and settled in the Town of Dunn. The ship he came on brought
one hundred and forty immigrants and he mentions the fact that
many had been induced to emigrate by letters from America, and he
writes: "Such letters from America urging emigration was, as far as
I can see, the thing that brought the majority of emigrants to bid
farewell to Norway." Ole Knudson Dyrland, who emigrated from Siljord,
Telemarken, in 1843, and became one of the earliest white settlers in
Dunn Township, Dane County, testifying to the same fact, mentions Ole
Knudson Trovatten as one who, through letters, exerted considerable
influence upon emigration in Telemarken (page 218, _Billed-Magazin_,
1870). We shall meet Trovatten again below as a pioneer in the Town
of Cottage Grove in the same county. The editor of _Billed-Magazin_
writes of Trovatten elsewhere, page 283, after giving a brief sketch of
his life: "he settled on Koshkonong and wrote therefrom many letters
to his numerous friends in his native country in which he, with
much eloquence, made his countrymen acquainted with the glories of
America, and there is no doubt that Trovatten in a large measure gave
the impulse to the rapid development of emigration in the region of
Telemarken."

Of Trovatten's influence as a promoter of immigration Gunder T. Mandt,
himself an immigrant of 1843 (died 1907, Stoughton, Wisconsin), gives
similar testimony. He speaks of the opposition to emigration in Upper
Telemarken, which found expression in all sorts of adverse accounts
of America, especially among the clergy, and that much uncertainty
prevailed among the masses as to the advisability of going to America.
During all this, Trovatten, he says, "came to be looked upon as an
angel of peace, who had gone beforehand to the New World, whence he
sent back home to his countrymen, so burdened by economic sorrows,
the olive-branch of promise, with assurances of a happier life in
America.... 'Ole Trovatten has said so,' became the refrain in all
accounts of the land of wonder, and in a few years he was the most
talked of man in Upper Telemarken. His letters from America gave a
powerful impulse to emigration, and it is probable that hundreds of
those who now are plowing the soil of Wisconsin and Minnesota would
still be living in their ancestors' domains in the land of Harald
Fairhair, if they had not been induced to bid old Norway farewell
through Trovatten's glittering accounts of conditions on this side of
the ocean." (_Billed-Magazin_, 1870, p. 38.) Similar evidence of the
influence of "America-letters" is also given by Knud Aslakson Juve, a
pioneer of 1844, in the Town of Pleasant Spring, in Dane County.

At the close of the preceding chapter I spoke of Gjert Hovland's
letters in 1835 as a chief factor in bringing about the emigration of
1836. From settlers in other portions of the country comes testimony
of similar nature, and I have spoken with many pioneers from a later
period of immigration, whose coming was, in the last instance,
determined by favorite accounts of America received from friends and
relatives already resident there.

In letters from immigrants to their relatives at home prepaid tickets,
or the price of the ticket, were often enclosed. This custom was so
common as to become a special factor in emigration. According to
_Norsk Folkeblad_ (cited in _Billed-Magazin_, p. 134), 4,000 Norwegian
emigrants, via Christiana in 1868, took with them $40,335 (Speciedaler)
in cash money of which $21,768 (Spd.) had been sent by relatives in
America to cover the expense of the journey. It has been estimated that
about fifty per cent of Scandinavian emigrants, arrive by prepaid
passage tickets secured by relatives in this country.[58]

[58] Nelson's _History of Scandinavians_, page 56.

The visits of successful Scandinavians back home was in the early days
an important factor; and as a rule only those who had been prosperous
would return. In 1835 Knud Anderson Slogvig, who had emigrated in the
sloop as we know, returned to Norway and became the chief promoter of
the exodus from the Province of Stavanger in 1836, which resulted in
the settlement at Fox River, La Salle County, Illinois.

We have already above, page 63, recited this fact and its significance
toward promoting further emigration from Stavanger Province and of
inaugurating the first exodus from Hardanger also. Thus, while Jacob
Slogvig, the brother, was one of a few to secure land in La Salle
County and make the beginnings of settlement, Knud became the means
of bringing hosts of immigrants from Norway to recruit the colony and
start it upon its course of growth. In precisely a similar way did two
other brothers become even more significant factors in the foundation
and development of the earliest Norwegian settlement in Wisconsin,
namely, that of Jefferson Prairie in Rock County. They were Ole and
Ansten Nattestad, who had emigrated in 1837. Returning to Norway in
1839 Ansten Nattestad became the father of emigration from Numedal,
Norway, bringing with him a large party of immigrants, who located for
the most part in southern Rock County, Wisconsin, and adjacent parts of
the state of Illinois. But of this movement I shall have occasion to
speak more fully below.

An equally interesting instance we have from a somewhat later period.
We have above referred to Ole Dyrland's testimony of the effect of Ole
Trovatten's letters. After remarking that many still were doubtful of
the advisability of emigrating he goes on to say:

"But then Knud Svalestuen of Vinje, who had lived for a time in the
Muskego Settlement, came home on a trip back to Norway, and by his
accounts even the most hesitating were made firm in their faith.
Knud came in the fall of 1843, and during the winter he received
visits of men sent out from various districts in Telemarken, who
came to secure reliable information about the new country. The
next spring hosts of intending emigrants left the upper mountain
districts of the country.... Three emigrant ships left that year
from Porsgrund. On board the ship I left in there were two hundred
and eleven emigrants."

The editor of _Billed-Magazin_ gives other interviews with pioneers
showing the effect of Svalestuen's return (page 293).

Some of the Norwegian pioneers wrote books regarding the settlements
and American conditions, and these, laudatory as they were, exerted
not a little influence. Special mention should be made of Ole Rynning,
whose pamphlet, _Sandfaerdig Beretning om Amerika til Veiledning og
Hjaelp for Bonde og, Menigmand, skrevet of en Norsk som kom der i
Juni Maaned_, 1837.[59] This little book of thirty-nine pages had
not a little to do with the emigration that followed to La Salle
County, Illinois, and elsewhere. In it the author gives an intelligent
discussion of thirteen questions regarding America which he set himself
to answer. Among them were: What is the nature of the country? What is
the reason that so many people go there? Is it not to be feared that
the land will soon be overpopulated? In what parts are the Norwegian
settlements? Which is the most convenient and the cheapest route to
them? What is the price of land? What provision is there for the
education of children? What language is spoken and is it difficult
to learn? Is there danger of disease in America? What kind of people
should emigrate?

[59] _True Account of America for the Information and Help of
Peasant and Commoner_, written by a Norwegian who came there
in the month of June, 1837.

Another writer of immigration literature whose writings were widely
distributed and had considerable influence was Johan Reinert Reierson.
He came to America in 1843, but returned to Norway soon after. In
America he had written a book, _Veiviseren_,[60] which he published
in Norway and was read far and wide. This book contains a fund of
information regarding the different settlements, as Racine County,
Wisconsin, La Salle County, Illinois, and Lee County, Iowa, and others,
all of which Reierson had himself visited. Reierson became the founder
of the first Norwegian settlement in Texas in 1847-48.

[60] _The Pathfinder_, a book of one hundred and sixty-six pages.

Of the events leading up to this, _Billed-Magazin_ for 1870 gives a
circumstantial account, pages 58-60, 66-67, and 75-76. Reierson's
book seems to have been a leading factor in promoting emigration from
Valders. Among the earliest to leave this region were Nils Hanson
Fjeld and family of South Aurdal, Valders, who emigrated in 1847. He
says, page 236 of _Billed-Magazin_ for 1870, that before him only
two or three single men had gone to America from that region. The
"America-fever" had not yet taken hold of the people, "many would not
give credence to mere hearsay, but after a while a couple copies of
Reierson's book about Texas came to the district. 'Now we have the
printed word to go by,' it was said, and many of the doubters soon were
converted to the orthodox faith in the land of promise beyond the great
ocean." And as a result, many began to emigrate. As early as 1848,
emigration from Valders on a considerable scale was already in progress.

I shall here also mention Ansten Nattestad, who wrote a similar book,
which he took with him on his return to Norway in 1838, and had printed
there; this became a factor operating toward emigration, especially
in Numedal. Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson's _Reise blandt de norske
Emigranter i de forenede nordamerikanske Fristater_, Stavanger, 1846
(124 pages), gave much valuable information about the settlements, but
was not calculated to exert much influence toward emigration. The first
three that I have mentioned, however, had an influence which we today
can hardly fully appreciate.

Finally, curiosity and the spirit of adventure have doubtless prompted
some to cross the ocean.

To sum up, the chief influences that have promoted Scandinavian
emigration to the United States in the nineteenth century have been
in the order of their importance: first, the prospect of material
betterment and the love of a freer and more independent life; second,
letters of relatives and friends who had emigrated to the United
States and visits of these again to their native country; third, the
advertising of agents of emigration; fourth, religious persecution at
home; fifth, church proselytism; sixth, political oppression; seventh,
military service; and eighth, the desire for adventure. Fugitives from
justice have been few, and paupers and criminals in the Scandinavian
countries are not sent out of the country; they are taken care of by
the government.

CHAPTER IX

_Growth of the Fox River Settlement. The Immigration
of 1836. Further Personal Sketches._

On page fifty-five above I spoke of the advance troop of six men who
established the Fox River Settlement in 1834. A list of those who
followed from New York in 1835 was also given. Other settlers came
in subsequent years, more and more now coming directly from Norway
to La Salle County. The vicinity of the present towns of Norway and
Leland, in eastern and northern La Salle County, became centers of
a settlement, which later extended east into Kendall County (Newark
and Lisbon) and into Grundy County toward Morris, as also north into
DeKalb County (Rollo, Sandwich), and northwest clear into southwestern
Lee County (Paw Paw, Sublette, and surrounding region). The slooper,
Ole Olson Hetletvedt, had not come west with the first party. He lived
first in Kendall and then went to Niagara Falls, being there employed
in a paper mill. Here he married a Miss Chamberlain, then moved back to
Orleans County. In 1839 he and his wife went west, settling in Kendall
County. He bought land on the spot where the town of Newark now stands.
He became well known as a lay preacher of the Haugian faith in the Fox
River Settlement, also visiting the settlements founded soon after in
Wisconsin and in Lee County, Iowa. He died in Kendall County in 1849 or
1850.[61]

[61] One of his sons was Colonel Porter C. Olson of Civil War fame,
member of the Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry.

Iver Waller, who bought a claim of Miss Pearson in 1835, came
directly from Norway to La Salle County that year. Baldwin's _History
of La Salle County_ lists Ove Stenson Rossadal and wife, and John
Stenson Rossadal among the arrivals of 1835, and as being brothers
of Daniel Rossadal, of whom we have spoken above. Strand's _History
of the Norwegians in Illinois_ correctly names them as sons of
Daniel Rossadal. Nils Bilden, who also came during this period (year
uncertain), was therefore one of the very first emigrants from
Hardanger to the United States. He settled at Rochester, Sangamon
County, Illinois.

As to the extent of Norwegian immigration during the years immediately
preceding the year, 1836, which inaugurates a new period in the
movement, our information is very fragmentary. American statistics give
forty-two and thirty-one, respectively, for 1834 and 1835, as the total
immigration from Norway and Sweden. In 1833 there were sixteen, while
the number for 1832 is three hundred and thirteen.[62] The total number
between 1826 and 1831 is given as sixty-eight. It is probable, however,
that these figures do not represent the full number of immigrants
during these years. Norwegian government statistics on immigration
which are available since 1836, give the number of immigrants for that
year as two hundred, which is also the figure for the following year.
It is to this exodus that we shall now turn.

[62] Among those who came in 1832 was John Nordboe from
Gudbrandsdalen, Norway.

We have above, under Causes of Emigration, had occasion to speak of
Knud Slogvig's return to Norway in 1835, after a ten years' residence
in America;[63] the results of his return were also there briefly
noted. In the two ships, _Norden_ and _Den Norske Klippe_,[64] which
sailed from Stavanger in July of 1836, came two hundred immigrants,[65]
who located for the most part in the Fox River Settlement. These
stopped en route for a short time in Rochester, no doubt gathering
advice and information from Lars Larson, the captain of the sloopers,
resident there as we know; thence they continued their journey west
to Chicago and to La Salle County. Thus the nucleus which had been
formed in 1834-35 in a very short time developed into a considerable
settlement at a time when the surrounding country was practically a
wilderness. The immigrants of 1836 were, in part, from Stavanger, some,
however, were from other districts, east and north, as especially
Hardanger and Voss.

[63] While in Norway he married a sister of Ole Olson Hetletvedt,
which may have been in part the purpose of his return.

[64] _The North_ and _The Norwegian Rock_.

[65] Langeland says a hundred and sixty on page eighteen of his
work, elsewhere a hundred and fifty. Two hundred seems,
however, to have been approximately the number.

Not all who came settled in Mission and the later Miller townships,
however. Some went considerably farther north and established, in Adams
Township, a northern extension of the original settlement at and around
the present village of Leland. The two, however, later grew together
into one large settlement, extending also, east into Kendall County.
The first white settler in Adams Township was Mordicai Disney, who
located there in 1836, slightly prior to the coming of the immigrants
from Stavanger.[66]

[66] Disney left again in 1837.

The first of our immigrants to locate in Adams Township where Halvor
Nelson and Ole T. Olson, who in the spring of 1837, settled on sections
twenty-one and twenty-two;[67] they had lived in Mission Township
since their coming in 1836. Among those who came in 1836 and located
in Mission Township were: Amund Anderson Hornefjeld, who in 1840 went
to Wisconsin (see below), Erick Johnson Savig[68] and wife, Ingeborg,
from Kvinherred Parish, Knud Olson Hetletvedt and wife, Serena (both of
whom died of cholera in 1849), Osmund Thomason,[69] wife and daughter,
Anne, Henrik Erickson Sebbe and two sons, who went to Salt Lake City in
1848 (see above, p. 78). Samuel Peerson and Helge Vatname also seem to
have come in 1836; they are recorded as living at Norway, Illinois,
in 1837, and as aiding in bringing some of the immigrants of 1837 from
Chicago to La Salle County.

[67] The Olson homestead is still owned by the son, Nels Olson.

[68] Died in 1840, leaving wife and two children, John and Anna
Bertha; the latter later became the wife of John J. Næset in
the town of Christiana, Dane County, Wisconsin. Sævig was born
in 1803, his wife in 1809.

[69] Died in 1876, ninety-two years old.

Some of those who came in 1836 did not go directly to La Salle County.
Andrew Anderson (Aasen), wife, Olena, three sons and two daughters,
from Tysvær Parish, Skjold, remained two years in Orleans County,
New York, coming to La Salle County in 1838; he died of the cholera
in 1849. John Hidle from Stavanger County, Norway, also emigrated in
1836, coming direct to La Salle County. In 1838 he settled at Lisbon,
Kendall County, being thus the first Norwegian to locate there and as
far as I have been able to find out, the first Norwegian to settle in
that county (for Ole O. Hetletvedt did not come till 1839). Hidle,
who wrote his name Hill in this country, married Susanna Anderson,
daughter of Andrew Anderson; she was fourteen years old when her
parents came to America, and is still living, at Morris, Illinois, with
her daughter Mrs. Austin Osmond. Lars Bö and Michael Bö, who lived
and died in La Salle County, came when John Hill did. Lars Larson
Brimsöe, born in Stavanger, 1812, worked for some time as a carpenter
in New York and Chicago before settling in La Salle County. In 1858 he
located in Benton County, Iowa, and in 1872 went to Adams County (died
1873). Björn Anderson Kvelve and wife, Catherine,[70] and two sons,
Arnold Andrew and Brunn, from Vikedal, Ryfylke, lived for a year in
Rochester, New York, came in 1837 to Mission Township, La Salle County.
He removed to Dane County, Wisconsin, in 1839. Of Lars Tallakson, who
came to America in 1836 (by way of Gothenburg), we shall speak below.
Herman Aarag Osmond, born near Stavanger, 1818, also came to America in
1836. He first lived in Ohio, came in 1837 to Chicago, then to Norway,
La Salle County. He settled on a farm near Norway in 1848, but bought
in 1869 a farm near Newark, Kendall County; Herman Osmond died in
Newark in 1888.

[70] Abel Catherine von Krogh was born in 1809. Her father was
Arnold von Krogh. Björne Anderson Kvelve was born in 1801. For
a sketch of Björn Anderson and his wife see pages 155-170 of
_First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration_ by R. B. Anderson,
who is their third son (b. 1846 in Albion, Wisconsin); I am
indebted to this work for many facts relative to the Illinois
pioneers of 1836-1837.

Some of the immigrants of 1836 located in Chicago, which then consisted
of only a few houses. Among these was first, Halstein Torison (or
Törison), to whom Knud Langeland accords the distinction of being
the first Norwegian resident of Chicago. He was from Fjeldberg in
Söndhordland, and he came to Chicago with wife and children in October,
1836. The site of his home was that now occupied by the Chicago and
Northwestern Depot on Wells Street. He worked first as a gardener
for a Mr. Newberry. Reverend Dietrichson speaks of him, in 1844, as
prosperous and as occupying a leading position among Chicago Norwegians
at that time. In 1848 he moved to Calumet, twenty miles south of
Chicago, where he lived until his death in 1882.

Svein Lothe, from Hardanger, also came in 1836, as did Nils Röthe and
wife, Torbjör, who were from Voss. The latter remained, however, in
Rochester, New York, one year before coming to Chicago. Nils Röthe and
wife were the first to emigrate from Voss, Norway. Johan Larson, from
Kopervik, an island not far north of Stavanger city, also located in
Chicago in 1836. He was a sailor and had, it seems, visited Chicago
before; what year he came to America, I do not know. I may also mention
Baard Johnson, who, with his wife and five children, settled in Chicago
in 1837. Those we have mentioned form the nucleus out of which has
grown today the largest Norwegian city colony in this country.

Svein Knutson Lothe, who emigrated with wife and two children from
Hardanger in 1836, was from the Parish of Ullensvang. There were
eleven persons in all who came from Ullensvang that year, the other
seven being: Jon Jonson Aga, wife and two children, Torbjörn Djönne,
Olav Öystenson Lofthus and Omund Helgeson Maakestad. Maakestad became
the founder of the Hardanger settlement in Lee County, Illinois (see
below). I am not able to say where Aga, Djönne or Lofthus located.
There were also seven immigrants from Ulvik Parish, Hardanger, that
year; they were: Sjur Haaheim and wife, Paul Dale and wife, Sjur Dale
and wife and Aslak Holven. These eighteen persons form the advance
guard of the immigration from Hardanger.

We have spoken of the two ships that came from Stavanger in 1836.
These were followed in the next year by _Enigheden_ (Harmony), Captain
Jensen, carrying ninety-three passengers. These were for the most part
from Tysvær and from Hjelmeland, and Aardal in Ryfylke, from the city
of Stavanger, and from Egersund. They came to New York, thence went to
Albany and Rochester, and by way of the lakes to Chicago. Most of them
went to La Salle County, although not all settled there permanently.
Among the passengers were Hans Valder and wife from Ryfylke, Knud Olson
Eide, Ole Thompson Eide, from Fogn, near Stavanger, Thomas A. Thompson,
Christopher Danielson and family, Östen Espeland and family, and Knud
Danielson and family.

The sailing of _Enigheden_ may be regarded as a continuation of the
movement in Stavanger county, which was given such an impetus by Knud
Slogvig's return in 1835. Other immigrants continued to come from this
region in subsequent years, but the autumn of 1837 inaugurates a change
in the course of the movement to a more northerly region, Hardanger,
Voss, and Bergen, for a period, contributing a large share to the now
rapidly increasing numbers of emigrants.

CHAPTER X

_The Year 1837. The Sailing of Aegir._

The influence of Gjert Hovland in this new trend in the immigration
should be noted. South Bergenhus now became the scene of immigration
activity. At the same time it is to be observed that Hardanger had
contributed its quota of immigrants in the exodus of 1836. The return
of Knud Slogvig was noised far beyond the County of Stavanger. Among
those who travelled long distances to see and talk with Slogvig and
get personal affirmation of what reports had told of America, was Nils
P. Langeland, a school teacher from Samnanger, one of the emigrants of
1837. Similarly Knud Langeland relates in _Nordmaendene i Amerika_,
page twenty-three, how he paid a visit to Slogvig in the winter of
1836, and received from him assurance of what he had read[71] about
the New World. Knud Langeland gives a most interesting account of how
his interest in America became aroused; though a personal experience,
it is undoubtedly typical of that of many a young man in Bergen and
surrounding region at this time. As a document in immigration history,
it is sufficiently significant to warrant quoting in considerable part.
He says:

"Purely by accident I found in a friend's library in Bergen a book
by a German entitled REISEN IN AMERIKA.... As this book contained
some vivid pictures of the distant regions the traveller had
visited, as well as of the impressions he had received of land and
people in the new world, it was read with all the allurements of a
novel. Here was given full information about the German emigration.
With this description of travels in my pocket I went early one
summer morning along the bay of Solem and up the steep ascent
of Lyderhorn. Up there I read and dreamed of the new wonderful
world far away to the west. The mist had sunk low over the fjords
between the isles about Bergen, but up there around the tree-tops
it was bright sunshine. It was the first time I had seen this
glorious sight peculiar to mountain regions. If any prosaic nature
ever received poetic inspiration and exaltation it was during
this time, while my eyes beheld the sunlit surface of the fog and
in the distance caught a glimpse of the sparkling shield of the
North Sea, which seemed to rise to the height of the mountain....
And far out toward the west, thousands of miles out there, lies
the land about which I am reading, lies the big, still so little
known part of the world, with its secrets and its wonders. From
that time I sought all books and descriptions of travel concerning
America which I could get, and, together with an uncle of mine, I
began to collect as much information about the new world, as well
through books as through the verbal accounts from Stavanger people,
which now began to be current in the district concerning Kleng
Peerson's emigration and return, without our yet actually thinking
of emigrating. Through a kind friend's help I was enabled in 1834
to spend six months in England, on which occasion I gathered a
number of pamphlets and books about America and emigration from
England. In this way more definite and more reliable information as
to conditions in America and the journey thither gradually spread
in the vicinity. This seemed to discredit the many ridiculous and
impossible stories now constantly set in circulation. Slowly but
steadily the thought of emigrating to America took root; more and
more joined the little group which now in earnest began talking
of selling their homes and going to America. Then it was that the
bishop of Bergen wrote a letter to the farmers of Bergen on the
text, "Remain in the country; make your living honorably," whether
he forgot it or did not regard it suitable to the occasion, he
failed to quote the second commandment of the passage: "Multiply
and fill the world." The latter the farmers had adhered to; most
of them had large families, and since the land at home was filled,
while they now heard that a large part of the new world was
unsettled, they decided to disobey the bishop's advice and go to
the new Canaan, where flowed milk and honey."

[71] Especially in a German book on travels in America, see his
account, p. 21. Knud Langeland did not emigrate, however,
before 1843.

So far Langeland's account. While the evidence points to many causes as
operating conjointly toward bringing about the departure, in the spring
of 1837, of so many from Samnanger and from Voss, the influence of Nils
P. Langeland, already mentioned above, seems to have been a special
factor at this particular time. Nils Langeland was already then an
elderly man. He had devoted his life to the cause of popular education,
but the intolerant clergy of the time found him too liberal minded and
continually put obstacles in his way. Although he was supported by a
group of faithful friends, his usefulness was hampered; discouraged at
last, he decided to leave his native country and go to America.

This was in the summer of 1836. In the fall of that year, Captain
Behrens returned with the bark, _Aegir_, from America, whither he
had carried a cargo of freight in the summer. Langeland's friends
had already sold their homes and were preparing to emigrate. Hearing
of this, Behrens decided to convert his bark into a passenger boat,
and he offered to take them to America the next spring; the offer
was accepted. While preparations were going on, the announcements of
the projected sailing, which had been printed in the newspapers, led
intending immigrants from other sections, also, to join the party.
Among these was Ole Rynning, from Snaasen, in Trondhjem Province, of
whom we shall speak more at length below.

On the 4th of July, 1837, _Aegir_ sailed from Bergen with eighty-two
passengers. Among these were Mons Aadland, Nils Fröland, Anders
Nordvig, Ingebrigt Brudvig, Thomas Bauge and Thorbjörn Veste, all of
whom had large families, and the following from Hardanger: Nils L.
Jördre, wife and six children, and Peder J. Maurset, wife and child,
from Ulvik Parish, and Amund Rosseland, wife and three children, Lars
G. Skeie, wife and two children, Sjur E. Rosseland and Svein L. Midthus
from Vikör. The last-named were the first to emigrate from Vikör. The
party further included Halle Væte, wife and grown daughter, and the
following persons: Odd J. Himle, Kolbein O. Saue, Styrk O. Saue, Nils
L. Bolstad, Baard Haugen, John H. Björgo, Ole Dyvik, all of whom were
married, besides several single men, mostly relatives of the above,
namely: Dövig, Bauge, Fröland, Nordvig, Hisdal, Tösseland, et al. Each
adult paid sixty dollars (Norwegian specie) for passage, children under
twelve paying half price. They arrived in New York eight weeks later.
The journey inland was attended by numerous expenses for which the
immigrants were not prepared. When they had gotten as far as Detroit,
the above-mentioned Nils P. Langeland found himself without the
necessary means to continue the journey. His friends who had offered to
pay his expenses as far as Chicago, at last became discouraged over the
constant demands upon their funds and Langeland was obliged to remain
in Detroit. Here, being a capable carpenter, he soon found work; later
he removed to Lapeer County, Michigan, bought there 120 acres of land,
plying at the same time the trade of a carpenter. Thus it came about
that Nils Langeland became the first Norwegian to settle in the State
of Michigan, though we have seen that Kleng Peerson had visited the
state four years earlier. At least three others of the immigrants of
1837 located temporarily in the State of Michigan that year, namely,
Ingebright Nordvig, Östen Espeland, who had come in _Enigheden_, and
Thorsten Bjaaland. These went to Adrian, Lenawee County, but left again
soon after. We shall meet Bjaaland again in La Salle County, Illinois,
and on Koshkonong Prairie.

CHAPTER XI

_Beaver Creek. Ole Rynning._

The immigrants who came in the _Aegir_ seem to have intended to settle
in La Salle County, but in Chicago were advised by two Americans not to
go there. They were also partly influenced by Norwegian immigrants[72]
who were dissatisfied with that locality, and who recommended Iroquois
County as a more desirable location to settle. They were told that the
Fox River Valley was a very unhealthy place, the settlers were dying of
ague and fever, and it was a misfortune that they had ever been induced
to locate there. (Knut Langeland also records the fact that the fever
raged in the whole of the Fox River Valley from Muskego, in Wisconsin,
to the Mississippi River in Illinois, that summer, but that the
condition in La Salle was no worse than elsewhere). So the intending
settlers deputed three men to explore the country for a site for a new
colony.

[72] Björn Anderson seems to have in part been instrumental in
their not going to La Salle County, but there is no evidence
that he recommended Iroquois County as far as I am aware.

These, Ole Rynning, Ingebrigt Brudvig and Ole Nattestad,[73] walked
south along the line of the present Illinois Central Railroad,
selecting the location at Beaver Creek in Iroquois County. Of the
further history of this unfortunate and short lived colony, the
reader may find an account in Dietrichson's brief discussion of the
settlement, or in Langeland's or R. B. Anderson's book. The majority of
the settlers died during the spring in the low and unhealthy climate.
Ole Rynning himself died and lies buried there. The few survivors
left for La Salle County the following spring. Mons Aadland refused,
however, to go. He remained in Beaver Creek three years longer; selling
his land in 1840 for a herd of cattle and, moving north, he located in
Racine County, being therefore one of the earliest pioneers in this
part of Wisconsin.

[73] Niels Veste may also have been of the party.

Ole Rynning's name is most closely associated with the brief history of
the Beaver Creek Settlement. We have already seen above how his book,
_Sandfaerdig Beretning om Amerika_, came to have a very far-reaching
influence upon Norwegian emigration. This book Rynning wrote that
winter in the Beaver Creek Settlement. It was printed in Norway the
next year. It soon became widely distributed and continued for over a
decade to exert a powerful influence upon Norwegian emigration from
Voss, east to Hedemarken, and north to Gudbrandsdalen, in these latter
provinces, at the close of the decade, especially.

We have, on page 86 above, observed that Rynning formulated certain
questions which he set about answering for the information of intending
immigrants. It will be of interest to note here the nature of some
of his answers. The first question as to the nature of the country,
he answers by giving a very intelligent account of the topography and
climate of the country, the soil in the different parts, and of what
the produce of the different sections consists. In answer to the third
question, he says that the United States is more than twenty times as
large as Norway, that the greater part of the country is not yet even
under cultivation, and that there is room for a population more than
a hundred times as great as that of Norway. There need be no fear, he
says, that the country will be full in fifty years.

The fourth question as to where the Norwegian immigrants have located
especially, he answers by saying, that in New York, Rochester, Detroit,
Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans, there are said to be individual
settlers; but he mentions four places where several have settled,
namely: (1) Orleans County, New York, but where, he says, there are now
only two or three families left; (2) La Salle County, Illinois, where,
he says, there are about twenty families; (3) White County, Indiana, on
the Tippecanoe River. "Here," he says, live "only two Norwegians from
Drammen, who, together, own about eleven hundred acres of land"; (4)
Shelby County, Missouri, where a few Norwegians from Stavanger settled
in the spring of 1837; (5) Iroquois County, Illinois. "Here," he says,
"there are eleven or twelve families of those who came last summer."

The sixth question as to the land in these localities, he answers by
praising the beauty and the fertility of the prairie. And as to the
price of land, he says, that it has hitherto been $1.25 per acre, but
that he has heard that hereafter land is to be divided into three
classes and the price of land of the third class is to be half a dollar
an acre. He then offers explicit directions as to how to go about
securing land. He thereupon gives the prices of livestock at the time,
and of produce, etc. A horse, we learn, costs from fifty to a hundred
dollars, a yoke of oxen, sixty to eighty. A milk cow with calf, sixteen
to twenty, a sheep, two to three, hogs are six to ten dollars a head,
pork costs three to five shillings a "mark," butter six to twelve, a
barrel of (wheat) flour, eight to ten dollars; a barrel of cornmeal,
two and a half to three dollars; a barrel of potatoes, one dollar; a
pound of coffee, twenty shillings; a barrel of salt is five dollars
(Norwegian). But in Wisconsin Territory, the prices are two to three
times higher, while farther south, everything is cheaper.

Then he speaks of wages, of religious conditions, law and order, how
instruction for the young is provided, linguistic conditions, health
conditions. He discusses life in the new settlements, its trials and
attendant evils. As to the Indians, he says: "They have gone farther
west; one need never fear attack by Indians in Illinois." In answer to
the question as to who should emigrate, he warns against unreasonable
expectations; advises farmers, mechanics and tradesmen to come, he who
neither can nor will work must never expect, he says, that wealth or
luxury will stand ready to receive him. No, in America one gets nothing
without work, but by work, one can expect to attain to comfortable
circumstances. He thereupon discusses the question of the dangers in
crossing the oceans, which, he says, are less than usually imagined,
and the rumor of enslavement of the immigrant. The latter he brands
as false, adding, "yet it is true that many who have not been able
to pay their passage, have come upon such terms that they have sold
themselves, or their service, for a certain number of years to some
man here in the country. Many are thereby said to have come into bad
hands, and have not had it better than slaves. No Norwegian, as far as
I know, has fared in this way, nor is it to be feared, if one crosses
by a Norwegian ship, and with one's own countrymen." In conclusion, I
shall cite his opinion on the slave trade which is interesting in the
insight and judgment it gives evidence of, on the part of an immigrant
over twenty years before the war:

The northern states are trying in every congress to abolish slavery
in the southern states; but as these always oppose it and appeal
to their right to govern their own internal affairs, there will
probably soon take place a separation between the northern and the
southern states, or else there will be internal conflict.

Ole Rynning was born in Ringsaker, as the son of Reverend Jens Rynning
and wife, Severine Catherine Steen, in 1809. In 1825, the father moved
to Snaasen. Having finished his education in 1829, he taught school for
a time. Then he bought a small farm[74] which he had to give up again,
not being able to pay for it. His ultra democratic sympathies were
displeasing to his conservative father, and an unhappy love affair,
which his father disapproved of as being a mesalliance, seems, at
least, to have been, in part the cause of his leaving Norway. We have
recited, briefly, his short career in America.[75] Of his nobility of
character and the self-sacrificing spirit he showed in helping the
grief-stricken and suffering colonists in the unfortunate Beaver Creek
Settlement, in the spring and summer of 1838, his surviving associates
give ample testimony. His book, _Sandfaerdig Beretning_, was written
on the sick-bed.[76] When he died, there was only one man in the
settlement who was well enough to make a casket for him from an old oak
which he hewed down. Rynning was buried out on the prairie, but no one
knows now where the spot is.

[74] This he bought of the father of Rev. B. G. Muus, well-known in
Norwegian-American church history, and a long time pastor at
Norway, Goodhue County, Minnesota.

[75] See above p. 103.

[76] Ansten Nattestad, of whom below, took it with him to Norway
that year and got it printed in Christiania.

CHAPTER XII

_Some of the Immigrants of 1837. The First Pathfinders
from Numedal and Telemarken._

Besides the 177 immigrants, who came to America from Stavanger and
Bergen in 1837, there was a considerable number who embarked from
Gothenburg, Sweden. These came mostly from Numedal and Telemarken in
the south central part of Norway.

Among the immigrants of 1837 were, also, the brothers, Ole and Ansten
Nattestad, from Vægli, Numedal, both of whom came via Gothenburg, and
Hans Barlien, who emigrated with _Enigheden_. These men played such a
part in the immigration history of the period as to deserve something
more than a mere mention.

Ansten Nattestad may be regarded as the father of the emigration
movement from Numedal, Norway, from which some of the most successful
Norwegian settlements in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, were later
recruited. His brother, Ole Nattestad, became the founder of one of
these settlements, that of Jefferson Prairie, in Rock County, Wisconsin
(also extending into Illinois); while Hans Barlien founded the first
Norwegian settlement in Iowa, at Sugar Creek, Lee County. Of the
circumstances which led to the emigration of the Nattestad brothers, an
interesting account appears in _Billed-Magazin_, 1869, pages 82-83.
This, which is an interview with Ole Nattestad, has been reprinted in
other works and I shall not take the space for it here. We may note,
however, that they had received their first news of America upon a
journey to the neighborhood of Stavanger in the close of 1836. During
Christmas of that year, they were the guests of Even Nubbru in Sigdal,
a member of the Storthing, and it was his praise of American laws which
first aroused Ole Nattestad's desire to emigrate, as he had already had
some unpleasant experiences in that respect.

In April, 1837, they stood ready to leave for America, having converted
their possessions into cash, a sum of eight hundred dollars. They
went on _skis_ from Rollaug to Tin, over the mountains and through
the forests to Stavanger. Halsten Halvorson Brække-Eiet, also from
Rollaug, became a third member of the party. In Stavanger, local
official hostility to emigration led them into difficulties, and they
were forced to seek safety in flight by night. They went to Tananger,
where they were more successful, a skipper contracting to take them in
his yacht to Gothenburg. In Gothenburg, they secured passage with a
ship which carried iron from Sweden to Fall River, Massachusetts. The
journey lasted thirty-two days. Thence, they went to New York, where
they met a few Norwegians, and thence again to Rochester. Here they
spoke with several members of the sloop party of 1825, now living in
Rochester, and they were, for a short time, the guests of Lars Olson,
as so many others of the immigrants of those years. Hearing that those
who had come to America in 1836 had gone west to La Salle County, they
decided to go there. In Detroit, Ole Nattestad was one day walking
about to view the city, and he says:

Here I accidentally came upon a man, whom I immediately recognized
by his clothes as a countryman from the western coast of Norway. I
greeted the man, and the meeting was for us both as if two brothers
had met after a long separation.

This man was one of the passengers on the _Aegir_, who had just then
arrived in Detroit. The Nattestad party now joined these, all (except
N. P. Langeland and family, as we have seen, page 102 above), going
west to Chicago. Here they met Björn Anderson Kvelve, whose unfavorable
account of the Fox River locality first gave them some doubt as to the
wisdom of going there. Of the subsequent events, the reader has already
been told. We shall meet again with both Ole and Ansten Nattestad
below. Halsten Brække-Eiet later settled in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

Hans Barlien was from Overgaarden, Trondhjem; he seems to have been
the second emigrant to America from that region. Of him there will
be occasion to speak more in detail in connection with the first
Norwegian settlement in Iowa. I desire, here, however, to mention five
others, who came via Gothenburg to America in the same year, namely,
Erick Gauteson Midböen, Thore Kittilson Svimbil, and John Nelson Rue,
who had large families, and two single men, Gunder Gauteson Midböen
and Torsten Ingebrigtson Gulliksrud. These form the advance troupe
of emigrants from the Parish of Tin in Upper Telemarken, a region
which furnished a large share of recruits for the pioneer colonies
of Wisconsin and Iowa in the forties and the fifties. Thore Svimbil
became a pioneer in Blue Mounds, Dane County, where we shall find him
later. Erik Gauteson Midböen, who had a large family, settled in La
Salle County, but, says our authority, "fortune was not kind to him."
He later joined the Latter Day Saints and undertook a journey to Norway
as a representative of that church, returned to America and died soon
after, about 1850, as near as I can ascertain. Torsten Gulliksrud
also settled in Illinois, but died early. John Nelson Rue will appear
later in our account as one of the founders of the earliest Norwegian
settlement in Winneshiek County, Iowa.

We do not know what the circumstances were that led to the emigration
of this little group from Upper Telemarken in 1837. It seems not
unlikely that the news of America had come to them through copies
of letters from Hovland or others, though they may also have had
information more directly through Knud Slogvig's return. The latter
does not to me seem so likely, however, for they appear to have made
no attempt to secure passage from Stavanger. The departure of this
group from Tin does not seem to have had any immediate influence upon
emigration from that region. The real exodus from Tin does not begin
till 1839, and then as a part of the general movement, but this may
have been aided by letters from those who went thence in 1837. The
number that in this way took passage via Gothenburg that year may have
been larger than we have knowledge of. While the number, two hundred,
which our statistics, cited above, gives as that of the emigration from
Norway in 1837 is certainly rather low, it is highly improbable that it
was as high as three hundred, as elsewhere given. A conservative and
reasonable estimate would seem to place it at about two hundred and
forty or fifty.

Among the passengers on the _Aegir_, we mentioned Nils Fröland. He
was one of two, the other being Mons Aadland, to first join Nils P.
Langeland in his preparations for emigrating to America. With his
wife and children, he located at Beaver Creek, and they were among
the fortunate survivors of that colony. In 1839, he moved to Mission
Township in La Salle County, and to the present Miller Township the
next year. He died there in 1873. His widow (born 1798) was still
living in 1895. A grandson, Lars Fruland, resides at Newark, Illinois.

Anders Nordvig, who also came on the _Aegir_, died in the Beaver Creek
Settlement. His widow, a sister of Knud Langeland, moved to La Salle
County; she died there at the age of ninety in 1892. A daughter,
Malinda, married Iver Lawson (Iver Larson Bö), who came to Chicago
from Voss, Norway, in 1844. Victor F. Lawson, owner of _The Chicago
News_, is her son. Another daughter, Sarah (born 1824), married a Mr.
Darnell, a pioneer of Benton County, Iowa, in 1854. Mrs. Darnell was
the first Norwegian in that county. After Darnell's death, she returned
to Illinois, locating at Sandwich, De Kalb County.

Among the passengers on _Aegir_, Odd Himle, Baard Haugen, Ole Dyvik
and John Björgo went direct to La Salle County. The first of these
returned to Norway in 1844, and, while there, married Marie L. Jermo;
he returned to America in 1845, and settled on Spring Prairie in
Columbia County, Wisconsin, where we shall meet with him again. He died
in De Forest, Dane County, Wisconsin, in May, 1893. We shall also meet
John Björgo below as one of the pioneers of Koshkonong, Wisconsin.
Halle Væte died in Beaver Creek, as did his wife and grown-up
daughter. Kolbein Saue and Styrk Saue both went to Beaver Creek and
were among the survivors; they came to Koshkonong in 1843 and are to
be remembered among the early pioneers there. Styrk Saue was born in
Voss, September twenty-fifth, 1814; his wife, Ellen Olson (born Rekve),
was born in 1816. They were married in America. Nils Bolstad settled
in Koshkonong in 1840. He was one of a group of three to visit Dane
County, Wisconsin, on a trip of exploration in the fall of 1839, being,
therefore, the first Norwegians in that county.

Among the passengers on _Enigheden_ was Hans Valder and wife. He was
born on the farm, Vælde, in Vats Parish in Ryfylke in 1813. Having
received an education he taught school in Tysvæer some years before
emigrating. Here he heard much about the earliest emigration to America
from Stavanger. In Detroit, Valder and Östen Espeland separated from
the rest of the party and went to Adrian, Michigan. Thence they went a
few miles into the country in Lenawee County to visit a small Norwegian
settlement, whither Ingebrigt Larson Narvig had recently moved from
Monroe County, where he had settled in 1833.[77] In the spring of
1838 Valder left for La Salle County, Illinois. Here he lived until
1853, when he moved to what is at present Newburg, Fillmore County,
Minnesota, and became one of the earliest Norwegian pioneers in
Minnesota. Östen Espeland and family remained at the home of Narvig a
little longer than Valder, but then they also went to La Salle County.

[77] See above, page 101, for the circumstances of Narvig's coming
to Michigan.

Another passenger on _Enigheden_ was Christopher Danielson from
Aardal, in Lower Ryfylke. He was fifty-seven years old at the time of
emigrating, settled in Mission Township, La Salle County, where his
wife died a few years later. Danielson died of the cholera in 1849.
His son, Christopher Danielson (born in Norway), resides at Sheridan,
Illinois. Thomas A. Thompson, born 1812 in Skjold Parish, Ryfylke,
settled in Norway, La Salle County, Illinois. In 1867 he removed to
Adams County, Iowa, where he died in 1870. Lars Richolson and wife
also came in 1837, and settled near Ottawa in La Salle County. Lars
Richolson, as, indeed, several of the pioneers of these years, soon
became one of the substantial men of the community.[78] Ole Heier, who
also came in 1837, from Tin, Telemarken, located in La Salle County.
He had been an ardent Haugian, but became a Mormon in Illinois, and
later a Baptist. In 1868 he moved to Iowa, where he died in 1873. A
son, A. Hayer, lives in Leland, Illinois. Finally there came that year
Even Askvig with wife and children from Hjelmeland Parish in Ryfylke.
Settling first in Indiana (Beaver Creek) they removed the next year to
La Salle County, Illinois. Late in the forties they settled in Texas
and at last in 1852 the parents and a part of the family located in
southwestern Iowa, where Even Askvig died in 1875 and his wife in 1881.

[78] Attorney Samuel Richolson, of Ottawa, who died in 1906, was a
son of Lars Richolson. He was born March twenty-fifth, 1841,
on the homestead bought by his father in 1837-38. He was for a
long time member of the firm, Boyle and Richolson, in Ottawa,
was mayor of Ottawa from 1871-1881, at one time attorney
for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad. His widow,
Marietta Richolson, and two children are still living.

CHAPTER XIII

_Ansten Nattestad's Return to Norway in 1838. The
Year 1839. Immigration Assumes Larger
Proportions. The Course of Settlement
Changes._

The principal event in Norwegian immigration history for the year,
1838, is Ansten Nattestad's return to Norway. We have seen, above, page
103, that Ole and Ansten Nattestad left the Beaver Creek settlement in
the spring of 1838. Ansten went to Norway, as it seems, for the express
purpose of promoting emigration from Rollaug, Numedal, while Ole went
out to explore new fields. Going north as far as the Wisconsin line
he stopped in what is now Clinton Township in Rock County. This place
suited his fancy and he decided to settle here.

This was July first.[79] He entered a claim of eighty acres and
immediately set to work erecting temporary quarters. For a year he
lived alone, rarely coming in contact with a white man, and not seeing
anything of his own countrymen during all that time. "Eight Americans,"
he says, "had settled in the town before me, but these also lived
in about as lonely and desolate a condition as I. I found the soil
especially fruitful and the melancholy uniformity of the prairie was
relieved here by intervening bits of woods. Flocks of deer and other
game were to be seen daily, and the uncanny howling of the prairie wolf
constantly disturbed my night rest, until the habit fortified my ears
against disturbances of this kind." The following summer, Ole built a
cabin in which he received, as we shall see below, the first group of
immigrants into that country in the early fall of that year.

[79] According to Ole Nattestad's letter in _Nordlyset_ for May
eighteenth, 1848.

The year 1838 brought a small contingent of emigrants from Voss.
They were Steffen K. Gilderhus, Knud Lydvo, Ole Lydvo and Lars
Gjerstad.[80] Gilderhus went to Cleveland, Ohio, being, I believe,
the first Norwegian to locate there; he remained there only one year,
however, going to Chicago in 1839. We shall later find him among the
pioneers of Koshkonong, Dane County, Wisconsin. Knud and Ole Lydvo and
Lars Gjerstad went to La Salle County, Illinois, and thence to Shelby
County, Missouri, where the restless Kleng Peerson had the year before
gone in search of a new locality for a settlement in the southwest (see
below).

[80] As brought out by Nils A. Lie of Deerfield, Wisconsin.

Before passing on to the emigration of 1839, it will be in order to
speak briefly of a small group of emigrants from Numedal in the year
1838. The name of the leader was Ole Aasland, a wealthy farmer of
Flesberg Parish. He sold out his farm and, taking with him his family
and about twenty other persons, whose passage he paid for, he sailed
from Tönsberg, via Gothenburg, and thence to New York. He then went
to Orleans County, New York.[81] Here it seems he fell into the hands
of speculators, who sold him six hundred acres of marsh land in Noble
County, Indiana, for a very high price. He removed to that place soon
after, it seems, with most of those whom he had brought from Norway.
Sickness set in, brought on by the swampiness of the region, and
many of his party died. He thereupon (next year) abandoned the land,
taking with him the survivors. In the Kendall Settlement, Andrew J.
Stangeland bought the land of him for a nominal price.[82] Aasland, who
changed his name in this country to Orsland, lived on the so-called
Norwegian Road in Kendall, till his death, about 1864. In Kendall, he
accumulated considerable property. He left a wife and four children,
Canute Orsland, and Harry B. Orsland (born 1828 in Kendall), the former
occupying the old homestead as late as 1895, and Hallock Orsland living
in Detroit, where a daughter is also living. Let us now turn to Ansten
Nattestad's journey.

[81] The Kendall Settlement.

[82] Aasland did not take anything for it, says Canute Orsland in
letter of 1895 to R. B. Anderson; letter is printed on page
265 of _First Chapter_.

According to Nattestad's own account he went back to Norway in the
spring of 1838 via New Orleans and Liverpool. In Drammen he had printed
his brother's journal, _En Dagbog_, and Rynning's book was printed
in Christiania. He speaks of the great interest that these pamphlets
aroused as well as that of his own return. He says:

"The report of my return spread like wild fire throughout the
country, and an incredibly large number of people came to me to get
news from America. Many even travelled eighteen to twenty Norwegian
miles to speak with me. It was impossible to answer all the letters
that came with reference to conditions across the ocean. In the
spring of 1839 about one hundred persons stood ready to go with me
across the ocean. Among these were many farmers with families, all
except the children able to work and in their best years."

There were, moreover, a host of people from Telemarken and Numedal, who
could not accompany him, as there was no more room in the ship.

In the meantime these people from Telemarken, not to be deterred long
in their plans to go to the New World, immediately set about organizing
their party and went to Skien to seek passage there. They were all
from Tin and Hjertdal parishes in Upper Telemarken. The leaders of the
party were the Luraas family, which was represented by four heads of
families, in all about twenty persons of the total number of forty,
composed almost exclusively of grown men and women. They embarked at
Skien, May seventeenth, somewhat earlier than the party from Numedal
and arrived in America before, hence it is to this group that we shall
now turn our attention, leaving for the time being Nattestad and his
party. The Luraas party was in all composed of eleven families,
most of them being from Tin Parish. We have already, under Causes of
Emigration, spoken briefly of John Luraas, who perhaps was the chief
promoter of this emigration.

The party consisted of John Nelson Luraas, Knut Nelson Luraas,
Halvor Östenson Luraas, Torger Östenson Luraas, Halvor T. Lönflok,
Halvor Nelson Lohner, Helge Mathieson, Ole Hellikson Kroken, Östen
Möllerflaten, Ole Kjonaas, Nils Johnson Kaasa, and the latter's
brother, Gjermund Johnson Kaasa, all of whom had families, besides
three unmarried men, namely, Nils, Ole and John Tollefsjord. The
Kaasa brothers were from Hiterdal; the rest I believe were all from
Tin Parish. In Gothenburg they met another small company of Norwegian
emigrants, who had just arrived there from Stavanger, bound for
America. This party included Gitle Danielson, the leader of the party,
from the island of Rennesö, a little north of Stavanger, and who had
a large family, Halvor Jellarviken, with family, and Peder Rosöino,
both with families, Erik Svinalie and sister; the party also included
John Evenson Molee from Tin in Telemarken, who was at that time in the
service of Gitle Danielson. In all there were now about sixty. The
journey across the Atlantic took nine weeks and the journey from Boston
to Milwaukee took another three weeks. The latter led by way of New
York and then by canal boats, pulled by horses, to Buffalo; thence by
way of the Great Lakes to Milwaukee, the most common westward route
for the early immigrants. This was at the close of August. It was the
intention of the emigrants to settle in La Salle County, Illinois; but
in Milwaukee they were induced to remain in Wisconsin, and a site for a
settlement was selected near Lake Muskego in the southeastern part of
Waukesha County, about twenty miles southwest from Milwaukee.

A story is told how it came about that they did not go to Illinois
as originally intended. A good-natured fat man is said to have been
pointed out to them as the product of Wisconsin. On the other hand
Illinois was described as a hot and unhealthy region in substantiation
of which a pale, sickly man was presented as the result of life in that
state. Whether this was done or not I do not know; but the story may
serve as an illustration of frontier humor and immigrant credulity both.

Suffice it to say that the people of Milwaukee succeeded in diverting
the immigrants from Telemarken from going any farther, but selected a
site for a settlement, as we have said, near Lake Muskego in Waukesha
County. Then they returned to Milwaukee to perfect their purchase
of land there, the price paid being the usual one of a dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre.

Before reciting further the fortunes of this group of immigrants, the
first to enter the State of Wisconsin, let us turn for a moment to a
consideration of the larger movement. With the year 1839, emigration
from Norway begins to assume larger proportions, and certain districts,
which hitherto had sent very few, now begin to contribute the larger
share of the number of emigrants to America. This year may very
properly be said to have inaugurated the second period in Norwegian
immigration history. Down to 1839 the immigration movement in Norway
had not really gone beyond the provinces of Stavanger and South
Bergenhus in southwestern and western Norway. Indeed, nearly all of
the emigrants had come from these sections. In fact, before 1836 the
movement was almost confined to Stavanger and Ryfylke. In that year
it reaches Hardanger, and in 1837, Bergen. It does not reach Voss
properly before 1838, although Nils Röthe and wife had emigrated from
there in 1836. In 1837, as we have seen, the first emigrant ship, the
_Aegir_, left Bergen with eighty-four passengers. Before 1839 we meet
with occasional individual emigration from provinces to the east and
northeast. Thus Ole Rynning and Snaasen in Trondhjem Diocese emigrated
in the _Aegir_ in 1837. The first emigrants from Telemarken also came
in 1837. As we have seen above, 1837 is also the year which records
the first immigration from Numedal. Among the emigrants from other
parts of Norway prior to 1837 must be mentioned also Johan Nordboe,
from Ringebo in Guldbrandsdalen, who came in 1832 and resided for some
time in Kendall, New York, later going to Texas, and Hans Barlien from
Trondhjem County, who came to La Salle County in 1837. Neither of these
two men, however, were instrumental in bringing about any emigration
movement in Gudbrandsdalen and Trondhjem. It is not until a much later
period that these two districts are represented in considerable numbers
among emigrants.

It is the year 1839 in which emigration on a larger scale takes its
beginnings. Similarly, the year 1839 marks a change also in the
movement of the course of settlement. Down to this time all emigration
from Norway stands in direct relation to the movement which began in
Stavanger in 1825, and which in the years 1834-36 resulted in the
formation of the Fox River Settlement in La Salle County, Illinois.
This settlement then became the center of dispersion for what may be
called the southern line of settlements. All through the forties and
the fifties the southern course of migration westward, which includes
southern and central Iowa, stands in direct relation to early Norwegian
colonization in New York and Illinois,--that is the first period
of Norwegian emigration from the provinces of Stavanger and South
Bergenhus (and this province only as far north as Bergen, Voss being
excluded) in Southwestern Norway. In 1839 the first settlements are
formed in Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Muskego in Waukesha County,
and in Rock County; and in 1839-40 that of Koshkonong in Dane and
Jefferson Counties. These settlements then became a northern point
of dispersion. From here we have a second northern line of settlement
westward and northwestward into Northern Iowa, Minnesota, and the more
northerly localities of Wisconsin.

CHAPTER XIV

_Shelby County, Missouri. Ansten Nattestad's Return
from Norway in 1839. The Founding of the
Jefferson Prairie Settlement in Rock
County, Wisconsin._

Before returning now to the thread of our narrative, I wish to speak
briefly of an early effort, and the only one, before the fifties, to
found a settlement from the southern point of dispersion.

In 1837 Kleng Peerson, Jacob and Knud Slogvig, Andrew Askeland, Andrew
Simonson, Thorstein Thorson Rue, several of whom had families, and
about eight others, left La Salle County, went to Missouri and made
a settlement in Shelby County; this, however, proved unsuccessful,
principally on account of the lack of a market.

Peerson does not seem to have selected a very desirable locality, and
he did not possess the steadfastness of purpose that would seem to
be a prime requisite in the pioneer. He was too much of a lover of
adventure, and hardly was a plan brought to completion before his head
was again full of new dreams and fancies.

He was something of a Peer Gynt but without Peer Gynt's selfishness
or his eye for the main chance; the roving spirit dominated Peerson
wholly; not until old age had laid its hand on him did he yield to the
monotony of a settled life; but even then in the wilderness of Texas
in the fifties. I have personal information of his life there; he took
no part in the upbuilding of the community, no active interest in its
progress. In a settled community he alone was unsettled; he was never
able to gather himself together into concentrated action and prolonged
effort in a definite cause or undertaking. A vagabond citizen, he
died in poverty. The only activity we associate with his name is the
adventurous wanderings of his youth.

After having spent a year in Missouri Peerson returned to Norway,
evidently for the purpose of recruiting his colony, but I have no
evidence that he succeeded in this. Independent of Peerson's efforts,
the little colony did receive an accession of three in 1838, namely,
Knud and Ole Lydvo and Lars Gjerstad, and of one person in the fall of
1839, namely, Nils Lydvo, who had just come from Voss, Norway, with a
group of immigrants from that region, most of whom remained in Chicago.
The Shelby County settlement did not thrive. It was too far removed
from other settlers, too far from a market; the settlers suffered want
and became discouraged. The colony was practically broken up in 1840,
when most of the settlers removed north into Iowa Territory into what
is now Lee County. Here they established the first Norwegian settlement
in Iowa. Of this we shall have occasion to speak under the year 1840.
Let us now return to Ansten Nattestad and his party of emigrants, whom
we left above, page 119, as about to depart for America.

Ansten Nattestad's party of one hundred then sailed from Drammen by
the _Emelia_, Captain Ankerson, late in the spring of 1839. It was the
first time, says he, that the people of Drammen had seen an emigrant
ship. Every person paid thirty-three dollars and a half (specie); they
were nine weeks on the ocean, going direct to New York. They took the
usual route inland and arrived in Milwaukee just at the time when
the Luraas party had returned to Milwaukee to purchase land already
selected in Waukesha County, as we have seen above. They urged the
new arrivals to stop in Milwaukee and go with them to Muskego, but
Nattestad objected, and so they continued their journey to Chicago.

Here Ansten learned that his brother had located in Wisconsin the year
before. The party's destination was La Salle County, but this changed
the course of some of them. Some who had friends there did go to La
Salle County, a few remained in Chicago, especially single men, but
the majority went with Ansten to Clinton. All these (excepting some
to be noted below) bought land and began the life of pioneers there
in the fall of 1839 on what came to be known as Jefferson Prairie.
Besides Ole Knudson Nattestad and his brother Ansten, those who
founded this settlement were: Halvor Pederson Haugen, Hans Gjermundson
Haugen, Thore Helgeson Kirkejord, Torsten Helgeson Kirkejord, Jens
Gudbrandson Myhra, Gudbrand, Myhra, Erik Skavlem, the brothers Kittil
and Kristoffer Nyhus, and T. Nelson. Halvor Haugen did not come with
the Nattestad party, although he was in Drammen intending to sail on
the _Emelia_. Owing to lack of room about thirty persons, including
children, had to be left behind. Halvor Haugen has himself told (in
_Amerika_, September, 1907) of the coming of these. After several
days of waiting, they secured passage on a boat bound for Gothenburg,
Sweden. The journey went via Fredrikshald, where another stay of two
or three days took place. At Gothenburg a wait of ten days followed
before the brig _Bunyan_, on which they were to sail, was ready. "It
was certainly fortunate," says our narrator, "that people were not in
such haste then, or the repeated delays of several days duration would
have been the cause of much unpleasant irritation." Landing in Boston,
the immigrants travelled by rail to Providence, Rhode Island, thence by
steamboat to New York. Here they boarded the boat which was to carry
them to Albany. As they were told the boat was not to leave before
five o'clock in the afternoon most of the men of the party went ashore
again to purchase food. When they returned however the boat had sailed
having left at ten in the forenoon instead of five in the afternoon as
planned. Those left behind managed to reach their destination also,
though with many difficulties and unpleasant experiences. From Albany
they travelled by canal to Buffalo. "Of this part of the journey,"
says Haugen, "there is nothing to be said except that, like all other
earthly things, this also at last came to an end." From Buffalo the
journey went by steamboat to Chicago. They did not go thence to La
Salle County though undoubtedly intended originally to do so. I do not
know what changed their course, but on the next day after arriving in
Chicago, they went to Du Page County, Illinois, where a week later they
met those who had gone with Nattestad in Captain Ankerson's ship. The
party whose coming has thus briefly been related was composed of Halvor
Haugen, wife, three sons, Peder, Halvor and Andreas, and two daughters
Bergit and Sigrid; Halvor Stordok, Lars Haugerud, Gunder Fingalpladsen,
Engebret Sæter, Lars Dalen, Gjermund Johnson, and Sven Tufte, all of
whom also had families, besides some single persons. Halvor Haugen's
family and most of the party remained in Du Page County for a time,
and Peder Haugen and his brother Andreas and the two sisters secured
employment there. The father, however, went with Erik Skavlem to
Jefferson Prairie to help him build a house. At Christmas the rest of
the party also went to Jefferson Prairie. During the winter they all
lived in Skavlem's house. This house is described as follows:

"It was sixteen by sixteen and quite low. In order to add to room
'crowns' were erected overhead, that is, beams which were laid
crosswise near the ceiling. These beams were cut pointed at the
ends which were made to rest between the logs in the walls on
either side, like riders across the house. On top of these again
was laid flats, on which beds were arranged. Down below on the
floor there were also three beds."

A writer in _Amerika_, March first, 1907, quotes one of the immigrants
as speaking of the cramped quarters in the log cabin, in which the
whole party lived that fall and winter; room which to one family would
seem too small now. "How these settlers," he says, "could manage in
one log cabin a whole winter is a riddle to me." The following spring
Halvor Haugen also built a cabin which was always full as newcomers
were constantly arriving. At the same time other cabins were erected
by Kittil and Kristoffer Nyhus, Gudbrand and Jens Myhra, and Torsten
Kirkejorden. Two years later all of these built new and more commodious
houses.

The settlement thus founded exclusively by immigrants from the district
of Numedal has always continued to be recruited largely from that
region (see, however, below). In the following year a few more families
came from Numedal, while from 1841 the accessions were considerable
every year for a number of years. Among these is to be mentioned Bergit
Nelson Kallerud, from Vægli, who also came in the ship _Emilia_,
in 1839, but who does not seem to have gone directly to Jefferson
Prairie. She married Jens Gudbrandson Myhra at Christmas, 1839, while
his brother, Gudbrand Myhra, married Ambjör Olson (also from Vægli)
in 1840. The following year they, however, moved to the Rock Prairie
Settlement (see below), and in 1852 they settled in Mitchell County,
Iowa. In connection with the settling of this county we shall have
occasion to speak again more fully of them. Jens Myhra was born in
Vægli, Numedal, in 1812.

[Illustration: Map of Southern and Central Norway
See Appendix for names of parishes here numbered.]

Of the other founders of this settlement I may here add the following
facts. Ole Knudson Nattestad was born at Vægli, in Rollaug Parish,
December twenty-fourth, 1807. We have above given an account of his
settling at Clinton. In _Nordlyset_ for May eighteenth, 1848, there
appeared a communication from Nattestad relative to this occasion, in
which he rightly claims to have been the first Norwegian to settle
in the state. He married there Lena Hiser in 1840; he lived in the
settlement, as an influential, respected member of the community, till
his death, which occurred at Clinton, May twenty-eighth, 1886. His wife
died in September, 1888. They left seven children; Henry Nattestad,
the oldest, at present occupies the homestead. The other children are,
Charles (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), James (Dakota), Ann (Clinton),
Julia (Mrs. Martin Scofftedt Lawrence, Kansas), Caroline (Mrs. Louis O.
Larson, Clinton), and Eliza (Clinton). Ansten Nattestad was born August
twenty-sixth, 1813, the youngest of three brothers. Ole was the next
oldest.

Their father, Knud Nattestad, was a man of some means, but by the right
of primogeniture, the oldest inherited the estate and he remained
in Norway. Of these things and the early life of the two younger
brothers, Ole Nattestad gives an account in an interview printed in
_Billed-Magazin_, 1869, where also is a detailed account of Ansten
Nattestad's coming to America with his group of one hundred immigrants
in 1839. He also there, pages 107-108, gives a description of the
settlement as it was in 1869, and he has elsewhere in the columns of
that magazine made important contributions to the immigration history
of the years 1838-1840, which now are among the original sources of
material for a history of Norwegian immigration. Relative to the
further career of Ansten Nattestad I shall only add here that he became
one of the substantial members of this great and growing settlement, in
which he continued to live until his death on April eighth, 1889.

Hans G. Haugen was born at Vægli in Rollaug Parish in 1785. He was
an old soldier, having been in the Norwegian-Swedish War of 1814,
and having served in the Norwegian army for seven years. His wife,
whose maiden name was Sigrid Pedersdatter Valle, was born in January,
1803. The family consisted further of two sons, Gunnul and Gjermund,
the former born at Vægli, April twenty-eighth, 1827, the latter on
September nineteenth, 1836. The father, Hans Haugen, lived only a year
after coming to America; he died in October, 1840. In 1849 the widow
and two sons moved to Primrose, Dane County, Wisconsin, where we shall
meet with them again. Sigrid Haugen died in Beloit in 1885. It may be
added here that the family took the name of Jackson in this country. Of
the circumstances that led to the adoption of this name the son gives
an account which appeared in Anderson's _First Chapter_, etc., page two
hundred sixty-three.

Thore Helgeson Kirkejord[83] was born September twelfth, 1812;
married in 1837. They had one daughter, Christie, born 1849, and
who is married to Gunder Larson.[84] Thore Helgeson died in Clinton
in 1871. Christopher C. Nyhus (Newhouse) was born at Vægli in July,
1812. When he came to Clinton Township he first entered claim to
forty acres of land, which was later increased to a hundred sixty. He
married a daughter of Halvor Halvorson in the fall of 1843. They had
five children, Christopher, who died in infancy, Oliver, Christopher
2d, Torrena (Mrs. Gustav Nelson, Clinton), and Christiana. T. Nelson
settled on section twenty in 1839; he married Rachel Gilbertson that
year. They had five children. The son, T. T. Nelson, married Mary
Tangen of Manchester, Illinois, in 1872. They have two daughters, Anna
R. (b. 1875), Gertine (b. 1878).

[83] Whose name appears as Torro Holgeson in _The History of Rock
County, Wisconsin_, 1879, p. 780, to which work I am indebted
for some of the facts recited above.

[84] They again have four children. Mr. Larson enlisted in the 42d
Illinois Regiment, later transferred to the Mississippi Marine
Brigade, was at the battle of Vicksburg, served faithfully and
was honorably discharged.

CHAPTER XV

_The Earliest White Settlers on Rock and Jefferson
Prairies. The Founding of the Rock Prairie
Settlement. The Earliest Settlers on Rock
Prairie_

We have seen that when Ole Nattestad settled at Clinton on July first,
1838, the country was a wilderness, he being the only white man there.
He speaks, however, of eight Americans living some distance from him,
in similar condition. It was less than three years prior that the first
white settlers had located in the county. On the eighteenth day of
November, 1835, John Inman, of Lucerne County, Pennsylvania, Thomas
Holmes, William Holmes, and Joshua Holmes, of Ohio, Milo Jones and
George Follmer, settled on the site of the present city of Janesville,
opposite the "big rock."[85] This was the first settlement in Rock
County. Inman and William Jones had visited the locality and selected
this spot in July of that year. On this occasion they had camped on
the bluff on the Racine road. Our authority relates: "From this point
they saw Rock Prairie stretching away in the distance to the east and
south, till the verdant plain mingled with the blue of the horizon.
They saw before them an ocean of waving grass and blooming flowers, and
realized the idea of having found the real Canaan--the real paradise
of the world." They returned to Milwaukee, having in their ten days'
exploration of the Rock River Valley, found but one family, namely,
a Mr. McMillan, who resided where Waukesha now stands.[85] Somewhat
later in the year came Samuel St. John and his wife, the last being
the first white woman in the county. The next year there were several
new arrivals. On December seventh, 1836, townships one, two, three,
and four north of ranges eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, of
the fourth principal meridian, afterwards the eastern sixteen of the
present twenty townships of Rock County,[86] were taken from Milwaukee
County and constituted a separate county, called Rock. The county
took its name from the "big rock" on the north side of the river, now
within the city limits of Janesville, and an ancient landmark among the
Indians and the early traders.

[85] _History of Rock County_, p. 335.

[86] Avon, Spring Valley, Magnolia and Union being added in 1838.

All these earliest settlements (1836-1837) were made near and along
the Rock River. In 1838 there were four hundred and eighty settled
in this region chiefly, the centers of population being already then
Janesville and Beloit. Next follow Johnstown, Lima, and Milton, in the
northwestern part of the county, and Union. The region west of Beloit,
Newark, Avon, Spring Valley, was still wholly unsettled in the summer
of 1839. The Town of Bradford, the next north of Clinton, was first
settled by Erastus Dean, in 1836; there were very few before 1838.
The Town of Clinton, as originally organized (1842), comprised the
territory of the present town, the south half of Bradford, and portions
of Turtle and La Prairie.

The first actual settlement in the present township was made in May,
1837, on the west side of Jefferson Prairie, by Stephen E. Downer and
Daniel Tasker, and their wives, on the southeast side of the prairie.
In July, Oscar H. Pratt and Franklin Mitchell, from Joliet, Illinois,
made claims. These were the earliest. On the west side of the prairie
settlement was made in October, 1837, by H. L. Warner, Henry Tuttle,
Albert Tuttle, and Griswold Weaver. We recall that Ole Nattestad said
that when he came to Clinton on July first, 1838, there were eight
Americans living isolated at considerable distance from him. Nattestad
located on section twenty. Here Christopher Nyhus also settled, while
Thore Helgeson settled on section twenty-nine. Who the eight settlers
were that Nattestad met, remains somewhat uncertain, but it does not
seem unlikely that it was the four last mentioned, and some of the
first explorers, who are named as Charles Tuttle, Dennis Mills, Milton
S. Warner, and William S. Murrey.

The Town of Turtle, directly west of Clinton, was not organized
until 1846. The first settlers were S. G. Colley, who located on
section thirty-two, in the spring of 1838, and Daniel D. Egery, who
came there about the same time, locating on section thirty-six (to
Beloit, however, in 1837). Such were the beginnings of settlement east
of Beloit prior to Nattestad's coming, and it was still virtually
a wilderness when Ansten Nattestad's party came at the close of
September, 1839. West of Beloit, in the Town of Newark, the Norwegians
were the first, while in Avon and Spring Valley they were among the
earliest groups of settlers. It is the settlement of this region, and
especially the Town of Newark, to which we shall now turn.

We observed above that some of Ansten Nattestad's party who came to
Jefferson Prairie in September, 1839, did not remain there. These
went fourteen miles farther west and established a settlement in the
Township of Newark, which had not been settled by white men before,
while a few of the members of this latter party went south from there
eighteen miles, crossing the Illinois line, and located in the Township
of Rock Run, in Stephenson County, Illinois.

The founder of the Rock Prairie Settlement was Gullik Olson Gravdal, of
Vægli, Numedal; he emigrated from Norway with Ansten Nattestad in 1839.
He came directly to Jefferson Prairie, but did not remain there. With
Gisle Halland and Goe Bjöno he went west a distance to look over the
country, with a view to settling elsewhere. Having arrived at Beloit,
they managed here to secure a map and from it got some idea of where
government land was to be had. Then they continued their journey along
the Madison road seven miles farther west. Finally, he came to a place
which suited him, for he found, as he says, "good spring water, as
also prairie and woodland in the right proportion." Together with Lars
Röste, a single man from the Parish of Land, he then bought forty acres
of land.[87] Gisle Halland bought land one mile farther east, while
Goe Bjöno took a claim on a piece of land for Mrs. Gunhild Ödegaarden,
three miles south of the site selected by Gravdal.

[87] Röste later went back to Norway, however.

Gunhild Ödegaarden (who emigrated from Nore, annex parish in Numedal)
was a widow of considerable means, who had paid the passage of several
other persons. Her family, among whom were grown sons and daughters,
emigrated with her to America in the Nattestad party and came directly
to Jefferson Prairie. Immediately after Bjöno's purchase of land for
her in Newark Township she, with family, moved out there and had a log
cabin erected, this being the first dwelling built in that township.
This statement is based upon the authority of Gravdal himself, as
printed in an interview on page 162 of _Billed-Magazin_ for 1869. _The
History of Rock County_ agrees in this statement that Mrs. Ödegaarden's
log cabin, built in the fall of 1839, was the first house erected in
the Town of Newark. Gunhild Ödegaarden's name appears regularly as Mrs.
Gunale (or Gunile). She is there mentioned several times, her family
being extensively intermarried with the old pioneer families in the
settlement.[88] Gravdal completed the erection of a cabin late in the
fall, and his family having been left on Jefferson Prairie, he brought
them to Rock Prairie in the latter part of November (_Billed-Magazin_,
1869, page 162).[89]

[88] Thus Ole Gulack Gravdal, son of Gullik Gravdal, married Juri
Ödegaarden (given as Juri Gunale in _The Rock County History_)
in 1855.

[89] There can be no doubt as to the correctness of the facts
as here given. It has also been said that Lars Skavlem's
house was the first to be erected, and J. W. C. Dietrichson
erroneously even names him as the first Norwegian in Rock
Prairie.

That same fall Gisle Halland married Margit Knudsdatter Nösterud
from Rallaug Parish, Numedal, being obliged to go as far south as
Rockford, Illinois, to get the ceremony performed. Their oldest child,
Kristine, born in the fall of 1840, was the first white child born in
that township. Gravdal, speaking of those days, says: "When I located
in this region, the whole country to the west was a desert. I do not
know whether there lived white people anywhere between my home and the
Mississippi. The same was also the case toward the north; however,
about seven miles west (east?) from my home two Yankees had settled in
the wilderness. The Indians were still lords of these regions. They
often visited us in our houses, but they were always friendly and
courteous. We were never molested by the wild son of the desert. There
was at this time an abundance of game; we saw stags in large herds,
and prairie chickens literally swarmed." There seem to have been no
fresh accessions of settlers until the spring of 1841. Then Lars H.
Skavlem arrived and located on section eleven. Gullik Knudson Laugen
also came at the same time, and not long after several Americans moved
in. Both Skavlem and Knudson had come to America in 1839, having been
members of Nattestad's party. Skavlem had, in the interval, lived on
Jefferson Prairie. Gullik Knudson had remained in Chicago, as had also
Gunnul Stordok, securing work there,[90] as did also two girls from
Numedal, to whom they were engaged in Norway. These two couples were
married the following winter, and, having saved some money from their
small earnings, they decided to buy a home somewhere in the Norwegian
settlement in Rock County. Knudson relates: "I walked about several
days to find a location for a home, and at last came to a place on
the verge of a prairie, where a rushing spring of water poured out of
the ground. Here I decided to build and live, and I called the place
_Springen_ (the spring). The land about was like a desert; barring the
four Norwegians who had come before me, there were no settlers. Toward
the west one had to travel twenty-two miles to find white people. It
was fortunate that there was an abundance of game, for what we secured
by hunting was the sustenance on which we chiefly relied during the
winter." He tells how, with the first fall of snow, he and another[91]
walked on _skis_ to Beloit to buy flour, and how the tracks left in the
snow by the skis had aroused considerable wonder and speculation among
the Americans about there, who afterwards discovered the tracks, and
that it became the subject of extensive discussion as to what unknown
monster could have left such tracks. Beloit, he says, consisted then of
a mill, a hotel, two stores, and a few laborers' cottages.

[90] His wages were from six to ten dollars a week.

[91] Whom we now know to have been Hellik Glaim.

From the fact of his location near the big spring, "Springen," as
Knudson called it, he came to be called Gullik Springen; his sir name,
Laugen, he no longer used, but wrote himself Gullik Knudson. Here
by this spring, Knudson built a hut of shrubs, thatched with straw,
in which they lived for three months while the log cabin was being
built.[92] The flat cover of a chest, brought from Norway, served for
a table, and the cooking was done on the ground. In December the log
cabin was ready. Gunnul Stordok and wife, who did not come to Newark
until September, lived with Knudson during the first winter, after
which they removed to Illinois.[93]

[92] This log cabin is still used as a chicken house on the old
Springen homestead.

[93] _The Rock County History_ says of Stordok: "He and his family
lived in a haystack for three months until they had completed
a log cabin" (page 774). As we have seen, it was not a
haystack they lived in. Stordok's family consisted, as yet,
only of himself and wife.

In the summer of 1841 a considerable number of Knudson's acquaintances
from Norway came; these found a temporary home with Knudson, sharing
in his genuine pioneer hospitality. Among them were Halvor Skavlem
and his wife, Berit, the daughter, Kari, and two sons, Ole and Paul
Skavlem, the latter with wife and child, Bessie. Halvor Skavlem died
one week after their arrival. The son Paul bought land; Ole first,
however, went to Mineral Point, in Dodge County, returning, however,
later; he settled near Orfordville. Another of this group was Halvor
Nilson Aas, who, with his family, settled near Gravdahl, in Newark
Township. Knut Kristensen also came in 1841 and located on section
eleven, erecting a log cabin there. Finally, Ole Halvorson Valle, who
later moved to Iowa, was among this number.

Several of those who had come to Jefferson Prairie in 1839 removed to
Rock Prairie in the summer of 1841. Thus, Hellik Glaim, Lars Skavlem,
and the latter's three brothers, Gullik, Gjermund, and Herbrand; these
all moved there upon their father Halvor's arrival from Norway that
summer. Hellik N. Brække and Nils Olson Vægli came directly from Norway
in 1841. The last mentioned was from Vægli Annex to Rollaug Parish in
Numedal. He was born at Vægli Parsonage and was therefore often called
Nils Prestegaard. He lived at Gravdal's the first winter; the following
summer he, with two others, Paul Skavlem and Hellik Brække, bought a
quarter section of land together in section thirty-two in Plymouth
Township. Nils Vægli was married in 1844 to Kari Skavlem, daughter
of Halvor Skavlem; they went to Koshkonong, in Dane County, to be
married by Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson, who had just come there from
Norway. They were one of the first couples to be married by him. Hellik
Brække sold out his share in the land, and in 1852 moved to Mitchell
County, Iowa. Lars Skavlem bought land and settled near Halvor Aas,
whose daughter (Groe Nelson) he married in 1844; hence, he was also
called Lars Aas. He later bought his father-in-law's farm, the place
being called "the Skavlen farm" (Skavlenfarmen). Gullik Skavlem bought
land three miles east of Gisle Halland in Beloit Township, about three
miles from Beloit; he, however, moved to Mitchell County, Iowa, in the
fifties.[94] Hellik Glaim had stopped in Chicago till 1840, when he
came to Rock Prairie. Ten years later he sold out and moved to Fillmore
County, Minnesota.[95]

[94] Of these various removals to Mitchell County, Iowa, I shall
speak more fully in the proper place.

[95] Glaim located at Hanley Falls, Minnesota, in 1866.

The above is a brief record of the beginnings of the Rock Prairie
Settlement. Of some of the founders of this settlement, which, in a few
years, became one of the most prosperous in the state, I may here add:

Gullik Gravdal, the nestor of the settlement, was born in Vægli,
Numedal, in 1802; he died in 1873, leaving widow, a daughter, Sarah,
and two sons, Ole and Tolle. Ole Gravdal was born in Norway in
1830; he married Jöri Ödegaarden in 1855, after which he lived for
thirteen years in Beloit, then removed to Newark Township. He is at
present living in Beloit, Wisconsin. Ole Gravdal dropped the latter
name and used the patronymic Gulack. Tolle Gulack Gravdal was born
in 1833. He married Bessie Skavlem, daughter of Paul H. Skavlem, in
1857. They lived on the farm in Newark until 1894 (Tolle having lived
there fifty-five years), in which year they moved to Beloit. He died
in September, 1903, leaving a widow and two children, a son, Gilbert
Gravdal, in Newark Township, and a daughter, Mrs. C. E. Inman, in
Beloit. A son, Henry, died in 1902, and a daughter, Nellie (Mrs.
W. O. Hanson), died in the summer of 1903. _Amerika_ for September
twenty-fifth, 1903, prints an obituary notice of Tolle Gravdal,
according to which his death was sudden, being stricken as he was
at work. The notice says, "he was one of those who had tried the
privations and the trials of pioneer life, and he was always ready
to extend a helping hand to all who needed it. He enjoyed universal
respect and love for his sincerity and his integrity and his lovable
nature." Sarah Gravdal, daughter of Gullik Gravdal, married Halvor
Halvorson (son of Cleophas Halvorson), of Newark Township, in 1869.

Hellik Nilson Brække married a sister of Reverend C. F. Clausen's
wife; in 1852 he joined the latter's colony of settlers in Mitchell
County, Iowa. Lars Skavlem was born in 1819. He married Groe Nilson
Aas in 1844; their children are Halvor, Bessie, Helen and Carolina.
The son, Halvor L. Skavlem, born 1848, is a farmer in Newark Township;
he married Cornelia Olmstead, in Plymouth, a granddaughter of Mrs.
Gunild Ödegaarden.[96] Gunnul Stordok moved to Rock Run (see below). It
seems that he had retained some of his land in Newark, for when Gunder
Knudson Springen (brother of Gullik Springen) came there in 1843, he
bought land then owned by Gunnul Stordok.

[96] They have two children, Lulu and Lewis.

We shall now leave, for the present, the Rock Prairie Settlement, and
observe what was taking place elsewhere during the period that has been
briefly sketched here.

CHAPTER XVI

_The Rock Run Settlement. Other Immigrants of
1839. The Immigration of 1840._

It has been stated that a settlement was also established in Illinois
about twenty miles southwest of Rock Prairie, the same year as the
latter was settled, _i. e._, in 1839. This came to be known as the
Rock Run Settlement, from the name of the town. It lies partly in
Stephenson, partly in Winnebago County. The locality is prairie,
relieved here and there by bits of timber land. The foundation of this
settlement is also to be accredited to an immigrant from Numedal,
who came on the _Amelia_, in 1839. His name was Clemet Torstenson
Stabæk, and he came from Rollaug Parish. With him three others located
there in the fall of 1839, namely, Syvert Tollefson and Ole Anderson,
from Numedal, and a Mr. Knudson, from Drammen. Stabæk was a man of
considerable means. He selected land in Winnebago County, near the
present village of Davis. His son, Torsten K. O. Stabæk (born in
Norway[97]) married Torgen Patterson, and they lived on the farm until
1884, when they moved to Davis.[98] Kristopher Rostad and wife, Kristi,
seem also to have moved to Rock Run before the close of 1839. In the
following summer came Gunnul Stordok, to whom we have referred under
the settling of Newark in Rock County. Stordok lived in Rock Run until
1870; he then moved back to Newark, where the rest of his relatives
who had come to America had settled.[99] Gunnul Stordok was born in
Rollaug, Numedal, in the year 1800; he married Mary Larson (of Rollaug)
before emigrating.

[97] Not on the homestead, as _History of Norwegians of Illinois_,
page 487, has it.

[98] In 1895 he organized the Farmers Bank of Davis, Illinois, of
which his son, C. O. R. Stabeck, is now cashier.

[99] When he returned to Newark in 1870 he bought two hundred acres
of land, for which he paid seven thousand dollars.

Among the earliest arrivals in the settlement subsequently was Halvor
Aasen, born in Numedal in 1823, and who came to America in 1841. For
two years after coming to this country he worked in the lead mines at
Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and at Galena, Illinois. In 1843 he married
Christie Olson, and bought a farm in Laona Township, Winnebago County,
whither he and his wife moved in 1844. Here they lived until their
death. She died in 1902, and he in March, 1905.[100]

[100] Their children are Ole Anderson and Andrew Anderson at Davis,
Illinois, and Mrs. O. H. Lerud at Lyle, Minnesota; four
children are dead.

The Rock Run Settlement was prosperous but did not grow to such
proportions as its sister settlements to the north. In later years many
of its earlier pioneers moved back to Rock County, as Stordok did,
and as Lars Rostad and family also did in the sixties. Among those
who located at Rock Run in the forties were Hovel Paulson (born 1817)
from North Land Parish, Norway, who located near Davis in 1846;[101]
Christian Lunde, also from Land, Norway, came to Rock Run in 1848 and
later moved to Goodhue County, Minnesota; Narve Stabæk, Torsten Knudson
and Nels Nelson, all three from Numedal; Gunder O. Halvorson, from
Kragerö; Svale Nilson, from Bukn Parish, Stavanger; Gunder Halvorson,
from Telemarken, and Lars O. Anderson. There appears a very brief
account of the Rock Run Settlement by Lars O. Anderson in _Nordlyset_,
under date of June second, 1848. According to this there were at that
time twenty families, twelve unmarried men over twenty years of age,
six unmarried women of over twenty years, while there were thirty-two
persons below the age of twenty. The whole settlement, he says, numbers
ninety persons and comprises 4,062 acres of land.

[101] He moved to the Old People's Home in Stoughton in 1903, where
he died in 1907, his wife having died in 1905. His only son
was killed in the Civil War.

We have followed somewhat fully the immigration movement in Numedal
and Telemarken in 1839, and we have also noted the fact that that year
records its contingent of emigrants also from Stavanger Province.
It remains here to note briefly the growth of the movement in Voss
and its spread elsewhere. Nils Lydvo came from Voss in 1839, and
went directly to his brothers, Knud and Ole Lydvo, in Shelby County,
Missouri. At the same time came Anders Finno, Lars Davidson Rekve, Nils
Severson Gilderhus, and Anfin Leidal; their destination was La Salle
County.[102] The party further contained Ole K. Gilderhus, Lars Ygre,
Anders Flage, Lars Dugstad, Knud Gjöstein, Anders Nilson Brække and
wife, Knud Brække and wife, Magne B. Bystölen, Anna Gilderhus, and Anna
Bakketun.

This party seems to have arrived in New York early in July, 1839, and
to have intended to go to Illinois. We shall meet with most of them
later as pioneers in Wisconsin settlements, but for a time many of them
remained in Chicago, so that in the fall of 1839 and the following
winter there was a considerable colony of Norwegian immigrants located
in Chicago. Nils A. Lie, of Deerfield, Wisconsin, writing of this
fact, says there were more Vossings in Chicago about 1840 than all
other Norwegians combined.[103] Among those who remained temporarily
in Chicago were Ole K. Gilderhus, Lars Ygre and Lars Rekve. The last
of these worked for a year on a steamer plying between Chicago and St.
Joseph, Michigan.[104] I shall give a brief sketch of him below, under
_Koshkonong_. Anders Finno went to Koshkonong, Dane County, in 1840,
but later settled in Blue Mounds, in the same county. In 1850 he went
to California with a group of gold seekers and has not since been heard
from by his compatriots.

[102] Where, however, they did not remain, as we shall see.

[103] _Bygdejaevning_, page 43.

[104] Anderson's _First Chapter_, page 330.

Anders Nilson Brække[105] was born at Brække, Voss, Norway, February
twelfth, 1818; he had married Inger Nelson in Norway. Brække located
permanently in Chicago, working at first for Mathew Laflin and John
Wright. He laid the foundation of his future fortune in 1845, when he
purchased some property on Superior Street, on part of which he built
the residence, where he lived until his death in 1887. He held many
offices of public trust in the discharge of which he was able and
unimpeachable in his honesty. Brække's first wife died early leaving
three children.[106] In 1849 he married Mrs. Julia K. Williams; three
children by this marriage are living.[107]

[105] Andrew Nelson Brekke.

[106] They are all dead long ago.

[107] A daughter of theirs is Mrs. J. A. Waite of the Anchor Line
Steamship Company. I am indebted to Strand's _Norwegians
in Illinois_ (page 215) for some of the facts of Brække's
personal history.

In the party of emigrants from Voss in 1839 were also Arne Anderson
Vinje (born 1820) and wife Martha (Gulliksdatter Kindem). From Vinje we
learn that the ship, on which the twenty emigrants from Voss came that
year, left Norway April sixteenth and that they arrived at Chicago in
September. Vinje located first in Chicago; soon after arriving he built
a log house, in which he and his wife lived during the first winter.
Anders Brække, it is said, assisted him in the erection of the log
house. During the winter Vinje worked on a road that was being laid out
on the west side; for this work he received sixteen dollars a month.
The next July however Vinje together with Per Davidson Skjerveim (who
had just arrived from Voss, Norway) each with his team of oxen left for
Hamilton Diggings in La Fayette. Here each took a claim of government
land; of this we shall speak more at length in the chapter on Wiota.

During the year 1840 emigration from Norway was rather limited. There
had been a considerable exodus in 1839 from Numedal and Telemarken. The
lull in 1840 may be explained by the fact that intending emigrants in
those regions were waiting for favorable news from their relatives and
friends who had gone the preceding year. The settlers at Muskego, on
Jefferson and Rock Prairies and at Rock Run had barely gotten located
when the winter set in. Communication was of course very slow, and
spring and early summer was the sailing season of Norwegian emigrants
in those days. The year 1840, however, brought its quota of arrivals
from Voss,[108] namely Kund J. Hylle, Ole S. Gilderhus, Knut Rokne,
Mads Sanve, Baard Nyre, Brynjolf Ronve, Torstein Saue, wife, and son
Gulleik,[109] Klaus Grimestad and wife, Arne Urland and wife, and Lars
T. Röthe; there were twenty in all in the party. All of these it is
said settled in Chicago.[110] They all came in Captain Ankerson's ship
_Emelia_, the same ship which carried Nattestad's party in 1839. They
were five months on this journey, arriving in Chicago in September. We
shall later meet with some of these elsewhere.

[108] As also from Drammen, see below, page 159.

[109] Father of Torger G. Thompson of Cambridge, Dane County,
Wisconsin.

[110] I gather most of these names from Nils A. Lie's account in
_Bygdejaevning_, pages 47-48.

A few other names from different parts of Norway are recorded among
the immigrants of 1839. We have observed above that Johan Nordboe of
Ringebo in Gudbrandsdalen had come to America in 1832. Though he wrote
letters home it does not seem that he succeeded in promoting emigration
from that section of Norway, except individually, and then not until
1839. In that year his friend Lars Johanneson Holo of Ringsaker,
Hedemarken, together with three grown up sons came to America.[111]
Holo did, however, not go to Dallas County, Texas, where Nordboe had
settled the year before, but he first located in Rochester, New York. A
man by the name of Lauman from Faaberg in Gudbrandsdalen also came with
him and went to Rochester. He, however, went west a few years later,
settling in Lee County, Illinois. Holo remained in Rochester two years,
he and his sons being employed there on the canal. In 1841 they went to
Muskego, where we shall find them in our next chapter.

[111] The route led by way of Havre and New York.

Among the immigrants of 1839 we find one man from Sogn, the first to
emigrate from that region to America. His name is Per I. Unde,[112] and
he came from Vik Parish in Outer Sogn. He lived in Chicago it seems,
the two first years he was in America. In 1841 his brother Ole Unde
arrived and the two went to La Fayette County; we shall speak of both
of these men later. Among the immigrants of 1839 who did not go to
Muskego I may here mention Knud Hellikson Roe and wife Anna and four
children who came from Tin, Telemarken. They went to La Salle County,
Illinois, where they lived till 1841; thence they removed to Racine
County and in 1843 went to Dane County, Wisconsin (see below).

[112] H. R. Holand writes of Per Unde in _Skandinaven_ for July
seventeenth, 1908, stating that he came in 1842. Unde's
nephew, Jacob Unde of Sherry, Wisconsin, contributes in a
later issue of _Skandinaven_ some corrections, among them
that Per Unde came in 1839.

Ole H. Hanson and wife also from Tin, Telemarken, came in 1839. They
settled at Indian Creek, near where now stands the village of Leland,
La Salle County, Illinois. The first winter they lived in a dugout on
the same spot on the homestead where the residence now stands. Mrs.
Hanson died in 1842, Mr. Hanson died three years later. The children
were Ole, known as Ole H. Hanson, Alex, Betsey, Helen, and Levina.
Ole Hanson assumed charge of the homestead and lived there and near
Leland till his death in December, 1904. In 1855 he married Isabella
Osmundson, who died in 1873. They had six children, one of whom is C.
F. Hanson,[113] State's Attorney, of Morris, Illinois.

[113] To whom I am indebted chiefly for the family history. Alex
Hanson lives at Ellsworth, Iowa.

CHAPTER XVII

_The Settlement of Norway and Raymond Townships,
Racine County. The Founders of
the Settlement. Immigration to
Racine County in 1841-1842._

We have seen how in the fall of 1839 the Luraas brothers established
a colony near Lake Muskego in the present Waukesha (then Milwaukee)
County. The locality was illy selected, being low and marshy. It was in
the first place unhealthy and the settlers suffered much from malaria.
Furthermore it was very heavily covered with timber and the soil which
was clay yielded but small returns for their labor. The settlers
therefore found it difficult enough to make a living.

As early as the next spring several moved farther south into Racine
County, where the conditions were more favorable and where a thriving
settlement grew up in a few years. The old settlement ceased to become
the objective point of intending emigrants from Telemarken. After the
cholera year 1849 most of those who survived moved away.[114] The
southern extension of the settlement, which took its root at Wind Lake
in Norway Township, later spread out so as to include the townships
of Yorkville, Raymond and Waterford all in Racine County. The old
name, "Muskego," was retained as the designation of the new as well as
the old settlement, although the settlement in Racine County is now
often referred to as "Yorkville Prairie." It is the beginnings of this
settlement to which I shall now turn.

[114] The editor of _Billed-Magazin_ writes, page eleven of volume
I, that at that time (1869) Kittil Lohner and his brother
Halvor Nilson Lohner, from Hjertdal, Telemarken, and the
family of Gisle Danielson, from Skjold, were still living in
the settlement. The rest were dead or had moved away. But
Knud J. Bæckhus, from Hjertdal, and Ole Kjonaas, from Bö, had
settled west of the colony in the town of Vernon.

The founders of the settlement at Wind Lake in the Town of Norway
were Sören Backe, son of Tolleff O. Backe a merchant of Drammen, and
Johannes Johanneson. The latter was a clerk in the employ of Tollef
Backe of Drammen, whom he latter deputed to accompany his son to
America. He was a man of about forty years of age, of strong character
and moral principles. He had some knowledge of the English language,
having once lived for a short time in England. Sören Backe was a young
man, evidently of little promise, whom the father sent to America
ostensibly that his ambition might be kindled by American opportunities
and by being placed upon his own responsibility. In company with them
came also a third man, of whom I shall speak again in a later chapter,
namely Elling Eielson Sunve from Voss, a lay preacher and the noted
founder of the "Ellingian" sect of the Lutheran Church. These three
left Drammen in the summer of 1839, and arrived in La Salle County in
the fall of that year. The forest land had all been taken and was now
occupied by settlers, and Johannesen seems to have been suspicious of
the prairie, where land could still be had.

A contributor to the _Billed-Magazin_ for 1869 says that the conditions
of distress, the winter storms and the extreme cold on the prairies
were the things that influenced them to seek a locality for a
settlement elsewhere, and that they did not go north to Racine County
until the spring of 1840. He says: "Early the next spring they walked
north and came as far as to Wind Lake, where there was then a single
settler, an Irishman. Here in the primeval forest, on the shores of the
little lake they had found what their hearts desired; and they bought
the piece of ground which the Irishman was cultivating, and Backe chose
this place as his home." It is to be noted, however, that K. Langeland
in _Nordmaendene i Amerika_ says that they remained in La Salle County
only a few weeks and went north to Wisconsin that same fall (page
forty-three).[115] Langeland adds further, that they dug a cellar in an
Indian mound in which they lived during the winter.

[115] Professor Anderson accepts unreservedly the authority of
_Billed-Magazin_ in the matter and decides for the date 1840.

In touching upon these facts in my article on "The Coming of the
Norwegians to Iowa"[116] I did not hesitate to accept this as correct,
and I must now adhere to this view. My reason is that as early as the
middle of the summer of 1840 a small group of emigrants were ready
to leave for America with the view of settling at Wind Lake, having
received letters from Backe and Johannesen, urging them to come there.
Had these not located at Wind Lake before the spring of 1840 the time
would have been insufficient for the second party at Drammen to have
not only received word from America but also to have made all necessary
arrangements preparatory to emigrating. I assume then that it was about
December 1839 that Backe and Johannesen located in Norway Township. I
am inclined to think, however, that Elling Eielson remained in the Fox
River Settlement during the winter, and that he came to Wind Lake in
the spring of 1840. During that spring and summer the brothers John,
Torger, Halvor, and Knut Luraas, with their families, as also Gjermund
Johnson Kaasa, located in Norway Township. Nelson Johnson Kaasa, who
had emigrated in the Luraas party in 1839, remained in Milwaukee for
three months and moved to the settlement in November, 1840.

[116] In _The Iowa Journal of History and Politics_, 1905, page 360.

Among the immigrants of 1837, who went to the ill-fated Beaver Creek
Settlement in Iroquois County, Illinois, was Mons K. Aadland. We have
already observed that he was the last one to leave Beaver Creek. He
with family also came to Racine County in the summer of 1840. He
however selected a locality on the prairie east of the Indian mound,
buying a farm of a hundred and sixty acres on section thirty in
Raymond Township. This part of the settlement came to be known as North
Cape. The nucleus of the later extensive settlement had then assumed
considerable proportions by the fall of 1840; but new accessions were
soon to come.

Backe and Johannesen decided to write to friends in Norway and their
letters were productive of results. In the summer of 1840 a party of
about thirty persons stood ready to emigrate to the settlement in
Wisconsin. The leader of these was Even Hanson Heg, the keeper of a
hotel at Lier in Drammen, who sold out his property and with his wife
and four children came with this party. Other members of the party
were: Johannes Evenson Skofstad, Syvert Ingebretson Narverud, Helge
Thomson, Ole Anderson, all from Drammen and all of whom had families,
Ole Hogenson and family from Eggedal, and Knut Aslakson Svalestuen from
Vinje, Telemarken. All these came to Wind Lake and located there in the
autumn of 1840.

Sören Backe seems to have been a man whose generosity was as remarkable
as his lack of business ability. His father, a man of considerable
wealth, had supplied his son generously with funds upon his departure
for America. Sören Backe evidently loaned money very liberally to
those of his countrymen who were in need, and there were many of these
here as in all pioneer communities. It is said that when his funds
were used up he made a journey to Norway for more money. With this he
purchased land, which he let out on easy terms to new comers from
Norway. It was Johannesen who had charge of these transactions in which
it seems Even Heg was a partner with Backe. Johannesen is described as
a devout christian, a zealous adherent of the Haugian tendency, and in
every way a noble character. As we have seen, the settlement developed
rapidly, and it continued to grow for many years. Backe and Johannesen
then joined partnership and started a store; for this purpose an
Indian mound was excavated, the walls were sided with boards, and this
structure, which was partly underground, served as store, living room
and kitchen combined. Their stock of goods was shipped from Milwaukee,
itself then only a village of one or two stores, a hotel and half a
dozen pioneer cabins. Backe and Johannesen continued their business
together for about three years when Johannesen fell ill and died (in
1845). That same year Backe returned to Norway and settled on his
father's farm Valle, in Lier, near Drammen.

Even Heg was a leading spirit in the settlement in Norway and
surrounding townships during his life-time. Much has been written
about him and I shall not here repeat the eulogies elsewhere voiced
in his honor. After Johannesen's death it was Heg upon whom the
settlers in the early days of the colony leaned for advice and it was
Even Heg to whom every new arrival from Norway to the colony came for
help and counsel. His hospitality and his resourcefulness in the aid
of his compatriots was boundless. Heg's barn, where large parties
of immigrants were received every summer, and in which they were
permitted freely to make their home during the first weeks after the
long and arduous journey, is famed throughout many an early settlement
in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. The log cabins of the settlers
were too small to afford the necessary quarters for the numbers that
continuously flocked in, and the large barn was a boon for which they
were truly grateful. For a time Racine County became the objective
point of most of the immigrants from Norway, a distinction which
however it was soon to share with the still more famous Koshkonong
Prairie in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Of Elling Eielson I shall speak below, as also of Hans C. Heg, son
of Even Heg, and of some of the other Racine County pioneers. I wish
to add here a few words of Mons Aadland, who as we recall, came to
America in 1837, and located at North Cape in 1840. Aadland was born
near Bergen, Norway, in April, 1793, being thus forty-four years old
when he emigrated. He was one of the few survivors of the Beaver Creek
Colony in Illinois. As we have seen, he is the founder of the North
Cape branch of the settlement. There he lived till his death in 1869,
his wife having died two years before. A settlers' history says of him:
"He was a man of generous spirit, as is shown by his liberal gifts,
and one who took a commendable interest in public affairs." Ten years
before his death he owned between five and six hundred acres of land
which he then divided among his children. Thomas Adland and Knud Adland
both of Raymond Township are his sons, while a daughter, Martha, lives
in Norway; the other children are dead.[117] Mons Aadland was a nephew
of Nils P. Langeland whom we have spoken of above page 100.

[117] Mons Aadland had a sister Malinda, the wife of Anders
Nordvig, who came to America in the same ship as he. Anders
Nordvig died in Beaver Creek. His wife moved to the Fox River
Settlement, where she died, ninety years old, about 1892. I
have above written the name Adland as it came to be written
in this country.

The immigration of 1841 was not extensive. Backe and Johannesen do not
seem to have continued their propaganda of immigration; but the party
who came with Even Heg wrote home letters full of praise of the New
World. But even in the face of such tempting exhortations the old world
resident requires time for thought before he decides to bid farewell to
the home of his fathers and seek his fortune in a strange and distant
land. I am not aware that anyone came from Drammen or Telemarken to
Racine County in 1841.[118] Knut Roe and wife located in Racine County,
however, in 1841, but they came from La Salle County, where they had
settled in 1839. In 1842 there were several arrivals. Thus Hermund
Nilson Tufte with wife Kari and three daughters came from Aal Parish in
Hallingdal. This was the first family to emigrate to America from that
province.[119] In that year came also Aanund Halvorson Bjoin, wife and
family from Tin, Telemarken, and John Jacobson; further, Halvor Larson
Lysenstöen (Modum) from Hadeland, Norway, the first immigrant from that
region, and Helge Sigurdson and wife Bergit Olsdatter, who however,
removed to Dane County in 1844.[120] John J. Dale from Norway, who
had come to America in 1837 and settled in La Salle County, Illinois,
came to Racine in 1842; his wife Anna had died in Illinois in 1839.
Another of the immigrants of 1839 came to Muskego in 1842, namely John
Evenson Molee. He had lived in Milwaukee the preceding three years; I
shall speak of him below. There were individual accessions to other
settlements in 1841-42, but they are few in number. With 1843 the
immigration movement receives a new impulse, but the discussion of that
year will better be postponed until we have recorded the founding of
some other important settlements in 1840-42.

[118] Nor any from other provinces, for Hermund Tufte who, in
Holand's _De norske Settlementers Historie_, is said to have
come in 1841, did not come before 1842.

[119] See below under Rock Prairie.

[120] The _Biographical Review of Dane County, Wisconsin_, 1893,
page 239, gives 1842 as the year Seamon A. Seamonson came
from Skien, Norway, to Racine County, his wife and three
children coming the next year (see later chapter).

CHAPTER XVIII

_The Establishment of the Koshkonong Settlement
in Dane County, Wisconsin_.

The genesis of the settlement of Koshkonong Prairie[121] in Dane
County, Wisconsin, the most noted undoubtedly of all Norwegian
settlements in America, dates from 1840. The recital of this event,
however, will take us back to the preceding year; for the first visit
of Norwegians to Dane County, is, I believe, correctly recorded as
having taken place in 1839. Before discussing the first coming of Norse
pioneers to Koshkonong I shall mention a few "first settlers" in Dane
County, who preceded the Norwegians; to do this will help to give us
a better idea of the state of wilderness which they found there, and
which they in a few years transformed into a settled and thriving
community.

[121] In reality a group of prairies.

The townships in Dane County in which the Norwegians settled most
extensively are found in three groups, viz.: in the southeastern, in
the northern and in the southwestern part of the county. The first
of these comprises originally Albion, Christiana and Deerfield; from
this region the settlement soon grew into Dunkirk and Pleasant Spring,
and from the latter north into Cottage Grove.[122] On the east it
extends into Sumner and Oakland townships in Jefferson County. This
settlement came to be known as Koshkonong Prairie, though properly
the name applies only to the two first-named towns and adjacent
portions of Pleasant Spring and Deerfield. The second settlement
includes the townships of Burke, eastern Westport, Vienna, Windsor,
and northwestern and central Bristol. The western portion of this
settlement is generally known by the name of the Norway (or Norwegian)
Grove Settlement, from the post-office of that name in Vienna Township
around which it lies. In its northern extremity the settlement extends
into Columbia County, northeast into Spring Prairie and Bonnet Prairie
and northwest past the village of Lodi. This whole region is in reality
a northern extension of the Koshkonong Settlement.[123] It is also from
four to eight years later in order of formation.[124] Our third group
of townships comprises Primrose, Perry, Springdale, Blue Mound and that
part of Verona Township which lies east of Blue Mound Creek.[125]

[122] Later Norwegians settled also in Blooming Grove (west of
Cottage Grove) and in Rutland (west of Dunkirk), but they
always remained here a minority of the population. On the
north the settlement extends also into southeastern Sun
Prairie and southwestern Medina.

[123] But Spring Prairie was settled slightly earlier than Norway
Grove.

[124] The settlement enters the Town of Dane (northwestern part) on
the west.

[125] That is, excluding the southwestern part of the town and
sections 6, 7, and 18 along its western line.

In the Town of Albion the Norwegians were the earliest settlers, for
some of them came as early as the spring of 1841, as we shall see
below. The _History of Dane County_, 1880,[126] says, page 838, that
Freeborn Sweet, from New York, was the first settler in the town; and
yet on page 1189 we are told that he was "one of the first settlers."
As he did not arrive until August of that year he clearly was not the
first. The next earliest American settler seems to have been Samuel
T. Stewart of Massachusetts, who located on section fourteen in the
fall of 1841.[127] The first white settler in the Town of Christiana
was William M. Mayhew who came in 1837, and located on section
twenty-eight. The next arrivals were Norwegians (see below).

[126] A work which, unfortunately, contains a great many errors.

[127] In the spring of 1842 Duty J. Green and Jesse Saunders came,
both from Alleghany County, New York; they settled near
Saunders' Creek, where Albion village now stands. Saunders
had lived one year in Rock County. In 1842 also, Samuel
Clarke of Yorkshire, England, son of James and Judith A.
Clarke, arrived, and located on Albion Prairie. John S.
Bullis, Giles Eggleston, Lorenzo Coon, and Barton Edwards,
came in 1842, C. R. Head in 1843, as also Adin Burdick, and
in 1844 Job Bunting, L. O. Humphrey, R. P. Humphrey, Henry
Job, Samuel Marsden, and James Wileman.

The first settler in Pleasant Spring seems to have been Abel Rasdall,
who located his cabin on the eastern shore of Lake Kegonsa, about half
a mile south of the inlet; the year of his arrival, however, cannot
be given definitely and I am not able to say with certainty whether
he preceded Knut H. Roe (see below) or not. In the Town of Deerfield
the first settlement was made by Norwegians in 1840; as we shall show
below; however, Philip Kearney had erected a house on section eighteen
in 1839; he remained the only American there for several years.

The first settlers in the Town of Rutland were Joseph Dejean, John
Prentice and Dan Pond, who located in its southern part in 1842. John
Nelson Luraas may have been the first settler in Dunkirk; he came in
1843, and was followed soon after by John Wheeler,[128] Chauncey Isham,
and Mitchel Campbell. In the towns of Cottage Grove, Burke, Windsor,
and Bristol, Americans preceded Norwegians by several years, as also in
Blue Mounds, where Ebenezer Brigham located as early as 1828, or some
sixteen years before that part of the county actually became settled.

[128] From whom Wheeler Prairie takes its name. I am inclined to
think that Wheeler preceded Luraas (see below).

The Township of Springdale was settled first in 1844, when John Harlow
entered it, he remaining the only white man there for a year. A few
Americans came in 1845, then Americans and Norwegian immigrants in
1846. An American settlement was effected by Thomas Lindsay and David
Robertson in the Town of Bristol (section seven) two years before
Norwegians came there, which was in 1847. The earliest settler,
however, seems to be William G. Simons who entered in 1838. The first
white settler in Perry Township was John Brown of Indiana, who came
into the town in 1846. A few other Americans (as B. K. Berry in 1847)
preceded the Norwegians, whose coming dates from 1848. In the Town of
Primrose, Robert Spears and family were the first comers (1844); a few
other Americans had also arrived there before Christian Hendrickson
located in the town in 1846. We shall now turn to the events that
led to the establishment of the extensive Norwegian settlement on
Koshkonong Prairie in the southeastern part of the county.

We have seen that most of the immigrants from Voss, Norway, who came
in 1839, located either in Chicago or in La Salle County, Illinois. It
has been observed also that not all of those who went to the Fox River
region located there permanently. The land here was now mostly taken,
besides our pioneers from Voss did not like the prairie; they were in
search of a location where timber and water was near at hand. And so
some of them decided to try their fortune in Wisconsin, where they had
heard there was plenty of forest land with many lakes and rivers.

Our party from Voss had been in La Salle County only a few weeks, when
three of them decided to go and investigate for themselves. These three
were Nils Bolstad, Nils Gilderhus and Magne Bystölen. They engaged
Odd J. Himle (who had emigrated from Voss in 1837), then living in
Illinois, to accompany them as their guide and interpreter. Bystölen,
being taken sick and thus prevented from going, gave instructions to
the rest to select land for him if the region was satisfactory to the
rest. Bolstad, Gilderhus and Himle started on foot for Milwaukee, a
distance of a hundred and fifty miles. Having arrived there in safety,
they procured maps and whatever information they could with reference
to the regions that were open to settlement in the interior of the
state. Then they walked west about eighty miles inspecting the land on
the way, and after two weeks reached the eastern part of Dane County.

The spot where they stopped was about two miles east of the site of
the present village of Cambridge. Here a man by the name of Snell had
shortly before established a tavern for trappers and frontiersmen;
with him our party of homeseekers put up, and from him they received
instructions as to the "government markings" of the sections and the
stakes placed at the corner of sections and quarter sections, giving
the number of each.

After a two days' rest they continued their tramp westward to
Koshkonong[129] Prairie. Himle, Gilderhus and Bolstad inspected the
whole prairie from one end to the other, walking about for two days.
Then they returned to Cambridge, finally deciding on a parcel of land
a little over two miles northwest of that place, lying on both sides
of the boundary line between the towns of Christiana and Deerfield.
Here Gilderhus and Bolstad selected forty acres each, and forty for
Bystölen. This locality was chosen because of its abundance of hardwood
timber, and besides there was plenty of hay on the marshes and fine
fishing in Koshkonong Creek near by.[130]

[129] The prairie takes its name from Koshkonong Creek (and
Koshkonong Lake).

[130] As Mr. Odland points out. Odland adds: "They were all Vossings
and to emigrants from that celebrated district in Norway,
therefore, belongs the credit of founding the most important
Norwegian settlement in America." (Article in _Amerika_).

Having thus made their choice of land, Gilderhus, Bolstad, and Himle
returned to Illinois by way of Milwaukee, walking the whole distance;
they remained in La Salle County through the winter. Their account of
the land of promise which they had discovered, aroused much interest,
and, as we shall see below, brought others in their train later. Early
in the spring of 1840, Gilderhus and Bolstad, accompanied now by Magne
Bystölen and also Andrew Finno, started for Koshkonong, driving,
this time, in wagons drawn by oxen. They arrived there at the end of
April and immediately took possession of the land selected. The land
that had been chosen for Bystölen was inside the Christiana Township
line, where Anders Finno also now located. Nils Gilderhus's land
lay within Deerfield Township; he was the first Norwegian to locate
there. He built a log cabin, which was the first house in the town.
Nils Gilderhus and, I believe, Nils Bolstad, soon after walked to
Milwaukee and filed their claims at the government land office, Nils
Gilderhus being the first in the party to purchase land. The date of
the purchase is May sixth, 1840; the land is the south half of the
southwest quarter of section thirty-five. Nils Bolstad entered on forty
acres of section two in the Town of Christiana, and Magne Bystölen's
forty acres lay directly east of Bolstad's in the same section.[131]

[131] Their names are recorded in the land office as Nils Seaverson,
Nils Larson and Magany Buttelson.

Their first habitation was a hurriedly built log cabin; it was not
plastered, and, as we can believe, proved inadequate as a protection
against winter, which was already setting in. Here they experienced
the intensest suffering from cold,[132] until, the condition becoming
intolerable, they dug out a cellar against an embankment, where they
lived during the remainder of the cold season. In this "dugout" Nils
Gilderhus and Magne Bystölen continued to live another year, but Nils
Bolstad erected a log cabin in 1841, when he married Anna Vindeig, who
was the first white woman in the locality. Gilderhus erected a cabin in
the town of Deerfield near the Christiana line in 1842, but he sold out
in 1843 to Gulleik Thompson Saue; for further facts about these men see
below. Andrew Fenno and Odd Himle did not purchase land.[133]

[132] Odland writes: when they had finished their work outside,
they were obliged to lie down on their beds and cover up with
robes in order not to freeze.

[133] Himle settled some years later at Norway Grove, Dane County.

We shall now turn to the two other groups of settlers on Koshkonong in
1840.

CHAPTER XIX

_The Settling of Koshkonong by Immigrants from
Numedal and Stavanger in 1840. Other
Accessions in 1841-1842._

Among the immigrants who came from Rollaug, Numedal, in 1839, was
Gunnul Olson Vindeig, though, as we have seen, he did not come in
Nattestad's party. Through the illness of a child he was prevented
from emigrating with Nattestad, as he had intended. Coming later in
the year, he went via Chicago, directly to Jefferson Prairie, where
he remained during the winter. In the early spring of 1840, about the
time our Vossings, spoken of above, are moving north to locate on their
claims, Vindeig built or bought a boat at Beloit, and this being ready,
he, with a companion, Gjermund Knudson Sunde, rowed north along the
Rock River, up Koshkonong Lake and Koshkonong Creek, into the Town of
Christiana.

That the journey should have been made in a boat up Rock River
against the stream, may sound like a legend; why not have walked this
comparatively short distance (about forty miles), just as Gilderhus and
party had walked the much longer distance from La Salle County? The
Norwegian pioneers were good walkers and seem to have loved walking.
Vindeig evidently did not. That he actually navigated up stream I
take, however, not to be merely a local or family legend, for it
is vouched for by his subsequent neighbors and comes down to us on
good authority. I myself visited Ole Gunnulson, Vindeig's son, who
is still residing on the old homestead, last August (1908), and also
received his confirmation of the route his father took in the spring
of 1840. Lars Lier, a neighbor of Ole Gunnulson, is cited by Prof. R.
B. Anderson as having been told by Gjermund Sunde himself, that they
had tied the boat a little below the Anikstad ford, where the Funkeli
bridge was afterwards built. Evidence comes also from some of the
oldest pioneers of the locality, as Halvor Kravik and Jens P. Vehus.

Gunnul Vindeig and Sunde returned soon after to Beloit, as they had
come, by way of the Rock River. Thereupon Vindeig, with his wife,
Guri, and two sisters, moved from Jefferson Prairie via Milton,
to Koshkonong, driving in a covered wagon, and proceeded to take
possession of the land he had selected. He soon had erected a cottage
of one room, with an attic accessible by ladder.[134] The land which
Vindeig located on is the south half of the northwest quarter of
section thirty-four. There he lived until his untimely death by
accident in October, 1846.[135]

[134] Anderson's _First Chapter_, page 338.

[135] He was killed by a loaded wagon tipping over him.

Gjermund Sunde selected forty acres of land directly north of
Vindeig's home, which he later, however, sold to Ole Lier. The land
which Vindeig purchased was recorded in the land office at Milwaukee
on May twenty-second, 1840, just sixteen days after the purchase by
Gilderhus and Bolstad was recorded. There has been much discussion as
to whether the Vossing party or Vindeig built the first house in the
Town of Christiana. Our first group of settlers had selected their land
the fall before and came north in April, 1840. We have seen that the
large log-cabin they constructed was hastily and poorly built. I assume
that either they all together, erected this immediately upon arriving
and taking possession of their claims in 1840; or else, the hewing of
timber and the erecting of the cabin was begun by the two who remained,
while Gilderhus and his companion went to Milwaukee to file their
claims. It might then have been built at the close of April, or more
probably, the beginning of May. Now Vindeig's purchase was recorded
May twenty-second; but as he seems to have gone direct from Jefferson
Prairie to Koshkonong, he evidently had built his cottage and shelter
for the family before he started for Milwaukee. There can, therefore,
have been very little difference in time between the two. Absolute
proof of the priority of either, it is not possible to obtain, it seems
to me, but I am inclined to think the cottage erected by Gilderhus,
Bolstad, and party, was the first.

Let us now turn to our third group of settlers, most of them
immigrants from Stavanger, who were living in La Salle County. These
four men were Thorsten Olson Bjaaland, Amund Anderson Hornefjeld,
Björn Anderson Kvelve, and Lars Olson Dugstad. The first of
these--Bjaaland--had come in the sloop in 1825; he is the only slooper
who came to Wisconsin, and the last of that party whom we shall meet in
our excursion down through the years of immigration. The second of this
group was also from the Province of Stavanger, being born on the Island
of Moster in 1806. We have seen that he came to America in 1836, and
that he had settled in La Salle County, where he lived for four years.
The third member of the party, Björn Kvelve, we have also met with
among the arrivals of 1836; he had been living mostly in Chicago and La
Salle County. He had come from Vikedal Parish in Ryfylke. Three other
men, Erick Johanneson Savik, Lars Scheie, and Amund Anderson Rossaland,
intimate friends of Kvelve, were of the party, but these did not settle
on Koshkonong.

In the spring of 1840, these seven men decided to go north in search
of homesteads.[136] From Gilderhus and Bolstad they had received
information of Koshkonong and they decided also to go there and inspect
the locality. About the middle of May, I take it, they started on
foot for Wisconsin. The way led by Shabbona Grove, in De Kalb County,
through Rockford, Beloit, Janesville, and Milton. They crossed the
Rock River at Goodrich's Ferry, now Newville, then pushed on until
they reached the southern line of Dane County, stopping in the Town
of Albion, near Koshkonong Creek,[137] and about four miles north,
slightly by east, of Lake Koshkonong. Here they found country that
suited them in every way. Björn Kvelve is said to have exclaimed: "This
is indeed the Land of Canaan!" Here woods were plentiful, the soil was
rich, a vigorous winding stream teeming with fish, ran near by, and not
far off there was a large lake.

[136] For these facts I acknowledge indebtedness chiefly to Prof.
R. B. Anderson, who is a son of Björn Anderson Kvelve; he
gives an account of the journey of these men on pages 347-354
of his book, and a sketch of his parents pages 155-165; see
also page 171, and 245.

[137] Then a little river; now it is almost dried out.

We see that the Stavangerings, as the Vossings, looked for wood and
water; they did not realize the superior advantages of the prairie, and
that it would yield much quicker returns for their labor. And yet there
was good reason for their choice, and we shall find that quite often
the early Norwegian pioneers located in a woodland tract near a stream
or a lake. It was undoubtedly an inducement to build near a wood, where
the timber for the usual log-cabin was near at hand, and it was highly
desirable to locate within access of that primary necessity of life,
water. In this region, then, our party selected land. Amund Hornefjeld
chose the east half of the southeast quarter of section one,[138] and
Björn Kvelve, the west half of the same quarter section.

[138] So the description reads but the Amund Anderson homestead
is the east half of the northwest quarter, and the Kvelve
homestead is directly south.

Thorsten Bjaaland chose eighty acres immediately north of Kvelve's,
consequently in section two, while Lars Dugstad took the east
half of the southwest quarter of section one. Having made these
selections,[139] they walked to Milwaukee to file their claims and
perfect their purchase.[140] This is recorded at the land office under
date of June twenty-second, 1840, just one month, therefore, after
entry was made of Vindeig's claim in section thirty-four in Christiana,
the next township and section north. Amund Rossaland selected a piece
of land near that of Björn Kvelve, but he was later informed that it
had already been taken;[141] so Rossaland did not settle on Koshkonong,
but went to Jefferson Prairie, as did also Lars Scheie, thence again
elsewhere.

[139] Thorsten Bjaaland and Amund Hornefjeld built shanties on
their land before leaving.

[140] Their names are given as: Omund Anderson, Birn Anderson, Lars
Olson, and Foster Olson.

[141] It was soon after taken possession of by William Fulton.

The whole party then returned to La Salle County, Illinois, and did
not move to Albion Township and take possession of their land before
the spring of 1841. Erik Savik became ill upon their return to La
Salle County when he was asked if he, too, didn't wish to go along to
Milwaukee and purchase land, he answered: "I think I can get a bit of
ground here from Ole Middlepeint."[142] His prophecy proved true, for
he died there in June, 1840. Erik Johanneson Savik and wife, Ingeborg,
had emigrated from Kvindherred in 1836, locating in Rochester, New
York. A son, John, was born to them there in December, 1836. The
following year they seem to have removed to La Salle County, Illinois.
Their daughter, Anne Berthe, was born there in November, 1838.

[142] That is, Ole O. Hetletveidt. This incident is related in
_Amerika_ in September, 1903; the words were: eg faar meg nok
ein Flæk Jord her hos han Ola Meddlepeint.

Early in the spring, Kvelve and Bjaaland moved to Koshkonong with their
families, following the same route they had taken before. Bjaaland
drove a yoke of oxen, and Kvelve a yoke of black steers, which were
not yet broke, says Arnold A. Anderson, oldest son of Kvelve, and who
was in the party; both teams were hitched to a wagon owned by Kvelve.
Kvelve's family consisted, at the time, of wife and four children, two
daughters having been born since the arrival in America in 1836.[143]
Thorsten Bjaaland (born in 1795 in Haa Parish, about thirty [American]
miles south of Stavanger, Norway) was still unmarried when he came to
Dane County, as was also Lars Dugstad. The latter evidently came north
from La Salle County about the same time as Kvelve and Bjaaland. Amund
Hornefjeld married Ingeborg Johnson, widow of Erik Savik, in La Salle
County, in June, 1841, and he, with wife and her two children, came
north to Albion a few weeks later.

[143] Arnold Andrew Anderson was born in Norway in 1832. The second
son of Kvelve, Augustinus Meldahl Bruun, was born in 1834. A
daughter was born and died in Rochester, New York, where the
Kvelve family lived 1836-37. Elizabeth was born in La Salle
County, Illinois in 1837, and Cecelia in 1840. A daughter,
Martha, was born in Albion Township in the fall of 1841,
being, it seems, the first white child born in the town.

It was, therefore, just twelve persons who located in northeastern
Albion Township that spring. The Hornefjeld family moved directly
into the shanty Amund had built before leaving in 1840. Dugstad made
a dugout on the side of a hill near the creek, in which he continued
to live till 1855, when he married and moved into a large log-house.
Björn Kvelve erected a log-house on his farm immediately upon arriving
in 1841, the logs having been cut by men engaged to do so, during
the winter of 1840-41. These men were Lars Kvendalen and Knut Olson
Vindeig. We shall now pass to the account of their arrival, and that of
others who came in 1840-41.

CHAPTER XX

_New Accessions to the Koshkonong Settlement in
1840-1841. The Growth of the Settlement in 1842._

As the first explorers of Koshkonong from La Salle County, Illinois,
in 1839, attracted others in their train from the same region the
following year, so Jefferson Prairie and Chicago sent new recruits
following Gunnul Vindeig in the summer of 1840. The first of these
were the two we have mentioned at the end of the preceding chapter,
namely, Lars Kvendalen and Knud Vindeig, a brother of Gunnul; both were
single men. They came there early in the summer of 1840, and met in
Albion Township Björn Kvelve and Lars Dugstad before these had left for
Milwaukee and Illinois in June, 1840. Knud Vindeig and Lars Kvendalen
(the latter also from Numedal) came to America in the fall of 1839.
Another brother of Gunnul, namely Hellik Vindeig, and two sisters,
Berit and Anna, came to America in the fall of 1840. As said, Kvelve
met Knud Vindeig and Kvendalen in Albion Township in the summer of
1840, and he engaged them to split rails during the winter of 1840-41,
so as to have them ready at hand when he should come there to locate
with his family in 1841.[144] These two men did not take land, but
worked for a time for others in the settlement.

[144] See above, page 179.

In the autumn of the same year came Hellik Vindeig and Nils Kvendalen
(generally called Nils Halling), but the latter did not remain there
long. The sister, Anna, married Nils Bolstad in 1841 (see above, page
171). About a year later Berit married John G. Smith, a man who played
a role as both doctor and preacher among the pioneers in the forties.
There were no further additions to the southern part of the settlement
in the fall of 1840, so far as I know.

Late in the fall of that year Lars Davidson Rekve[145] came to
Koshkonong and selected land in the Town of Deerfield. Entry of this
was made at Milwaukee on December eighth, 1840; the land was the
south half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-eight, about a
mile south of Deerfield, and two miles northwest of the eighty acres
selected by Gilderhus in the spring. Together with Rekve came also
Ole K. Gilderhus, who had immigrated from Voss, Norway, in 1839. When
they reached Albion they stopped over night at the house of Thorsten
Bjaaland, who had not yet returned to Illinois for the winter. Then
they travelled north until they came to the place where the four
settlers from Voss had erected a log cabin the spring before. Not
having the means wherewith to make improvements on his land, Rekve
soon after (summer 1841) went to Muskegon, Michigan, where he secured
employment in a sawmill. He did not settle in Dane County before 1842.

[145] L. D. Reque is still living in Deerfield, Dane County,
Wisconsin.

If now we pass on to the year 1841, we shall find that there were
several accessions to the Koshkonong settlement in that year. It is to
be observed, first, that a small group of immigrants came from Voss
in 1841. They were: Anders Nilson Lie, with wife, Gunvor Sjursdatter
(Gilderhus), and two children, Rasmus Grane, Ole Grane, Kolbein
Vestreim, Nils Vikje, Lars J. Mön, Knut Larson Böe, and Anna Solheim.
These had emigrated with a small brig that carried iron to Boston;
thence they went to Racine County, Wisconsin, and Koshkonong, by the
usual route. John Haldorson Björgo, who had emigrated from Voss in
1838, as we have seen, also came to Koshkonong in the spring of 1841,
and Ole Severson Gilderhus[146] came a short time after. The latter
had emigrated in 1840, having remained in Chicago during the winter.
Björgo settled in the Town of Christiana in section nine, Ole Gilderhus
a little farther north in Deerfield Township. "None but Norwegians
were then living in these regions," writes Björgo twenty-seven years
later.[147] Björgo and Ole Gilderhus had, of course, arrived before
Anders Nilson Lie.

[146] A brother of Nils Gilderhus.

[147] Interview printed in _Billed-Magazin_, 1869, page 387. Late
in the summer of 1841 a few Americans came and settled there.

During the first winter John Björgo lived in a small log-house;
his nearest white neighbor lived about three miles away. As he was
unmarried he was obliged to cook and do all his own housework. Near by
an Indian tribe had erected a camp, where they remained from that fall
until the next spring. Björgo says of them that they were friendly and
neighborly, and he never suffered inconvenience because of them; "they
were often my guests, as I also visited them, and it never occurred to
me to have any fear of the son of the desert. Nor did they ever give me
cause for that; for they were peaceful and gladly shared their meagre
supplies with those who needed their help."[148]

[148] John Björgo died in October, 1868; his wife, Martha, died in
May, 1898. They are both buried in West Koshkonong Cemetery,
as Rev. G. G. Krostu of Utica, Wisconsin, informs me.

Let us now return to the party of eleven persons who came with Anders
Lie. The son, Nils A. Lie, Deerfield, Wisconsin, writes that after
a long and trying voyage they arrived in Boston whence they went to
Racine, arriving there in December. There they hired two Swedes to take
them to Muskego, where the Lie family and one other family stopped with
Even Heg. Lie's destination was the home of his brother-in-law, Nils
Gilderhus, in Dane County. Leaving his family, he soon after set out on
foot for Koshkonong, not meeting anyone he could speak with before he
reached Fort Atkinson. Here an American took him across the Rock River
in a canoe, and by waiting there a day he was joined by two immigrants
from Numedal,[149] who walked with him as far as Koshkonong. Thence he
continued north to his brother-in-law's place in Deerfield Township.
We have seen that Nils Gilderhus made a dugout early in the winter of
1840-41, having found the cabin they had built in the spring too cold.
In this dugout Anders Lie and family[150] also lived during the winters
of 1841-42 and 1842-43. In the meantime Anders Lie worked for others,
saving up all he could with a view to buying a home for himself.

[149] These may have been Hellik Vindeig and Nils Kvendalen.

[150] The family being sent for soon after; his wife, Gunvor
Sjursdatter, was born in 1805; the children were Martha (born
1838) and Nils (born 1841).

In 1843 he bought forty acres farther west in the northeast corner of
the town of Pleasant Spring, becoming the first Norwegian to settle in
that township; selling this out in the fall of 1844 to Peder Gjerde,
he located on section thirty-two in Deerfield Township, where he lived
most of the time till his death in 1907.[151]

[151] After his wife's death he lived some years in North and South
Dakota. Anders Lee was born in 1814, and attained therefore
to the good old age of ninety-two. His wife died in 1876;
they were married three years before leaving Norway. Anders
Lee left three sons, Nils A. in Deerfield, Sever Lee in
Grafton, N. D., and Andrew Lee of Washington County, N. D.

Just how long the rest of Anders Lee's party remained in Muskego I
am not able to say at this moment. Nils Lie writes in 1902 that they
all came to Koshkonong, and I accept that as authoritative; but I
may add that the names of Grane, Vikje, Vestreim, Mön, or Böe, do
not appear in the roll of members of Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson's
church in Koshkonong for the years 1844 to 1850, which is elsewhere
published in this volume. Nor have I been able to trace them in the
towns of Christiana or Deerfield in the years 1842 to 1844. They do
not appear as purchasers of land, and probably left for other regions
soon after coming to Koshkonong. One member of the group who came from
Voss in 1839, with Ole K. Gilderhus and others, did soon after come to
Koshkonong, however, namely, Knut Brække. He and his wife located in
Deerfield Township in 1843; it was he who, in 1844, bought the large
log-cabin built by Nils Gilderhus in 1840. He then removed it farther
southeast (in the same town), where later it became the property of
Erik Lee, the father of Andrew E. Lee, of South Dakota.[152]

[152] Andrew E. Lee was governor of South Dakota from 1896-1900.

There were also several accessions from Numedal in 1842. The first of
these, I believe, were Jens Pederson Vehus, from Nore Annex of Rollaug
Parish, Numedal, and Thore Knudson Nore and sons, Knut, Lars, Ole and
Sæbjörn, also from Nore.[153] With them came also Halvor Funkelien,
a native of Kongsberg. Jens Vehus was a brother of Gunnul Vindeig's
wife. All three of these came directly from Norway. Jens Vehus settled
about three-quarters of a mile southeast of Gunnul Vindeig, on the
north half of the northeast quarter of section thirty-five. Later
in the summer, and in the fall, this locality received new recruits
from Numedal, who came for the most part directly from Norway via New
York, Milwaukee, and Muskego, to Koshkonong. Others came from Chicago,
La Salle County, and Jefferson Prairie, principally to the towns of
Christiana and Deerfield.

[153] There Nore located across the Jefferson County line.

Among the immigrants from Numedal who located there later in the year
of 1842 were: Ole Helgeson Lien, wife Turi,[154] and children, Barbro
and Ole, from Nore; Niels Olson Smetbak, wife Barbro Olsdatter, and
family, from Nore; Mrs. Ole Bakli (Bagley), widow, and her son, Ole,
from Flesberg; Björn Guldbrandsen Mörkvold, wife Asbjör and son,
Guldbrand; Hellik Gunderson Hvashovd and wife, Marit, from Flesberg;
Hellik's parents, Gunder Gunderson Hvashovd and wife, Kirsti; Mari
Guldbrandsen (cousin of Gunnar Hvashovd) and her daughter, Kristi (born
Kristoffersen 1826); Herbrand Tollefson Mörkvold and son, Ole, and
daughter, Ragnild; Torstein Levorsen Bergrud, wife Kirsti Gundersdatter
(born Hvashovd) and son, Levor, from Flesberg; Thore Olson Kaasa, wife
Anne Torsteinsdatter, and daughter Aslau, from Rollaug; Ole Amundson
Buind, wife Helene (Brandt), and daughter Anne, from Flesberg; Gjertrud
Olsdatter Sælabakka (born 1822), from Rollaug; Juul Gisleson Hamre
(born 1805), with wife Anne Gundersdatter, and children, Gisle,
Kjersti, and Gunder, and his sister, Anne Gislesdatter, from Flesberg
(born 1797); Hellik Helliksen Foslieiet (born 1812), his wife Sigrid,
and children, Hellik (born 1833), Anders (born 1835), Marit (born
1838), Christoffer (born 1841).[155]

[154] Turi Lien, whose maiden name was Smetbak, was born in 1811;
she died in 1899; Ole Lien died in 1850; the widow then
married Lars T. Nore.

[155] The daughters Christine and Sigrid were born in 1842 and 1844.

Of those mentioned here the Hvashovd, Hamre, and Bergrud families, Mari
Gulbrandsen and her daughter, Christi, and one or two more, nineteen in
all, left Flesberg, Numedal, in May and arrived in Muskego in October.
Here they stopped two or three weeks with Even Hegg, whose wife was a
relative of Mari Gulbrandsen. Some early settlers on Liberty Prairie
(Koshkonong) took their baggage to Koshkonong while the immigrants
walked. These facts are told me by Reverend K. A. Kasberg of Spring
Grove, Minnesota, as related by his mother-in-law, Mrs. Halvor Kravik,
who was in the party (she was Kristi Kristoffersen). She relates also
that "in the spring (hence 1843) she and her mother walked to Madison
to get work. There was only one house on the whole road, that of an
American family; but their friendly 'come in, come in' (Norwegian _kom
ind, kom ind_, but pronounced alike) was easily understood. Here we
were well entertained over night."

From Telemarken the following came:[156] Richard Björnson Rotkjön
(born 1816), and brother Aslak (born 1826), from Vinje; Torstein
Torsteinson Gaarden, from Tin; Ole Höljeson Yttreböe, with wife,
Margit, and children, Johanne and Anne, and Halvor Hansen Dalstiel
(Dalastöl), from Hvideseid; Ole Torsteinson Aasnes, wife, Ingeborg,
and daughter, Hæge, from Vinje; Ole Gulliksen Barstad (born 1791),
wife, Ingeborg Jonsdatter (born 1799), and children, Vetle, Eivind,
and Halvor, from Siljord; Ole Olson Haugan, from Siljord; Torbjörn
Havredalen, wife, Lisa, and family, from Vinje;[157] and Gunhild
Saamundsdatter (born 1798), from Laurdal. Furthermore Guro Olsdatter
(born 1821), from Nissedal, and Thomas Johnson Landeman (born 1804),
from Sandsværd; and Torbjörn Havredalen with wife, Lisa, and family,
also came to Koshkonong that year.

[156] Many of these located in the eastern and northern part of the
settlement a year or two later.

[157] Who located in Town of Deerfield. Some of these, as Dalstiel,
left Koshkonong a few years later.

The great majority of these made the town of Christiana their first
stopping place. So that, by the end of 1842, there were perhaps more
immigrants found together within the area of that township than in any
of the other settlements founded during the preceding years, 1839-1840.

It was at this time that the question of a name for the new town was
being mooted. Gunnul Vindeig was given the privilege of naming it, and
he decided for Christiania, adopting the name of the capital of Norway.
The form as it came to stand, however, would seem to be a typical
instance of that slovenly habit of slurring syllables in foreign names,
which so often appears in the records of American officials or clerks
in land offices in those days. Yet the _Billed-Magazin_ is authority
for the statement that Gunnul Vindeig himself was the cause of the
error, he, by mistake, writing Christiana instead of the correct
Christiania.

In the meantime new colonies are springing up elsewhere and the
settlements previously established are growing and thriving. Before,
therefore, tracing the further development on Koshkonong Prairie, it
will be in order to note the advance in other localities.

CHAPTER XXI

_The First Norwegian Settlement in Iowa, at Sugar
Creek, in Lee County_

The same year that records the genesis of the Koshkonong Settlement,
also registers the founding of the earliest Norwegian colony in Iowa,
that of Sugar Creek, in Lee County, in the southeastern part of the
state. When Kleng Peerson was on his way to Missouri in 1837 (see
above, page 117), it seems that he passed through the southeastern
corner of Iowa; he was, therefore, in all probability the first
Norwegian to enter the State of Iowa.[158] Iowa had been organized
as a territory in 1838. The settlers in Shelby County, Missouri,
were dissatisfied, and, having heard of the natural resources of
the Territory of Iowa, immediately to the north, and that good land
with a near market[159] could be had in the southeastern part of the
territory, they decided to move to Iowa. Going north into Lee County,
Iowa, they located at a place six miles northwest of Keokuk, known as
Sugar Creek. Andrew Simonsen and most of the settlers in Shelby County
came at that time; but Peerson remained in Missouri. Here, however,
they found a small colony of Norwegians who had, it seems, but recently
established themselves. With the exception of one to be mentioned
below, it is not known who these earlier settlers were, and I have not
been able to ascertain where they came from.

[158] Though not the first Scandinavian, for a Dane, Niels
Christian Boye, came to Muscatine, Iowa, in 1837. In 1842
he located in Iowa City; a daughter, Julia Boye, the only
surviving member of the family, lives now in Iowa City.

[159] One of the settlers in Shelby County, Missouri, was Peter
Omundson Gjilje. As an illustration of the state of
wilderness of the country around them it is related that
Gjilje once walked for nine whole days in the forest tract
before he found human habitation. One morning early he heard
a cock crow, and then he found people. During these days he
had lived on wild strawberries. These facts are related by
Mr. B. L. Wick of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Kleng Peerson has been accredited with being the founder also of the
Sugar Creek Settlement, but there is no proof that he previously
selected the site or even that he located there in 1840. Indeed the
evidence goes rather to show that he never actually settled at Sugar
Creek. His home in the following years was probably chiefly in Shelby
County, Missouri; in 1847 he sold his land there and joined the
Swedish colony in Henry County, Illinois, which had been founded in
1846. Nor does it seem to me that Hans Barlien was a member of the
Missouri colony, as Professor Anderson suggests. No mention of Barlien
can be found in connection with the Shelby County colony or any other
settlement. It seems more probable that he went to the Fox River
Settlement when he came from Norway in 1837, but with a few others left
in 1840, coming to Lee County somewhat before the party that came with
Andrew Simonsen from Shelby County. They may originally have received
their knowledge of this locality from Peerson. Barlien himself may have
been in La Salle County when Peerson in 1837 returned from his journey
to Missouri. It was, then, Barlien and a few immigrants with him whom
Andrew Simonsen and others from Shelby County found already settled at
Sugar Creek in the spring of 1840. If this is correct then the first
Norwegian settler in Iowa and the real founder of the first Norwegian
colony in the state is Hans Barlien, who was born at Overhalden in the
province of Trondhjem about 1870.

In 1838 Kleng Peerson went to Norway to gather recruits for the Shelby
County colony; the following year he brought back with him from
Stavanger County the three brothers, Peter, William, and Hans Tesman,
Nils Olson, Ole Reierson and family, and six or seven women, all of
whom came to Missouri; but several of these went to Lee County, Iowa,
the following year.

As far as known, the first settlers who came with Andrew Simonsen from
Missouri were: Omund Olson, Knud Slogvig,[160] Jacob O. Hetletvedt,
Mrs. Thorstein T. Rue and her sons, Thorstein and John, Peter Omundson
Gjilje, Erik Öie, Ole Öiesöen, and the three Tesman brothers; some of
the rest seem to have followed later. Lars Tallakson settled there
about the same time, but he came from Clark County, Missouri, where
he had located in 1838. Gjermund Helgeson[161] was also among the
earliest settlers, and Jacob Slogvig, who had gone back to La Salle
County in 1838, likewise later located at Sugar Creek. Among the
subsequent arrivals were Ole Soppeland, Hans William, C. Person, and
Nils and Christ Nelson; these located there before 1846.

[160] Jacob Slogvig was also among the first settlers; he had
returned from Shelby County, Missouri, to La Salle County, in
1838, as also had Andrew Askeland.

[161] Helgeson may have come with Barlien from Illinois.

The leading spirit in the colony was undoubtedly Hans Barlien. He was
a man of great natural endowment, and he had a fair education. In
Norway he had been a pronounced nationalist of the Wergeland direction
and had taken part in the first peasant uprising. He was for a time a
member of the Storthing (the national parliament). In religion he was a
liberal, which aroused the hostility of the clergy, while his radical
political views called forth the enmity of the official class. He owned
a printing establishment at Overgaarden, and published a paper[162]
in which he did not hesitate to give expression to the principles
for which he stood. This frequently involved him in litigation; and,
feeling himself persecuted, he at last decided to emigrate to America
in 1837.[163] Barlien seems to be the second Norwegian emigrant from
Trondhjem.[164] Lars Tallakson came from Bergen, while the rest of the
colonists were mostly from the region of Stavanger.

[162] _Melkeveien_, the Milky Way.

[163] See J. B. Wist, in _Bygdejaevning_, Madison, Wisconsin, 1903,
p. 158; also _First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration_, pp.
235-236, and _Republikaneren_, February 9, 1900.

[164] The first was Ole Rynning. See above, p. 107, and
_Normaendene i Amerika_ by Knud Langeland, pp. 26-29.
Lee County was but little settled at that time;[165] land was bought
of the Indians for a nominal price, but it often became expensive
enough in the end, since it proved very difficult for many of the
settlers to obtain a clear title from the United States. This is one
reason why the settlement did not grow, though probably not the chief
cause. In 1843 there were between thirty and forty families, writes
John Reierson,[166] but in 1856 there were, according to the census of
that year, only sixty-eight Norwegians in the county. This number had
in 1885 decreased to thirty-one. In the fifties many of the settlers
moved to other localities, but throughout the forties there was a
prosperous colony that contributed not a little to the development of
the community and the county in that early period. The settlement is of
special interest in that it was the first Norwegian settlement in Iowa.
Its founding inaugurated Norwegian colonization in the state which,
particularly in the fifties, resulted in the establishment of a score
of extensive settlements in the central and the northern counties.

[165] The first postoffice was established in Lee County in 1841.

[166] _Veiviser for Emigranter_, 1843.

There are many reasons why the Sugar Creek Settlement did not grow
as did the later settlements north and west. First of all, land was
not of the best in Lee County. And then, the locality was rather too
far south, Norwegians have everywhere in America thriven best in the
more northerly localities. Again, the tide of emigration from the
vicinity of Stavanger was not sufficiently heavy to recruit the various
settlements already established by immigrants from that region. The
majority of those who came went direct to the Fox River Settlement in
Northern Illinois, which offered unsurpassed natural advantages. To
be sure, the Shelby County (Missouri) and the Lee County settlements
might have been recruited from other districts in Norway. But it must
be remembered that such other districts as had begun to take part in
the emigration movement had their attention directed just at this
time in another direction. The other provinces in question are Voss,
Telemarken, and Numedal. It was representatives of these that founded
the Wisconsin settlements in 1839-40, and in them the great majority
of immigrants from those provinces located in the following decade.
This is also true of those who came from Hardanger, Sogn,[167] and from
Western Norway in general.

[167] Immigration from Sogn was at first directed almost
exclusively to Boone County, Illinois, and Dane County,
Wisconsin.

There is still another reason why the colony did not grow. Beyond the
common desire of material betterment, there was too little of community
of interest. It is enough to mention that several different religious
sects were represented in the little settlement, chief among which were
the Quakers and the Latter Day Saints. Just across the Mississippi
was the town of Nauvoo,[168] which was a Mormon center at the time.
When the Mormons who did not believe in polygamy established themselves
at Lamoni some years later, many Norwegians of that belief went
with them.[169] And not a few of the Quakers joined American Quaker
settlements farther north, as in Salem, Henry County.[170] In the later
fifties a prosperous colony was founded at and south of Legrand in
Marshall County. A few of the early pioneers, however, remained and
their descendants live in Lee County to-day. Finally, the difficulty of
securing a title to the land upon which many Norwegians had settled,
to which reference has been made above, undoubtedly drove many to seek
homes elsewhere.[171]

[168] In the Fox River Settlement in Illinois many Norwegians
joined the Mormons and later moved to Utah. Bishop Canute
Peterson was one of these.

[169] The Mormons first moved into Iowa in 1839, having received
assurance of protection and the liberty to practice their
belief from Governor Lucas in that year. They located in
Lee County not far from Sugar Creek. The town of Nauvoo,
Illinois, had been bought by them. The name was changed from
Commerce.

[170] Omund Olson was converted to Quakerism at Salem, Henry
County. As early as 1842 several of the settlers joined with
him in erecting a meeting house on his farm.

[171] The question has been investigated somewhat by Mr. B. L.
Wick. See _Republikaneren_, February 9, 1900.

Of these first Norwegian pioneers in Iowa I shall here add a brief
final note, as we shall not meet with them again. We have met the
brothers Knud and Jacob Anderson Slogvig four times as the founders
of settlements--in Orleans County, New York, in La Salle County,
Illinois, in Shelby County, Missouri, and in Lee County, Iowa. Jacob
Slogvig went to California about 1850; there he became wealthy and
died in 1864. Knud Slogvig moved to Lee County early in the fifties,
I believe, and died there. Hans Barlien died in the Sugar Creek
Settlement in 1842. Mrs. Thorstein Rue and her son, Thorstein, lived in
Sugar Creek till 1846, when they went to Wisconsin, and took part in
the founding of the Blue Mounds Settlement in western Dane County. Lars
Tallakson settled about a decade later in La Salle County, Illinois,
where he lived to a good old age.[172] Jacob Olson Hetletvedt (brother
of the slooper, Ole O. Hetletvedt) continued to live in Lee County till
his death in August, 1857. His widow married Sven Kjylaa, with whom she
then moved to the Fox River Settlement. Per Omundson Gjilje was one of
the last to leave the settlement; in 1864 he removed to New Sharon,
Mahaska County, Iowa, where he died in 1895. His wife (born Karina
Bornevik, from Nærstrand, Norway) died in 1902, aged eighty-six.

[172] He died about 1900. Among those who moved to New Sharon were
Sjur Olson, Nils Nilson and Aad Nilson and wife Kristina;
Martha Erickson was until recently, at least, living in Clark
County, Missouri.

CHAPTER XXII

_The Earliest Norwegian Settlers at Wiota, La Fayette
County, and Dodgeville, Iowa County, Wisconsin_

About forty miles directly west of Rock Prairie lies Wiota, about which
town stretches in all directions a Norwegian settlement of considerable
size. It is separated from Luther Valley by Green County and lies
only twenty-five miles distant, northwest, from the old settlement of
Rock Run, in Illinois. Here extensive lead mines were being operated
in the forties, and they were the means of drawing to that locality a
large number of immigrants of different nationalities, many of whom,
to be sure, only remained there temporarily, going elsewhere to buy
a home as soon as they had accumulated sufficient funds. The mines
were at that time called "Hamilton Diggings." As early as 1840 we find
two Norwegians working in these mines, namely, the brothers Andreas
and John O. Week, both from Eidfjord, in Hardanger. The Week brothers
seem to have been two of a party of about forty from Hardanger, who
emigrated in 1839.[173] I do not believe, however, that either Andrew
or John Week entered a land claim in the vicinity, and they remained
there only a few years. In 1844 John Week moved to Dodgeville in Iowa
County, where he established a shoe store in company with John Lee,
from Numedal, Norway. Andrew Week went to Marathon County some years
later; here he built a saw mill, which, however, was bought out by his
brother John in 1849, when Andrew joined the California gold-seekers.

[173] They came in the same ship as Knut Roe.

In the spring of 1842 Lars Davidson Reque, an immigrant from Voss in
the year 1839, came to Wiota. We have already met him as a purchaser
of land in Deerfield Township, in Dane County, in December, 1840. Not
having the means to begin the improvement of his land, he says, he
decided to go to Hamilton Diggings, and he did not take possession of
his land until the summer of 1842.[174] Rekve remained at the Diggings
only about one year. In 1841 the first permanent settlers arrived;
these were Per Unde, from Vik Parish, Sogn, Per Davidson Skjerveim,
Sjur Ulven, and Arne Anderson Vinje, from Voss. The first of those was,
it seems, the earliest emigrant from Sogn to America. He was a man of
considerable means, but a copy of Rynning's _Sandfaerdig Beretning om
Amerika_ fell into his hands and he decided to emigrate. He remained
in Chicago the first year and a half or over. Ulven and Skjerveim had
come from Norway in 1840. Arne Vinje (born 1820) came to Chicago in
September, 1840, after having been five months on the journey. He had
left Norway April sixteenth with his wife,[175] and a party of twenty
other persons from Voss. The following spring Vinje and Skjerveim,
having decided to go to the mines in Wisconsin, secured each their
yoke of oxen, and drove overland, arriving at Wiota on the seventh of
July, after five days of difficult travel; Unde and Ulven came at the
same time. Unde immediately entered a claim on a piece of land in the
vicinity and built a house, as did Skjerveim and Vinje a short time
after; these located, however, about three miles farther south.

[174] He did not actually settle there permanently before 1844.

[175] Her maiden name was Martha Gulliksdatter Kindem.

According to Arne Vinje the following twenty-one persons came from
Voss that spring: Torstein Saue, his wife and son Gulleik, Lars Saue
and wife, Klaus Grimestad and wife, Arne Anderson and wife and infant
son Andrew, Knudt Hylle, Ole S. Gilderhus, Knudt Rokne, Mads Sonve,
Baar Lawson Böe (a brother of Iver Lawson), Lars Röthe, Brynnel Ronve,
two young ladies from Saue, one from Ronve and one from Gilderhus. In
discussing the voyage Vinje says:

The bottom of the ship in which we sailed was declared by Capt.
Ankerson to be one hundred and fifty years old and when, in
midocean, we encountered a severe storm, the timbers sustaining
the upper berths gave way, precipitating them upon the lower ones,
and the screams and cries of the frightened passengers added to
the fury of the storm, almost created a panic on board. As for
myself, I seized a heavy chest which I intended throwing overboard
to use as a support in the water in case the ship foundered. Even
Hegg, and others from "Östlandet," who came from Drammen with Capt.
Ankerson, stopped in Milwaukee, while we from Voss came on to
Chicago, where my wife and I were received into the home of Sjur
Ulven and family. Mrs. Ulven being my wife's cousin.

Knudt Hylle and myself began our first work in Chicago upon the
streets of the (then) westside. My work was handling a heavy plank
scraper, drawn by a yoke of oxen and used to scrape the sod from
the sides of the road into the center.

At this time occurred the election of General Harrison to the
Presidency. The candidate was the "People's choice" and I, from
my bed, saw a log cabin, such as he lived in, mounted upon wheels
and drawn through the streets to show that he was chosen from the
common people. That was effective electioneering!

In the spring of 1841 Peder Skjerveim, who had come from Norway in
1837, having lived in Chicago in the interval, drove from Chicago up to
Hamilton Diggings to explore the region. Upon his return he reported
that there was government land for sale there, and Vinje and he decided
to move thither. Peder Iverson Unde and family and Sjur Ulven went to
the "Diggings" at the same time. Of this Vinje writes:

We left Chicago on July 2nd and arrived in Wiota, or Hamilton's
Diggings as it was then called, after a tiresome journey of five
days. On July 7th we passed Elgin, Illinois, in a grove near which
Independence day was being celebrated, on July 4th, but there was
then no town, only a few scattered houses. We progressed with
some difficulty as our wagon broke down twice during the journey.
The second of these accidents occurred as we were nearing Rockford
toward evening, when the axle gave way; but Peder Skjervheim,
with only an ax and an augur went into the woods nearby, and from
a convenient tree cut and made a new axle that night, so that we
proceeded safely on our way the next morning.

There being no bridges, we forded the rivers at Rockford and
Freeport. There was then not a house where the thriving city of
Rockford now stands and only one small grocery store at Freeport.
There were, at that time, no Norwegians in or around Wiota, and
the nearest Norwegian settlement was at Rock Run, Illinois. Peder
Skjervheim and I, each bought forty acres of government land in the
Township of Wiota, upon which we each built a log cabin and began
other improvements. Andres Brække also bought forty acres but soon
sold it again.

In 1842 there came to our neighborhood three young people from
Voss; David Larson Fenne and wife, and his brother, Nils Fenne.
In 1843 there came some families from Vik, in Sogn, and settled
near by: Ole Iverson Unde and wife Britha, and his brother Erik's
family. Erik died before reaching America, but his wife and
children settled down here. Likewise, Erik Engebrit Hove, Ole
Anderson and Sjur Tallakson Bruavold came at the same time.

To those which Mr. Vinje mentions as arriving in 1842 may be added Isak
Johnson from Skien,[176] and Christian Hendrickson from Lier, Norway.
The latter however moved to Primrose Township in Dane County in 1846.
(See below).

[176] I am told that he came in 1841, but this seems to be a mistake.

Mathias J. Engebretsen of Gratiot, Wisconsin, tells me that Per Fenne
and wife Martha came to Wiota in 1842, while Nils Sunve and wife
Maline, and Ivar Fenne came in 1843; all these were from Voss. Helge
Meland and wife from Telemarken came in 1843, as also Tore Thompson
from Tindal and Ashley Gunderson from Numedal.[177] Those mentioned by
Arne Vinje at the end of the above account, Ole and Sjur Bruavolden,
did not settle at Wiota, it seems, before 1845, and Erik E. Hove not
until 1847. These had located first at Long Prairie in Boone County,
Illinois, as had also Ingebrigt Fuglegjærdet, who came from Vik, Sogn,
in 1844. Of the immigration from Land, Norway, to Wiota, which began
with Syver Johnson (Smed or Smedhögen in 1844), I shall speak in the
next chapter. The growth of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement will,
however, claim our attention briefly first.

[177] Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson, speaking of the Wiota
Settlement in 1844 says, that there had been organized a
congregation that year, which numbered about one hundred
members, of whom the larger part were from Voss; these,
he says, had settled there for the most part in 1843. He
mentions Per Davidson as deacon and a leading member of the
church, and Knud Knudson as one who by great energy had
acquired considerable wealth.

CHAPTER XXIII

_Growth of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement from
1841 to 1845. The First Norwegian Land
Owners in Rock County._

In an earlier chapter I have given an account of the coming of
Norwegians to Jefferson Prairie in 1838-39. We found that a
considerable number of persons had located there by 1840, principally
immigrants from Numedal. These first settlers located in the southern
half of Clinton Township, but others soon came who settled still
farther south, so that the settlement soon came to include a portion
of the Township of Manchester in Boone County, Illinois. The first
settlers here were Tönnes Tolleivson (or Tollefson) from Jæderen, and
Svend Larson, both of whom settled in Boone County in 1840; Tollefson
had come to America in the fall of 1839, presumably spending the winter
of 1839-40 on Jefferson Prairie.

The settlement thus came to be divided into a northern and a southern
part, the immigrant settlers in the two representing different
provinces in Norway. The Numedalians settled as we have seen, nearer
Clinton and in general in the northern end of Jefferson Prairie; in
fact they occupied most of the prairie proper. The southern portion,
the timber land, come to be settled principally by immigrants from
Voss. Very few of these located in the Town of Clinton; they
selected homes in the early days, for the most part, just where their
descendants now live, on the south side of the state line, in Illinois.
The whole settlement extends from about a mile and a half south of
Clinton across the prairie and into the timber which began about three
miles south of Clinton and extends about four miles down into Illinois.

We have observed above that Ole Nattestad's house became the stopping
place of the earliest immigrants to Jefferson Prairie. In a similar
way D. B. Egery's place,[178] located four miles southwest of the
Nattestad cabin on the trail to Beloit, became the headquarters for
many a Norwegian immigrant in that early day. Speaking of him, H. L.
Skavlem gives testimony to his kindness and the readiness with which he
lent a helping hand to the incoming settlers in his vicinity, who were
seeking a place to establish a home in the wilderness. As soon as the
immigrants arrived, parties of two or three would fill their knapsacks
(skræppe) with provisions and strike out in various directions to "spy
out the land."[179]

[178] Situated in section 26 in Turtle Township.

[179] H. L. Skavlem in _Scandinavians in the Early Days of Rock
County_, a most interesting and valuable pamphlet, though
very brief.

The first Norwegians to buy land on Jefferson Prairie were Ansten
Nattestad and Thorstein Nilsen, the date of whose purchase is December
25th, 1839.[180] On January 25, 1840, Anders Jacobson's purchase
was recorded, and further in the same year those of Erik Gudbrandson
(May 16) and Kittil Newhouse (Nyhus, June 15). The first three
purchases were in sections 32, 30 and 22, respectively, while those of
Gudbrandson and Newhouse were in section 20, all in Clinton Township.
The latter made a further purchase in 1842 in the same section, as did
also Tosten Olson. Ole Nattestad's purchase was recorded on November
25, 1842, while in September of that year Ole Newhouse (Nyhus) had
bought three forties in sections 15 and 22, and Christoffer Newhouse
one in section 30; others were now rapidly moving in and becoming
owners of their choice of land on the "Prairie." Among these were Jas.
Hilbeitson, Erik Hilbeitson, Tore Helgeson, Erik Gulbeitson, Gulbrand
Gulbrandson, and Ole Pederson Bogstrandeiet, all in the fall of 1842.

[180] The first Norwegian land owner in the county was however
Gisle Sebjörnson Halland as shown by H. L. Skavlem's
researches. The date of Halland's purchase was November 29th.

In this connection it may be noted that Gulleik Gravdal's purchase of
land in the Town of Newark (in section 1) was recorded December 12,
1839, and he made additions to his holdings in 1842 in sections 1 and
9. Mrs. Gunnild Ödegaarden purchased land in 1839 and 1840, Lars H.
Skavlem in June, 1841, and Gudbrand Olson and Mrs. Gulleik Springen
in October, 1841. During September of the latter year four purchases
were also recorded in Plymouth Township, namely those of Paul Halvorson
Skavlem, Nils Olson Vegli (Wagley) and Gunnel Holgerson, while in May,
1840, Gulleik H. Blakestad Skavlem had become the owner of forty acres
in Beloit Township.[181]

[181] In December, 1842, Mrs. Gisle Halland bought forty acres in
Beloit Township. Her name appears as Margarett Nutes (Margrit
Knutsdatter).

The Jefferson Prairie Settlement received considerable accessions
during the next four years. Lena Sondal came in 1841, Haakon Paulson
from Sigdal and his wife Inger came in 1842, Ole Severtson and family
from Numedal, including a daughter, Petra, who is now Mrs. Henry
Jacobson (Oppedal)[182] of Clinton, came in 1843, as did also Brynild
L. Lie and wife from Voss, Lars O. Lie from Hallingdal[183] and
Edwin O. Wilson Næshaug. The last of these settled in Boone County,
Illinois, where he bought land in 1846, but removed to Filmore County,
Minnesota, in 1854. Gunder Vedfald and family, including the sons, Ole
and Halvor, from Telemarken also came in 1843. In the year 1844 there
was a considerable influx of settlers from Voss;[184] among them were:
Sjur K. Kvarma wife and four children from Voss, Brynild Dugstad,[185]
wife and five children, Erik K. Dugstad, wife and child, Lewis Severts,
Ole Shipley and wife Guri, Lars Grane, Sjur Grane, Elling Ellingson
and wife Magela, Ole Skutle,[186] Peder Bere and wife Britha. Also the
following came about the same time (1844 or the following year): Lars
Baarson and wife Gudve, Guru Isakson, Sjur A. Grönlien, wife and two
children, and Erik E. Slæen. Nearly all those here enumerated followed
the lead of Clas Isakson and settled near or south of the state line.
From Vik, Sogn, Norway, there was a single settler, namely, Ole O.
Train. From Hardanger also there was, it seems, only one immigrant
among those who came during this earliest period, Anna Tollefson, wife
of Tönnes Tollefson, who, as we have seen, came to America in 1839.
From Telemarken there were about twelve persons, among them Steinar E.
Hadland, wife and son, Guldmond; Gunder O. Vedfald, wife and daughter;
Even Haatvedt and Ole A. Haatvedt and wife, besides the Vedfald family
spoken of above. From Næs in Hallingdal we find Knud R. Væterud, a
widower, and his two daughters, Ingeborg and Rönnau, besides Lars O.
Lie, and from Modum, Thov Modum and wife Karen; finally Krödsherred is
represented by Even Fingerson Foslien.

[182] Henry Jacobson is a son of Jacob J. Oppedal, who came from
Hardanger in 1850.

[183] Frederik Frederikson's wife, who was Martha Larson, also came
in 1843. Frederikson came some years later.

[184] We have seen that Clas Isakson had immigrated from Voss in
1840. He was the first Vossing to settle on Jefferson Prairie.

[185] Brynild Dugstad located in the northern part of the
settlement. A son, Knut B. Dugstad, died at Clinton, Wis., in
April, 1905, age 80.

[186] Ole Skutle later married Lena Sondal, who had come in 1841;
see above.

Among the earliest purchasers of land (1842) I have mentioned Ole C.
Newhouse. He was a brother of Kristoffer and Kittil Newhouse who had
come in 1839. The original name, Nyhus, was in the early days changed
to Newhouse, which is a translation of the Norwegian. Ole Newhouse
married Helen Stabæk, daughter of Klemet Stabæk, who has been spoken
of as the founder of the Rock Run Settlement in Stephenson County,
Illinois, in 1839.

Sjur Kvarme's children included a son, Kolbein (born 1831); he lived
on Jefferson Prairie from 1844-1854, in which latter year he joined
the gold-seekers in California. With the proceeds of three years' work
in the gold mines he came east again in 1857 and bought a farm near
St. Ansgar, Iowa, where he lived till his death in October, 1906. Olav
Vedfald, son of Gunder Vedfald, remained with his parents on Jefferson
Prairie till 1850, when he purchased land and settled on Bonnet Prairie
in Columbia County, Wisconsin.[187]

[187] Of those who come in 1844 from Numedal were Gulleik Svensrud
and family, who however removed to Blue Mounds, Dane County,
in 1847. In 1860 he married Ingeborg Lohn who died in 1903;
there are five living children.

Among the pioneers of Jefferson Prairie are also particularly to be
named Reverend O. Andrewson and wife, Ragnild Paulson, both of whom
came to America in 1841, but did not settle in Clinton Township before
1855; in that year Rev. Andrewson accepted a call as pastor of the
congregation which he had organized there in 1850. Mrs. Andrewson, who
is now eighty-five years old, is still living there.

In the above survey of the growth of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement
during these years many names have been omitted because of the
uncertainty among my informants as to the year of their arrival. In
a subsequent chapter I shall also outline the subsequent growth of
the settlement. I shall here merely note the fact that Reverend J. W.
C. Dietrichson speaks of the congregation in 1844 as numbering 150
members.

CHAPTER XXIV

_Immigration to Rock Prairie from Numedal and
Land in 1842 and Subsequent Years._

In Chapter XI above we have given an account of the beginnings of the
Rock Prairie Settlement and traced its growth down to 1842. We shall
here briefly discuss the development of this settlement during the
next eight years. Already in the summer of 1842 a considerable number
of immigrants came, most of them locating there permanently. I shall
mention first Halvor N. Aaen and wife, Guri (Frögne), both from Nore in
Numedal, who settled in Newark.[188] Halvor Stordok and Ole Stordok,
brothers of Gunnul Stordok mentioned before, both came in 1842. Halvor
bought land near Sugar River Bottom; he married Ingeborg Paulson, and
the couple lived on the homestead till their death. Their children,
Knud, Halvor, Inge and Ingeborg, all unmarried, are still living there.
They are all over fifty years of age now. Ole Stordok, who married
Anne Sand from Rollaug, located at Sand Prairie, five miles south of
Broadhead. In the same year came also Gullik O. Mygstue, with wife
Jöran and five children, from Vægli, Numedal. Gullik died in 1852, but
the widow lived till 1887. Their oldest son, Ole (born in 1825), had
learned the trade of a shoemaker and conducted a shoemaker's shop on
his farm long after he had begun farming.[189] In 1848 he married Sive
Espeset from Hallingdal, Norway; they had no children. [190]

[188] Aaen is said to have been something of an inventor. He made
two clocks, one of which was bought by Mr. Chrispinson; the
other was bought by Simon Strand, and is now probably in
the possession of Stone or Gunild Strand says a writer in
_Amerika_ for March 15th, 1907. Aaen died about 1886.

[189] The location of his farm is half a mile from Orfordville.

[190] Mrs. Mygstue died in 1892. Ole Mygstue then sold his farm and
moved to his sister, Mrs. Engen, in Primrose, Dane County. An
obituary notice of Ole Mygstue (who died in 1902) speaks very
highly of him as a member of the church and a citizen. He was
a man of kindly nature and helpful spirit in whom all reposed
implicit confidence.

Among those who came from Numedal to America in 1842 was also Herbrand
H. Berge (born in Rollaug in 1821). He remained for a year and a half
on Jefferson Prairie, however, so that he did not locate on Rock
Prairie until early in 1844. Anna Torbjörnsdatter, who later became
his wife (1847) also immigrated in 1842. They removed to Jackson
County, Minnesota, in 1876; he died there in December, 1903, and she in
February, 1904,[191] at the age of seventy-seven. In 1843 Hellik Olson
Holtan with family from Flesberg in Numedal emigrated and settled on
Rock Prairie. Holtan was a man of much intelligence and strength of
character, who soon came to hold a leading place among the pioneers in
the community.

[191] Their children are: Paul Berge, Herbrand Berge and Mrs. Henry
Anderson, all living in Jackson, Minnesota.

So far we have spoken only of immigrants from Numedal. In the year 1842
the first family from Land, Norway, came to Rock Prairie, namely Hans
Smedsrud and wife. We have seen that the first immigrant from Land,
Lars Röste, who came in 1839, located at Rock Run. It was the year
1843 which inaugurated the tide of emigration to America from Land and
nearly all the earliest arrivals located on Rock Prairie. Thus in that
year came Harald Ommelstad and family, five in all, Anders Lundsæter
and family, in all five, Peder H. Gaarder with family (six), Sören
Sörum, and Anne Marie Nilsdatter, in all eighteen persons. These were
followed the next year by fifteen persons, namely: Lars Nord-Fossum
and family (five), Hans Christofferson Tollefsrude and wife, Anders
Midböen with wife and one child, Anders Engen, Gudbrand Gaarder, Helene
Gaarder, Inger Gaarder, and Helene Klevmoen. Anders Erstad and wife,
and Syver Smed, who came at the same time, did not locate on Rock
Prairie; the former went to Rock Run while Smed located at Wiota, being
the first native of Land to settle in La Fayette County.

I shall also add here the names of those who came from Land in the
following years. In 1845 came two families, namely Askild Ullensager,
wife and four children, and Tarald Jörandlien, wife and four children.
Jörandlien or Jorlien, as the name is usually rendered, located
in Newark. In 1846 Marie Engen and her son, Hans (born 1823) and
daughter, came, as did also Erik Nederhaugen. The year 1847 brought
Ole Nörstelien, Christine Nörstelien and Hans Sveum, wife and five
children.[192] The year 1848 with its extensive immigration also
brought an increased contingent from Land. The following settled on
Rock Prairie; Ole Gaarder and wife, Andreas Sörum, Ingebrigt Fossum and
family (six), Halvor Ruud and family (seven), Johans Nederhaugen[193]
and family (four), Johan Frankrige and family (five) and Hovel
Jensvold,[194] Hovel Smeby and Bertha Lybæk.[195] In all there were
fifty-four who came from Land in 1848; of these, twenty-eight settled
on Rock Prairie, twenty-five at Wiota and one at Rock Run. The roster
of immigrants from Land in 1849 includes forty-eight persons, of whom
sixteen located on Rock Prairie; they were: Johannes Ommelstadsæteren,
Ingeborg Ommelstadsæteren, Marthea Brendingen, Johans Lybæk, Bertha
Fröslie, Marit Fröslie, Hans Engen (Fröslieit) and family (five) and
Jonas Gjerdet and family (five). Syver Gaarder and family, thirteen in
all, who located farther west at Albany, Green County, came directly
from Land, but they were natives of Valders. He had moved from Valders
to Torpen in Land and bought there the Gaarder farm when the Gaarder
family emigrated in 1843, remaining there, however, as we have seen,
only six years.[196] The accessions for 1850 were: Ole Smeby and family
(five), Östen Lundsæteren and family (five), Sjugal Frankrige and
family (six), Helene Fröslie, Bertha Sörum, Hovel Fossum, Ole Hovdelien
and Hans Værhaug, in all twenty-one.

[192] Svend Nörstelien and family (seven) and Kari Lillebæk and six
children from Land, who also came that year, settled in Wiota.

[193] Martin Johnson of Orfordville, Rock County, is his son.

[194] Christian Lunde, who also came from Land in 1848, located at
Rock Run. Several families went to Wiota; see above, Chapter
XXII.

[195] Who later married Syver Midböen.

[196] Of the remaining twenty-three of this year's immigration
from Land eleven went to Wiota, seven to Rock Run, and five
scattered elsewhere.

The account of immigration from Land which it has been possible
to give so fully here is based on the private records of Hans C.
Tollefsrude, as published in part in _Amerika_ for March 8th, 1907.
Hans Tollefsrude's name occupies a foremost place in the early history
of the Rock Prairie Settlement. In the seventies he again became a
pioneer, locating now in Pocahontas County, Iowa.[197]

[197] The limitations of space forbid a sketch of Mr. Tollefsrude
in our survey of Rock Prairie.

CHAPTER XXV

_Immigration from Hallingdal, Norway, to Rock
Prairie from 1843 to 1848. Continued Immigration
from Numedal. Other Early Accessions._

We will now turn to another contingent in the early immigration to Rock
Prairie,--that from the dialect district of Hallingdal. The emigration
from this region began in 1842 with the departure of the brothers
Knud and John Ellingson Solem, who came direct to Rock Prairie. In
1843 Kleofas Halvorson Hansemoen immigrated with wife Kari (Onsgaard)
and child Halvor, locating on section twelve in Newark Township, Rock
County.[198] Kleofas's father's name was Halvor Kleofasen Hansemoen;
he did not emigrate. There were two other brothers, Erik and Hans, of
whom the former did not come to this country. Hans Hansemoen had in
Norway bought an estate called Husemoen, not intending to emigrate.
But when his brother sent favorable reports back from America, he sold
out and came to this country in the fall of 1845. He bought land in
sections eleven and twelve in Newark Township, near his brother. The
above is narrated in part to show how his name happens to appear as
Hans Husemoen, while the brother is Kleofas Hansemoen and the brother's
children are Halvor Kleofas, Knud Kleofas, etc. (see note 198). Hans
Husemoen's wife's maiden name was Bergit Halvorsdatter Tveto; she was
from Aal Parish in Hallingdal.

[198] They had five children in this country: Knud, Kleofas,
Eyvind, Eirik and Caroline, all now married and with
families. The sons adopted Cleofas as the family name. The
daughter was married to Kittil Haugen, now living in Pelican
Rapids, Minn.

In 1845 the settlement received other accessions from Hallingdal. The
list includes: Ola Brunsvold, Halvor Hesgard, Kristen Grimsgaard,
Ole Skaalen, Nils Roe, Ola Sando, Mikkel Rust, Svend Hesla, Gjermund
Mæhtum, Aslak Rustad and Aslak Ulsak.

In 1846 about three hundred persons emigrated from Hallingdal. How many
of these came to Rock County I am not able to say; among them were,
however, Erik Kolsrud and family, Ole Hei and family, Nils Haugen,
wife and six children, Knud Tröstem, Henrik Henriksen Tröstem, Halvor
Ness, Hans Engen, Kari Husemoen, Guttorm Roen and son, Ole, Tollef
Tollefsrud-Ballandby and sons Nils, Ola and Amund, Henrik Rime, brother
of Tollef, A. T. Beigo, Timan Burtness and his brother John, Aadne
Engen, Kristen Megaarden, Lars Grimsgaard, wife and family, Ingeborg
Olsdatter Tröstem, Asle Hesla, and Asle Brunsvold. Many of the above
had families. The leaders of this party were the three first named and
Tollef Tollefsrude. They were the owners of large estates in Norway
which they sold when they left for America. They paid the passage for
many who came from Hallingdal that summer, but I cannot give the names
of these. The party of emigrants left Drammen in April by the ship
_Newmann_, which took them to Havre, France. Here they remained one
month, before the ship on which they were to sail was gotten ready.
They did not arrive to Rock Prairie until October, having been six
months en route.

In 1847 very few came from Hallingdal, among them are mentioned Ole
Onsgaard, Nils O. Wikko,[199] and Östen Burtness. In the following
year, however, there was a considerable immigration. Erik K. Berg and
his brother Truls Berg, Ole Trulson Ve and Ole Gulsen (Tröstem) with
wife and son Gul and daughter Guri, Erik Ovestrud, Tideman Kvarve,
Guttorm Megaarden, a Mr. Sagdalen and wife, Kari,[200] Levor Kvarve
and family of twelve, and Knut Guttormsen Tyrebakken.[201] There came
others from Hallingdal also in the years following. I may mention
here Ole J. Bakke and wife and Herbrand K. Finseth (born in Hemsedal
in July, 1830), who emigrated in 1852 and lived three years on Rock
Prairie. They moved to Goodhue County, Minnesota, in 1855, as did also
Knut K. Finseth and A. K. Finseth, brothers of Herbrand; these together
with Halvor Hesgard, Aadne Engen and Christen Evenson, who removed to
Minnesota at the same time, were the first white settlers in the Town
of Holden, Goodhue County.[202] I may also mention Kittel O. Ruud, born
1823 of parents Erik Sanderson and Margit Ruud, and who came to Rock
County in 1850. A few years later he moved to Northwestern Iowa and in
1855 became a pioneer settler in Holdon, Goodhue County, Minnesota,
where he married Margrethe Andersdatter Flom in 1856. She was born in
Aurland, Sogn, 1824. She died in March and he in April, 1903.[203]

[199] Nils O. Wikko was from Gol, Hallingdal. He married Beret
Halvorson in 1854, and removed soon after to Worth County,
Iowa. He died in 1904, at the age of eighty-three, survived
by widow and six daughters.

[200] They moved to Houston County, Minnesota, in 1853. He died in
1894 and she in 1904, at the age of eighty-four.

[201] Tyrebakken moved to Black Hammer, Minnesota, in 1854, when he
married Mari Haugejordet. He was born in 1823, in 1905.

[202] Knut Finseth died in 1869. Herbrand Finseth married Guri
Ouri in 1867; he died in January, 1901, leaving wife and six
children.

[203] I gather these facts from an obituary notice, which speaks at
length in eloquent terms of the noble lives of this couple.

The immigrants from Hallingdal settled chiefly in Spring Valley, and
Plymouth; Beloit and Newark townships were settled for the most part
before the Hallingdal immigrants began to come in larger numbers,
yet some are located in Beloit Township. Newark is occupied largely
by immigrants from Numedal, as is also Beloit. While Rock Prairie
was taken possession of chiefly by pioneers from Numedal, Land,
and Hallingdal, there were also a few from Telemarken, Sigdal and
Ringerike, and one from Valders among the pioneers of the forties.
Of those who came from Telemarken I shall mention Knut Simon (born
1819), who located near Janesville in 1843. He removed to Rice County,
Minnesota, in 1854, and thence to Pope County in 1865; died in 1905.

The single immigrant from Valders to locate on Rock Prairie was Guul
Guttormson. He came in 1843 and is the first known American immigrant
from that district. He was born at Ildjernstadhaug in Hedalen in 1816.
About 1840 he had removed to Modum; here a copy of Nattestad's journal
fell into his hands and he and Hans Uhlen and Anders Aamodt[204]
decided to emigrate. These three came on the same ship that brought
Kleofas Halvorson and Peder Gaarder. Guttormson bought land half way
between Orfordville and Broadhead. He was always called "Guul Valdris"
for he was and remained the only "Valdris"[205] there, for while he
wrote home urging his friends in Valders to come to America, the
immigration from Valders did not set in before 1847-48 and by that time
Rock Prairie had been, as we have seen, taken up largely by immigrants
from Hallingdal and Land. Guul Guttormson's oldest son, Guttorm Guul
(Broadhead, Wisconsin), born August, 1848, was probably the first child
born of Valdris parentage in America. I have already spoken of the
emigration of Syver Gaarder,[206] a "Valdris" who came with the party
from Land in 1849. They located at Albany in Green County. These I
believe were the only settlers from Valders in this locality.

[204] These two were the first to emigrate to America from Modum.

[205] Valdris is the Norwegian appellation of a native of Valders.

[206] Syver Gaarder's daughter, Barbro, married Martin Johnson
(Nederhaugen) in 1855. Dr. J. S. Johnson, of Minneapolis,
is their oldest son; other children are: Ben Johnson,
Orfordville, Wisconsin; Mrs. Rev. Langseth, Glendorado,
Minn.; Mrs. Rev. L. Njus, McIntosh, Minn.; Mrs. Strömseth,
living on the homestead; Mandy Johnson.

CHAPTER XXVI

_Economic Conditions of Immigrants. Cost of Passage.
Course of the Journey. Duration
of the Journey._

In discussing the causes of emigration, we have found that economic
factors entered extensively into operation. It was the desire for
material betterment that prompted a very large proportion of Norwegian
emigrants to leave the land of their fathers. The first five decades
of Norwegian emigration was a period in which the battle for existence
among the Norwegian peasant and the common man was none too easy.
Unfavorable economic conditions, the oppressive methods of the
larger land owners, frequent crop failure, often reduced the lesser
farmers into a condition of impoverishment. Even wealthy families
found themselves burdened by debts from which the future seemed to
offer little hope of relief. By the law of primogeniture the oldest
son inherited the estate. The sons of men of means, therefore, were
financially often no better situated than the cotter's son, and were
often forced to seek their fortune beyond the native village or
district. These considerations will make clear first that the great
majority of Norwegian emigrants to the United States were at the time
of emigration of small means; they were often very poor indeed. Their
wealth lay in the ability and the will to carve their way in a land
of greater promise. Their wealth lay also in their thrift, in their
ideals, and the moral fiber of their race. Many of those who have
succeeded best in their adopted country came here well-nigh penniless.
To them poverty was no longer a curse when the path of opportunity lay
before them. But the above considerations will also have indicated
that Norwegian immigrants of that early period were not always of the
poor classes even though they came here with little or nothing. Later
Norwegian immigration has, it is true, generally been from among the
impecunious. But in that early period, especially 1835 to 1865, a very
large number of the immigrants came from families which general or
special conditions had suddenly so reduced to conditions which became
to them intolerable. And it was the hope which America held out which
inspired them with the will to seek there the independence now no
longer theirs. We have already met with the evidence of this in such
families as Hovland (1835), Nattestad (1837), Aadland (1837), Aasland
(1838), Gravdal (1839), Stabæk (1839), Gitle Danielson (1839), Luraas
(1839), Unde (1839), Heg (1840), Gaarder (1843-49), Nils Haugen (1846),
and many others. We shall in the following pages meet with families
of considerable means from Numedal, Telemarken, Voss, Ringsaker and
elsewhere, of whom the same is true; and among the pioneers who came
from Sogn in 1844, 1845, and later there were many old families of
property and prominence in their native community. I stress this fact
because some who have formerly written about Norwegian settlements in
this country have never yet fully recognized the full significance
of this; but I speak of it here especially because I have myself
also failed to fully appreciate this fact when last I wrote upon
the subject. What has been said here applies to the founders of the
settlements of Northern Illinois, of Racine, Rock, Dane and other
counties in Southern Wisconsin, and many of those who some years later
established the settlements in Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota.
On the other hand also some of those who later became most substantial
members of these settlements were men whose transportation to America
was paid for by others that they might come and get a start in life.
These men emigrated prompted by the desire of material betterment and
in that aim they have succeeded, and they have succeeded honestly,
often accumulating great wealth.[207]

[207] It is only "financial prosperity" which we are here speaking
of, of course. The question of "success" is entirely a
different one.

The second topic in the title of this chapter is the cost of passage. I
shall discuss this item briefly, using concrete illustrations from our
sources. In that early period the voyage was made by sail-ships. These
continued to be used for a long time after steam had come into use,
clear down into the seventies. The ticket was then generally somewhat
cheaper by sailing vessels than by steamship. Passengers furnished
their own board and beading, and they were required to bring a supply
sufficient for ten to twelve weeks.[208] The price of passage ranged
between 33 and 50 _speciedaler_, that is between $25.00 and $38.00.
Children under fourteen travelled for half price; those under one went
free. The Luraas party (page 158 above) paid forty-two _speciedaler_
from Gothenburg to Boston, while the Nattestad party paid fifty dollars
from Gothenburg to New York in 1837. In 1839 the party that came with
Ansten Nattestad secured passage for thirty-three dollars per person.
This may be regarded as normal; it was the price paid, e. g., by
Anders Tömmerstigen and family from Christiania via Havre, France,
to New York in 1846. Those who came in June from Sogn in 1844 paid
twenty-five dollars a person from Bergen to New York. The extremes are
illustrated by two groups for the year 1839 and 1845: The little group
of immigrants who came from Stavanger via Gothenburg to Boston with
Gitle Danielson in 1839 paid, it seems, sixty dollars apiece,[209]
while Peder Aasmundson Tanger and others, ninety in all, who came in
1845 from Kragerö, paid only eighteen dollars apiece to New York.

[208] The regulations varying with different ships, _Juno_, which
brought the first party from Inner Sogn in 1844, did not
accept any passenger who had not provided himself with food
supply for twelve weeks.

[209] i. e. $47. R. B. Anderson's _First Chapter_, page 313.

The inland journey, generally in the early days made by canal boat,
varied greatly in cost, often amounting to as much as fourteen dollars
to Milwaukee or Chicago. But the additional toll inland frequently
made the inland journey much more expensive than was the ocean voyage.
One pioneer, writing of this later, says that his whole journey cost
him ninety dollars.[210] In the fifties the inland journey was made by
railroad; the railroad ticket from Quebec to Chicago or Milwaukee was
eight dollars.

[210] In American money, of which less than half for the ocean voyage.

The course of the journey has been incidentally indicated above.
During the first years it was usually by way of Gothenburg, sometimes
via Hamburg, not infrequently by way of Havre. The starting point was
Stavanger, Bergen, Skien, Drammen, Porsgrund and Christiania, later
other ports. New York was most often the place of landing, but not
infrequently Boston, in isolated instances, Fall River, Philadelphia
and New Orleans. After 1850 sail-ships plied extensively between
Scandinavian ports and Quebec.[211] The inland journey from New York
went by steamboat to Albany, thence by canal boat to Buffalo, a
distance of three hundred and fifty miles, which usually took twelve
days but often over two weeks.[212] From Buffalo the journey went
by steamboat over the Great Lakes to Milwaukee and Chicago, after
1842 usually to Milwaukee. Those who took the Quebec route after 1850
were then brought to St. Levi by the railroad company's steamboats,
whence they went by rail to Chicago or Milwaukee,[213] a journey which
generally took four or five days,[214] over a distance of 1020 miles.
Milwaukee-bound passengers were often shipped from Port Huron by way
of Lakes Huron and Michigan or were taken by rail from Detroit across
Michigan to Grand Haven, thence by steamboat across Lake Michigan to
Milwaukee.[215] The latter was of course the shorter and the favored
route for immigrants whose destination was Wisconsin, Northern Iowa, or
Minnesota. Immigrants who landed in Boston usually went by steamboat
thence to New York and from the regular inland route as given above.

[211] Of the trials and the hardships of the ocean voyage in
the thirties, forties and fifties, we can to-day have no
conception. It would, however, fall outside the scope
of this work to discuss that here. I may refer the
reader to a well-written article by H. Cock Jensen in
_Nordmandsforbundet_, December, 1907, pages 53-66. See also
Holand's article, pages 56-60.

[212] A good account of the character of this journey is given by
Holand, pages 65-74.

[213] Via Montreal, Toronto, Port Huron and Detroit.

[214] _Billed-Magazin_ I, 123-124, article "Om Udvandringen," by J.
A. Johnson Skipsnes.

[215] To Port Huron 189 miles, thence to Milwaukee 85 miles.

The duration of the journey was always a matter of great uncertainty.
Intending emigrants who came from the interior of Norway often had to
wait as long as two weeks at Bergen or Skien, as the case might be,
before the ships on which they were to go sailed. The overhauling and
putting in repair of the storm-battered ships often took weeks.[216]
The duration of the voyage across the Atlantic depended of course
largely upon the state of the weather. With this favorable a sail-boat
would usually cross the ocean in six or seven weeks,[217] but in a
voyage of such a distance it was practically certain that there would
be stormy weather sometime before the other side was reached. In his
answer to this question in _Billed-Magazin_ I, page 123, John A.
Johnson wrote that the average length was seven weeks, but he adds that
those who crossed in that time had no reason to complain. And he speaks
of the fact that emigrant ships have in rare cases taken twelve to
thirteen weeks.

[216] The author's grandfather, Ole Torjussen Flom, and party of
about fifty-three, from Inner Sogn, were obliged to wait in
Bergen nearly three weeks before sailing.

[217] There was of course great difference in the speed of the
boats.

The Nattestad party made, in 1837, an especially short voyage of
thirty-two days from Gothenburg to Fall River. I have no record of
any other ship in those early years which sailed so well as did
_Enigheden_. _Juno_, the most rapid sailer on the Atlantic in the
forties, crossed in five weeks and three days in May-June, 1844, which
Kristi Melaas of Stoughton, Wisconsin, who was a passenger, says broke
the record for speed at that time. Ansten Nattestad and party took
nine weeks in 1839 with the ship _Emelia_ from Drammen. Nine weeks
is the number which many report as the duration of the voyage in the
forties. The party that came with the Luraas brothers from Tin and
Gitle Danielson from Stavanger also in 1839 took nine weeks and three
days from Gothenburg to Boston. And _Aegir_ took nine weeks on its
journey from Bergen to New York in 1837. The sloop _Restaurationen_ we
recall crossed in ten weeks. The so-called Brook-ship _Albion_ usually
required from eight to nine weeks for the voyage.

In stormy weather the voyage sometimes lasted as much as fourteen
weeks. The sail-ship _Tricolor_ took that long in April-July, 1845, the
route being from Porsgrund to New York. Ingebrigt Johnson Helle, from
Kragerö, who was a passenger, writes of the terrors of this journey
(see appendix 2). On a voyage made in 1848 _Tricolor_ took fourteen
weeks and four days, according to interview with Kari Gulliksdatter
Mogen (from Flesberg, Numedal), who was a passenger on the ship
(see _Billed-Magazin_ I, page 388). The little sail-ship in which
Nils Hansen Fjeld and family came in 1847 took fourteen weeks from
Christiania to New York.[218]

[218] For account of the voyage see Appendix 2.

In this connection I shall cite from an article by Dr. K. M. Teigen of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, entitled "Pionerliv" (Pioneer Life).[219] He
says:

In the days of the sail-ship a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean
was more of an undertaking than a journey around the world now.
Most of the summer might be required for it if the weather was
unfavorable. My mother's party from Flesberg and Lyngdal parishes
in Numedal, took seven weeks and four days in 1843 with the brig
_Hercules_, Captain Overvind, between Drammen and New York; my
father's company from Sogndal in Inner Sogn, three years later, lay
for fourteen weeks heaving and lunging in contrary winds between
Bergen and the promised land. And then came the journey by steamer
up the Hudson to Troy, thence through the "canal" and the sluices
at Oswego by canal boats, which were drawn with a snail's pace by
horses, lazily moving along the banks; then by way of the lakes
by steamer again westward to Milwaukee. For this journey of about
a thousand miles another month went by, without counting the walk
from Milwaukee to Koshkonong, lying seventy miles distant in the
wilderness, whither so many of the earliest Norwegian immigrants
were destined.

[219] The article forms one in a series of most interesting
articles bearing the general title "Blandt Vestens Vikinger"
('Mongst the Vikings of the West) printed in _Amerika_ in
1901 and 1902. Dr. Teigen, son of O. C. Teigen, Koshkonong
Pioneer of 1846, is a poet and story writer of the first rank
among Norwegians in America.

At the place of landing the immigrants were frequently obliged to
wait for several days before the westward journey was begun. To Rock
Prairie, Koshkonong or Norway Grove, as the case might be, required
another week, and correspondingly more for those bound for more
westerly settlements. In all the duration of the journey from Norway
to the settlement which was the immigrant's ultimate destination was
rarely made in less than nine weeks; often it consumed as much as five
months.

CHAPTER XXVII

_Norwegians in Chicago, 1840-1845. A Vossing Colony.
Some Early Settlers in Chicago from Hardanger._

On page 94 above I have spoken briefly of the first Norwegian settlers
in Chicago in the years 1836-1839. On page 150 mention was made of the
increase of the Chicago colony by the arrival of a number of immigrants
from Voss, Norway, in 1839-41. As there indicated, however, many of
those who came during these years lived there only temporarily; we find
them later as pioneers elsewhere, especially in Dane and La Fayette
Counties, Wisconsin.[220] The same applies also to several of those who
came from Voss, Sogn, and Telemarken, to Chicago in 1843-1844;[221]
these went mostly to Koshkonong, Wiota or Long Prairie, others to the
various parts of the Fox River settlement.

[220] I instance the families of Th. Saue and Kvelve who went to
Koshkonong, and Unde, Ulven, Skjerveim and Vinje who went to
Wiota.

[221] For instance the Kaasa family went to Long Prairie in 1845.

In chapter XXI above I have further related some incidents from the
life of some early Norwegian settlers in Chicago. In the following
pages I shall merely try to give a brief account of new accessions to
the Chicago colony between the years 1842 and 1850. It is estimated
that there were in Chicago in 1850 3,000 persons of Norwegian birth;
relatively the number was therefore considerable in that year. Yet I
shall probably be right if I say that the actual number of Norwegians
in the city in the year 1842 was very small, not more than in some of
the smallest rural settlements already established. I assume that as
the early Norwegian immigrants came here with the intention of settling
on a farm, comparatively very few were induced to remain permanently
in Chicago. Chicago and vicinity was not particularly inviting at the
time; the swamps and marshes soon drove the incoming immigrants to the
more inviting and the far more fertile inland counties.

As residents of Chicago before 1839, we have found Halstein Torison,
Johan Larson, Nils Röthe and wife Torbjör, Svein Knutson Lothe and
wife and two children, Baard Johnson, wife and five children, Andrew
Nilson Brække and Anders Larsen Flage, both with families; these were
all from Voss except Johan Larsen, a sailor who was from Kopervik,
a little south of Haugesund, and Torison, who was from Fjeldberg in
Söndhordland.[222] Among Baard Johnson's sons were Anfin, John and
Andrew; the first of these was a tailor in the employ of Simon Doyle
on Kinzie Street.[223] The first directory of Chicago, published in
1839, gives a few more names of Norwegians.[224] We know that Lars
Davidson Reque lived there then; he seems to have lived in the Cass
Street Dutch settlement. His occupation was that of a fireman on the
steamboat _George W. Dole_. There were two other Davidsons, Sivert[225]
and Peter; in the latter we recognize our Per Davidson Skjerveim (see
above p. 199). Other names in the same directory are: Asle Anderson,
musician; Endre Anderson, laborer; Eric Anderson, pressman; all three
of whom lived at the same house on North State Street, and were
probably brothers; Canute Lawson (Larson), city street carpenter and
Iver Lawson, who lived at 240 Superior Street.

[222] The Newberry, whom Torrison worked for as a gardener was the
founder of well-known Newberry Library.

[223] For this and many other facts in this chapter I am indebted
to Strand's _History_, pages 182-186.

[224] A. E. Strand published some facts from this directory on
pages 183-184 of his work.

[225] He was a carpenter. Mr. Strand thinks the three were
brothers. This is a mistake of course.

But the directory does not give the name of another Norwegian who, if
the year of his arrival is correctly recorded, must have been the first
Scandinavian resident of Chicago, namely David Johnson, who came in
1834. He was a pressman in the employ of Mr. Calhoun, the publisher
of _The Chicago Democrat_. David Johnson was a sailor, who came from
Norway to New York as a boy, locating in New York in 1832, securing
work as a press-feeder. About this time Mr. Calhoun was planning to
install a cylinder press in place of the old hand press at his printing
establishment in Chicago. The cylinder press was ordered from New York,
Mr. Johnson having accepted Calhoun's offer as pressman for him, he
went to Chicago at the same time, where he put up and operated the
new press. The Chicago Historical Society has among its documents Mr.
Calhoun's account-book for 1834, which gives Mr. Johnson's name.[226]

[226] Strand's _History_, p. 187.

But there were other Norwegians in Chicago in 1839 who do not seem to
have been found by the census taker. Thus Steffen K. Gilderhus came
there from Voss in 1838 and his brother Ole K. Gilderhus came in 1839.
They lived in Chicago until 1844, when they settled on Koshkonong
Prairie, Dane County, Wisconsin. Further Per Unde, Sjur Ulven and Arne
Vinje who came there in 1839; these three settled at Wiota, Wisconsin,
in 1841. Of this removal I have given a full account above chapter.
Probably the earliest subsequent arrival from Voss were Torstein Saue,
wife and son Gulleik, who came in the summer of 1840. They lived in
Chicago until 1843, when they also went to Koshkonong. At about the
same time of the year came also Baard Nyre, Mads Sanve, Ole Gilbertson,
Brynjulf Ronve, Klaus Grimestad and wife and Lars T. Röthe and Anna
Bakketun, all from Voss, and all of whom were for some time residents
of Chicago. Anna Bakketun married a Mr. Nicholson (Nikolausen), who
died from cholera in 1849. From this marriage there were two sons,
Henry Nicholson, who served throughout the war, and John G. Nicholson,
who is still living (Orchard Street). Torstein Michaelson, who
succeeded Halstein Torison in the employ of Newberry, also came in
1840 or 1841. Michaelson was from Voss where he was born in 1808; he
remained Newberry's gardener for about thirty-five years.

We have above seen that some of the early immigrants to Illinois were
from Hardanger, Norway, but the number was not large. We shall speak
of this immigration more in detail in connection with the settlement
of Lee County, Illinois. Here it will be in order now to note briefly
Hardanger's contribution to the Norwegian colony in Chicago in the
period under discussion.

In 1839 twenty-two persons emigrated from Ulvik Parish, Hardanger,
and all of these came to Chicago. They were: Gunnar Tveito, wife and
child; Anders Vik, Johan Vik, Brynjulf Lekve, Lars Torblaa, wife
and two children, Nils Vambheim and wife, Olav L. Mo, wife and two
daughters and Lars Spilde, wife and four children.[227] This party
having started out from Bergen left Gothenburg May 27, landed at Fall
River, Massachusetts, August 2, took boat to New York, thence via
Buffalo to Chicago, where they arrived August 25.[228] In Chicago
they suffered much hardship, many were taken sick and died, among the
latter Tveito's and Vambheim's wives. The men secured work, some on
the canal, some on a schooner on the river, others as wood-cutters in
the forests about Chicago. Lekve and the two Vik brothers wrote an
account of their trials which was published in _Bergens Stiftstidende_
for June 11, 1841, in which they advised against emigrating to America,
and as a result there was no immigration to this country from Hardanger
again before 1846-1847. Very few of the later immigrants from Hardanger
located in Chicago.

[227] Facts gathered from _Normandsforbundet_ II, where Rev.
O. Olofson of Ullensvang, Hardanger, discusses most
interestingly the early emigration from Hardanger to America
(pp. 169-180).

[228] The Chicago census for 1839 does not include the names of any
of this party.

Other arrivals during subsequent years were: 1841, Peter Nelson and
Knut Larson Bö; 1842, J. C. Anderson, and in 1843, Ole Kaasa and
family, G. A. Wigeland, Nils Bakketun and Randver Lydvo (b. 1813). Ole
Kaasa moved from Chicago to Boone County, in 1845, but one of his sons,
Jens, became a permanent resident of Chicago and a leading member of
the Norwegian colony of Chicago during his life. Jens Olson, as he was
known, was born in 1824 in Siljord, Upper Telemarken. In the early part
of 1840 the family moved to Bamble Parish in Lower Telemarken, whence
they emigrated in 1843. They arrived in Chicago October 20 of that
year. The brother, Thore Olson, went out to Boone County; Jens settled
permanently in Chicago, where he lived till his death in 1907. In 1853
he married Martha Anderson[229] at Capron, Illinois.[230]

[229] She was born in 1827 at Stökebö in Levanger Parish, Diocese
of Bergen.

[230] Mrs. Jens Olson died in 1895.

Jens Olson was a master mason and brick-layer, and he built Vor
Frelsers Kirke[231] the corner of Erie and May Streets. Later he became
a contractor on a larger scale and erected a large number of school
houses in Chicago. He was an ardent supporter of the Lutheran church
and gave freely to its cause.

[231] Our Savior's Church.

Randver Lydvo[232] came to Chicago in October, 1843. In June, 1844,
she was married to Lars Knutson Dykesten; the ceremony took place in
Nils Röthe's house and the ceremony was performed by Rev. Flavel Bascum
of the First Presbyterian church. Lars Knutson died in the cholera
epidemic in 1849. Mrs. Knutson who is still living[233] is one of the
oldest Norwegian residents of Chicago.

[232] She was the daughter of Anders Knutson Lydvo and wife, Martha
(Röthe). Anders Lydvo died in 1860 and Martha in 1875.

[233] She resides with her daughter, Mrs. Louis H. Johnson, at 235
Watt Avenue, Chicago.

In 1844 Bryngel Henderson and wife Martha came to Chicago and became
permanent residents of the city, as did also Knut Iverson Glimme, Mrs.
Julia Nelson, Ellef G. Severtson[234] and John A. Hefte. These were
all from Voss; Severtson was from Vossevangen. Ole Bakketun and family
and Sjur M. Sære, also with family, both from Voss, came to Chicago in
1844, but lived there only one year, when they went to Koshkonong.

[234] Ellev G. Seavert.

The year 1844 also brought Chicago another permanent resident from
Voss, who later became prominently associated with the commercial
and political life of the city. This was Iver Larson Bö, born 1821,
in Voss, Norway, who came to Chicago that year and not as generally
found stated in or about 1840,[235] locating on the north side. Iver
dropped the surname Bö, and changed Larson to Lawson, so that his
name became Iver Lawson. He was one of the organizers of the First
Lutheran church in 1848, located at that time on Superior Street
between Wells Street and La Salle Avenue.[236] Lawson took a prominent
part in the political life of early Chicago, e.g., as member of the
city council, and otherwise. In 1869 he was a member of the House of
Representatives in the State Legislature. As legislator his name is
most closely associated with the establishment of Chicago's excellent
system of parks; the creation of Lincoln Park in particular was due
in great measure to Lawson's efforts.[237] Iver Lawson's name is also
associated with that of John Anderson in the founding of _Skandinaven_,
now the largest and most widely circulated Norwegian newspaper in this
country.[238]

[235] So Strand, and after him Roland, p. 101.

[236] Strand, page 217.

[237] Brought out by Strand's investigation.

[238] V. F. Lawson was also the owner of _The Chicago Record_
before the _Record_ and the _Herald_ were combined about year
1898.

The year 1845 brought a number of accessions to the Norwegian colony of
Chicago. Among them Kittil Nirison, from Bö Parish in Telemarken, one
of the few from Telemarken who settled in Chicago in the early days,
Knud K. Harrisville and wife Maren Karine (née Larson), Christian Lee,
from Gausdal, and Andrew Anderson, wife, Laura, and family from Voss.
This family included a son John, born March, 1836, who is the well
known founder and owner of _Skandinaven_ and president of the John A.
Anderson Publishing Company.[239]

Andrew Anderson died of the cholera in 1849, and to the son John,
then thirteen years old, fell the task of supporting his mother and
baby sister, which he did at first by peddling apples and carrying
newspapers. Then he became "printer's devil" and soon learned the
art of distributing and setting type.[240] In the following years he
was successively connected with _The Argus_, _The Democratic Press_
and _The Press-Tribune_. In 1866 he launched a paper of his own,
_Skandinaven_, which at first a small sheet issued weekly has grown
until, through its daily, semi-weekly and weekly issue, it is now the
largest and politically the most influential of Norwegian newspapers
in the country. Mr. Anderson has engaged extensively in the publishing
of books, issuing a far larger number of books a year than any other
Norwegian-American publisher. In this connection it is to be especially
mentioned that he has also in recent years done excellent pioneer
work in the publishing of certain educational works, as school and
college texts of Norwegian literature, thereby facilitating materially
instruction in this field in our colleges and universities.

[239] There were three sons, but one died at sea, and another died
on the journey from Albany to Buffalo.

[240] Strand's _History_, page 266.

In succeeding years the Norwegian colony in Chicago grew rapidly.
Already in 1850 it was considerable; to-day there are more Norwegians
in Chicago than any other city in the country (see also footnote 443).
They resided in the early days for the most part on the north side,
south of Chicago Avenue, between the lake and the present Orleans
Street. Later the region of Wicker Park became a Norwegian center.
To-day they are found very extensively in the vicinity of Humboldt Park
and Logan Square, the business center is along West North Avenue.[241]

[241] Strand, p. 180. See also above page 50.

Among the earliest Norwegian settlers of Chicago now living is to be
mentioned finally Mrs. Martha Erickson who come to this country in
1841. She is the daughter of Björn Björnson, who accompanied Kleng
Peerson to America in 1825. For account of this see above page 50. The
other twin, there referred to came to America in 1866; her name is Mrs.
Bertha Fuglestad. They are both living in Chicago enjoying excellent
health at the age of eighty-eight. Björn Björnson settled in Rochester,
New York, where he died in 1854.[242] On their eighty-fifth birthday
in 1906, the twin sisters held a family festival at the home of Mrs.
Eric Ross at which four children and one grandchild of Mrs. Erickson
were present and Mrs. Fuglestad's four children, eighteen grandchildren
and fifteen great grandchildren.

[242] For above facts I am indebted to Mrs. Eric Ross of 217
Mozart Street, Chicago, a daughter of Mrs. Fuglestad.
Mrs. Erickson's children: Mrs. Robert S. Carroll, Otto G.
Erickson, Samuel Erickson and Alex Erickson. Mrs. Fuglestad's
children are: Mrs. Anna Ross, Thomas B. Fuglestad in Chicago,
Peter A. Fuglestad, Forest City, Iowa, and Mrs. Mary Jacobson
in Beltram, Minnesota.

CHAPTER XXVIII

_The Earliest Norwegian Settlers in the Township of
Pleasant Spring, Dane County, Wisconsin_

I have above spoken of the fact that Knut H. Roe was one of the party
that emigrated with John Luraas from Tin, Telemarken, in 1839. These
two men became the first Norwegians to settle in the townships of
Pleasant Spring and Dunkirk respectively in 1843. Roe had lived for a
time in La Salle County, Illinois, going to Racine County, Wisconsin,
in 1842, as we have seen above. In the fall of 1841 a few of the
settlers in Racine County had travelled west as far as Koshkonong
Prairie, for the purpose of inspecting the uninhabited country there,
of which they seem already to have heard from friends. In the townships
of Albion and Christiana, these met and spoke with those who had come
there from Jefferson Prairie in 1840.

The favorable report of these explorers relative to the fertility
of the soil and the general character of the country on Koshkonong
created considerable restlessness among the pioneers at Wind Lake, in
Racine County, and many decided to remove to Dane County. Among these
were Knut Roe and John Luraas. We shall first follow the fortunes of
the former. As soon as the snow was gone with the end of the winter
of 1842-43, Roe walked on foot to Koshkonong, where he visited the
different parts of the prairie, and selected a spot on which to settle.
Then he walked back to Racine County. John Luraas and family also
having decided to remove to Dane County, the two families secured a
team for the overland journey; they reached their destination on one
of the last days in May. "Two weeks before St. John's eve," writes
Roe, "my first home, a hut of brushwood and leaves, supported at the
four corners by an oak, was ready sufficiently so that my wife and
child and myself could find protection therein against rain and wind."
This he built in the southeast corner of section twenty-two in the
Town of Pleasant Spring, at a point about two miles and a half west
of Utica. Knut Roe, his wife, Anne, and family were the first white
settlers in the township. An interview with Roe which the editor of
_Billed-Magazin_ prints will therefore be of interest. He says: "I
often received visits by the Indians, and the many deep paths in the
ground showed that the son of the wilderness often held forth in the
region about me. In their marches between the Lake Koshkonong and the
four lakes which have made Madison famed far and wide for its beauty,
the Redskins often pitched camp close to my brushwood hut. Sometimes
I accompanied them on their hunts. They never caused me any trouble,
but on the contrary were always ready to be helpful. There was game in
plenty. Almost daily I saw herds of deer, flocks of prairie chickens,
and I was often awakened at night by the howling of the wolf."

In the autumn Roe built a log cabin; in this cabin he and family
continued to live till 1870. During the earliest years, he writes,
he was obliged to drive as far as Whitewater, thirty miles east, or
Madison, a distance of eighteen miles, for flour. At Lake Mills,
twenty-two miles, there was a saw-mill. After a time the settlers began
to sell some wheat; this had to be hauled to Milwaukee, seventy-five
miles away. Their only means of transportation at that time was the
_Kubberulle_, or block-wheeled wagon, drawn by oxen, much of the way
through forest, where a way had to be cut by the axe. Two weeks after
Roe's settling, Ole K. Trovatten came from Muskego and located on the
farm later owned by Gunder J. Felland. Trovatten, who had been a school
teacher in Norway, had emigrated from Laurdal, Telemarken, to Muskego
in 1840. He was, therefore, the second Norwegian to locate in Pleasant
Spring. He, however, left for Cottage Grove that same fall. See below,
page 252.

The next arrivals were Osmund Lunde and his brother-in-law, Aslak
Kostvedt, both from Vinje in Telemarken. The latter bought land three
miles southeast of West Koshkonong Church, near Trovatten's place.
Lunde lived at first with Kostvedt; thereupon he bought land in section
three. Some years later Lunde sold his farm to Kittil Rinden, oldest
son of Kittil Rinden, Sr., and moved to Minnesota, whither Kostvedt
also moved.

On the third of August a small group of immigrants arrived and selected
a home and settled directly west of West Koshkonong Church, on section
fourteen. These were Knut A. Juve,[243] his brother, Knut Gjötil
(or Jöitil), and his sister, Tone Lien, then a widow. Juve owned an
estate in Telemarken, which he sold upon deciding to emigrate, in May,
1843. They sailed on the brig _Washington_, which carried eighty-six
passengers, mostly from the parishes of Hvideseid and Laurdal.[244]
They landed in New York on July fourth. It was the intention of the
members of this party to settle in Illinois, but in Milwaukee they were
advised against doing so; they were told that many who had settled in
Illinois had later moved to Wisconsin and bought homes there. Many
remained in Milwaukee, some went direct to Koshkonong, while others,
including the Juve party, went to Wind Lake, in Racine County. Knut
Juve was not pleased with Wind Lake. One day he met a pioneer settler
from the Town of Christiana, Dane County, who, when he noticed Juve's
downcast condition, said to him: "Go farther west; not until you get
to Koshkonong are you in America." Juve acted upon the advice; he and
his brother and sister started west soon after, arriving in the Town
of Pleasant Spring, as we have said, on the third day of August. Half
a mile west of where the church was built two years later, they built
their hut of brushwood, thatched with straw.

[243] Knut Juve was born in 1799. Knut Jöitil in 1803.

[244] Most of them in fair circumstances says Juve.

"Our furniture," says Juve,[245] "consisted of a few chests, that
were used both as table and chairs, while the bed was arranged on the
ground on some twigs and grass." Here they lived till October, when
they made a dugout, in which they lived till the following summer. Both
Juve and Jöitil were soon, however, taken ill with the climate fever.
In the interview from which we have already cited, he speaks of how
many a time during his illness he longed back to the old home, kindred
and friends in his native land. In the summer of 1844 a log cabin
was built, and not long after Jöitil and the widowed sister also had
erected log cabins of their own in his immediate neighborhood. In the
spring of 1844 Juve broke two acres of ground and raised a little corn
and potatoes; the next summer he raised enough of grain and potatoes
for family use; the third year he was able to sell a little. Such were
the beginnings of agriculture in the wilderness.

[245] Interview in _Billed-Magazin_, 1870, page twenty-four.

About the middle of August a large number came and located in the
settlement. Among these were Gunleik T. Sundbö (b.1785), with wife
and three sons, two of whom were married and had families.[246]
Others who came were: Tostein G. Bringa (b. 1817), with wife and son,
Halvor Laurantson Fosseim (b. 1810), and family, his brother, Ole L.
Fosseim, and Ole K. Dyrland (b. 1819).[247] Sundbö, Bringa, Fosseim
and Dyrland all bought land not far from Knut Juve and Knut Jöitil.
During the next two months the following arrived: Torbjörn G. Vik,
with wife and son Guttorm, and daughter Anna from Siljord, Aslak E.
Groven (b. 1812), and family, from Laurdal, Ole E. Næset (b. 1796),
and family, and his brother Aadne, from Vinje, and Gunnar T. Mandt,
from Moe, Telemarken.[248] Groven settled about a mile east of the
West Koshkonong Church near the Christiana Township line; the two
Næset brothers also located near there. This group of immigrants came
via Racine County, where they had remained a few weeks resting after
the journey, as the guests of Even Heg. They arrived on Koshkonong
Prairie in the latter part of September, having walked from Muskego.
Gunnar Mandt first came to Pleasant Spring, but as he did not have
anything[249] with which to buy land, as he says, he worked for
others there and elsewhere for five years. From his autobiographical
sketch[250] I cite the following account of the method of threshing in
those days:

"There were no mowers, no reapers, binders or threshing machines,
everything had to be done by hand. When we were to thrash, the
sheaves of wheat or oats were placed on the ground in a large
circle. Then three or four yoke of oxen were tied together with
an iron chain; one man stood in the center of the circle on the
sheaves of grain and drove the oxen around over the grain. These
would then stamp the kernels out of the straw little by little, and
so we kept on, until we had the sheaves replaced by new ones and
got the straw away. For cleansing the grain thus secured, we used
short basins or bowls such as were made in Norway formerly. After
a while we got a kind of fanning-mill, mower, reaper, etc. But
they were imperfect and cannot be compared with the machines and
implements used nowadays."

[246] Torkild Sundbö and wife, Margit, later moved to Sun Prairie.

[247] Dyrland says there were 211 immigrants on the ship on which
he came, and most of these, it seems, were from Telemarken.

[248] His brother, also named Gunnar, came to America in 1848; T.
G. Mandt, inventor of the Stoughton wagon, was a son of the
latter.

[249] Endre Vraa paid his passage to America.

[250] Published in _Amerika_ and _Skandinaven_ in January, 1906.

Gunnar Mandt worked in Chicago during the years 1844-45, where he got
seventy-five cents a day, but had to furnish his own keep. In 1846
he returned to Pleasant Spring; in April, 1848, he married Synneva
Olsdatter Husebö, from Systrond, Sogn, who had come to America with
her parents in 1844. Having secured his own farm (on section nine) he
farmed there until 1875, when he moved to the village of Stoughton.
Gunnar Mandt died in December, 1907, his wife having died a month
earlier.

The greater part of nine sections (13-15 and 22-27) in this part of the
Township of Pleasant Spring, was settled before the winter of 1843-44.
Knut Roe says that, while he was alone there when he came in June, he
had neighbors on all sides before winter came, although the distance
between the pioneer cabins was, of course, considerable. The year 1844
brought a large influx of settlers, chiefly from Telemarken, but in
part also from Voss. Among them I shall here speak only of Hendrik Hæve
and family, from Voss, who located somewhat farther north, on section
one, on the property later owned and occupied by his oldest son, Ole
Hæve (Havey); Anfin O. Holtan and family from Sogn, who settled in the
southeastern part of the town on section thirty-six, where the son,
Ole Holtan, later lived; and Ole Iverson and his wife Angeline and son
Lewis.

There were a few others, as Aanund O. Drotning, from Vinje, and Knut H.
Teisberg, from Laurdal, Telemarken, who came to America in 1843, but
they, too, settled elsewhere first; we shall have occasion to speak
of them again. Finally, relative to Knut Roe, I may add that he and
his wife continued to live on the old homestead till their death; he
died as early as 1874, but she lived till 1908, being then a little
over ninety years of age. The homestead was owned by the oldest son,
Helleik. On the occasion of Mrs. K. Roe's ninetieth birthday, all her
children, eight grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren,
gathered at the old home to commemorate the event.[251]

We shall now turn to Dunkirk Township, the earliest settling of which
also dates from 1843.

[251] Ole K. Roe of Stoughton, is a son of K. Roe; other children
are: Mrs. F. Johnson, Mrs. Ole Thorsen, Mrs. O. Swerig and
Mrs. J. King. Since the above was written I have learned that
Helleik Roe has died (April, 1909).

CHAPTER XXIX

_The First Norwegian Settlers in the Townships of
Dunkirk, Dunn, and Cottage Grove, in
Dane County, Wisconsin._

The first Norwegian settler in the Town of Dunkirk was John Nelson
Luraas. Together with Helge Grimsrud he had explored Dunkirk and
surrounding country in the fall of 1842 and selected a site on which
to settle. His father, Nils Johnson Luraas (b. 1789), arrived from
Norway in June, 1843, and came with his son direct from Muskego to
Koshkonong, where the party arrived on June sixteenth. An American by
the name of John Wheeler had settled in the town two weeks earlier,
being the only white man there.[252] Luraas settled on section three,
about two miles east of the present city of Stoughton, and three miles
south of where his companion, Knut Roe, located in the Town of Pleasant
Spring. Only about a week after Luraas's arrival, two more families,
who also came from Muskego, arrived and settled there, namely, Helge
Sivertson Grimsrud, wife Birgitte, son Sigurd, and Hans P. Tverberg and
wife Ingeborg, and John P. Tverberg. The former had emigrated from
Norway (via Drammen and Gothenburg) the year before, while Tverberg had
come in 1841. They were all from Tin, in Telemarken. Helge Grimsrud
possessed considerable means in Norway and owned a fine estate, which
he sold upon emigrating. Grimsrud bought land in section two, directly
east of Luraas, while Tverberg settled a mile south of Luraas in
section ten.[253] The next settler was Gaute Ingbrigtson Gulliksrud
(b. 1815), from Tin, Telemarken, who arrived there five weeks later,
that is, in August.[254] He came in a party of about one hundred and
twenty persons, mostly from Telemarken, embarking at Skien, and sailed
via Havre de Grace to New York. Most of the party went temporarily to
Muskego. Gulliksrud did not like Muskego, and soon after set out for
Koshkonong. Having selected a location for his home, he bought, for
$200, a hundred and sixty acres of land, near his countrymen, chiefly
in section ten, and erected his log cabin a short distance north of
Hans Tverberg's home.

[252] Herein I accept the authority of _Billed-Magazin_. _The
History of Dane County_, however, says that John Luraas was
the first white settler in the town, Chauncey Isham and John
Wheeler coming soon after.

[253] Helge Grimsrud's wife's parents and a sister had emigrated
in 1841 and located in Muskego. Upon returning to Muskego
from Koshkonong in the fall of 1842, Grimsrud went direct to
Milwaukee and bought 240 acres of land, being the first to
purchase land in Dunkirk. He died in 1856.

[254] Two of his maternal uncles and a brother had emigrated in
1839 and located in Muskego; letters from these induced them
to emigrate.

There were then in the fall of 1843 four Norwegian families settled in
the Town of Dunkirk. In the following year a considerable number of
immigrants came from Norway (Telemarken, Voss, and Sogn) but Dunkirk
did not receive many of those who came that year; they settled mostly
in Christiana or Pleasant Spring, while some now began to find homes in
Cottage Grove and Dunn, immediately north and west of Pleasant Spring.

The first Norwegian settlers in the Town of Dunn were Nils Ellefson
Mastre and Lars Mastre, who had come to America in 1845; they located
in Dunn, just across the Pleasant Spring line soon after arriving;
American families had settled in the township before them. Ingebrigt
Johnson Helle, from Kragerö, was the next settler there, but he didn't
enter Dunn until 1849; he emigrated in 1845 but had worked in Buffalo
four years.

John O. Hougen, from Solör, Norway, was the first Norwegian to settle
in Cottage Grove, where he came in the summer of 1842, consequently a
year before Roe and others came to Pleasant Spring. Hougen had been
a baker in Christiana and usually went by the name of John Baker (or
Bager). Some years later he removed to Coon Prairie, in Vernon County,
Wisconsin. Björn Tovsen Vasberg, from Laurdal, Telemarken, also located
in Cottage Grove in the summer of 1842. Nothing seems to be known of
his antecedents, and little that is favorable seems to be known of him
during his brief career in the township. He later moved to Minnesota,
where he lived, it seems, a roving life, being at last found dead on
the public highway. He was a notorious, and as far as I know, the only
instance of the vagabond and ne'er-do-well among the Norwegian pioneers
of those days. The next Norwegian settler in the Town of Cottage Grove
was Halvor Kostvedt,[255] from Vinje Parish, who emigrated in the
spring of 1842; he lived for a year in Christiana Township, and came
to Cottage Grove in the summer of 1843 and made a dugout on section
twenty-four, in which he lived the first year. Others who came on the
same ship were Alexander O. Bækhus (or Norman), Ole A. Haatvedt and
Osmund Lunde. The first of these located in Christiana, but later moved
to Minnesota; Ole Haatvedt settled on Jefferson Prairie, whence some
years later he went to Iowa, while Asmund Lunde, after remaining a year
in Muskego, came to Pleasant Spring, as we have seen, in the summer of
1843. Ole Trovatten, whom we have already met, both in Muskego and in
Pleasant Spring, came to Cottage Grove in the fall of 1843. Trovatten
is reputed to have been a man of unusual natural gifts and considerable
eloquence. He served as deacon in West Koshkonong and Liberty Prairie
churches for many years, a capacity in which he had officiated also
in Norway. He later affiliated with the East Koshkonong Church, which
congregation he, with O. P. Selseng, represented on the occasion of the
founding of the Norwegian Synod in East Koshkonong Church, on February
5th, 1853.[256]

[255] Called also Halvor i Vinje.

[256] Page 15 of _Kort Uddrag of den norske Synodes Historie_, by
Rev. Jacob Aal Ottesen, Decorah, 1893.

Asmund Aslakson Næstestu, with wife and family, came to Muskego in
the fall of 1843, where he worked as a blacksmith for six months. He
removed to Koshkonong early the next spring, going direct to Halvor
Kostvedt, with whom he lived in the dugout the first summer. In 1847 he
bought land in the same locality. Næstestu[257] is said to have been
famed in Norway as a mechanical genius of rare talent. On one occasion
King Carl Johan was shown a gun made by the farmer's son in Vinje; the
King afterwards sent Asmund Næstestu a silver cup as a token of his
pleasure over the excellent workmanship of the gun. Asmund Næstestu
bought a farm a mile and a half northwest of Nora Post Office in 1854,
where he, in the course of time, became the owner of two hundred acres.
Among others who came to America with Asmund Næstestu in 1843 and later
settled in Cottage Grove, were Næstestu's nephews, Aslak and Halvor
Olson Bækhus (or Gjergjord as they called themselves in this country),
Björn O. Hustvedt, Halvor Donstad and Knut Teisberg.[258]

[257] Asmund Næstestu was the son of Aslak Næstestu, a man of much
native ability and influence in Vinje. Anna Næstestu, a
daughter of Aslak, married Ole Bækhus; they were the parents
of the Bækhus (Gjergjord) brothers of whom we shall speak in
the next chapter.

Finally I shall add the names of Björn A. Stondall and Björn
Stevens Hustvedt, two of Cottage Grove's well known early pioneers,
who emigrated in 1843 and stopped through the winter in Muskego;
thence they came to Koshkonong, locating in Cottage Grove in the
spring of 1844.[259] Björn Stondal was from Vinje, in Telemarken,
being born on the farm Næstestu in Bögrænd in 1823. He sailed on
the ship _Vinterflid_ from Porsgrund in the spring of 1843, as he
relates.[260] They were eleven weeks on the ocean before reaching New
York. The objective point was Milwaukee and the Muskego settlement;
here they stopped during the winter with an American by the name of
Putnam,--seven persons in a hut that was fourteen feet long and ten
feet wide. In the spring of 1844 he walked west to Koshkonong, where he
decided to buy eighty acres of land in section thirty-two in southern
Cottage Grove, and begin the occupation of a farmer. Four years later
he married Gunhild Bergland. Björn Stondal died in April, 1906, at the
age of eighty-three, survived by his wife and nine children.

[258] They came in the same ship as Knut Jöitil and Anund Drotning,
who, as we have seen, located in Pleasant Spring. Knut
Teisberg moved from Cottage Grove to Pleasant Spring in 1846.

[259] Hustvedt wrote his name Ben Stevens.

[260] According to interview printed in _Amerika_.

CHAPTER XXX

_The Expansion of the Koshkonong Settlement into
Sumner and Oakland Townships in Jefferson
County. Increased Immigration from Telemarken.
New Settlers from Kragerö,
Drammen and Numedal._

In our discussion of the settling of Koshkonong by immigrants from
Numedal in 1840-42, mention was made of Tore Knudson Nore and wife
Gjertud among those who arrived in 1842. Tore Nore did not, however,
locate in Christiana or Albion townships, where his compatriots had
settled. He selected land about three miles southeast of where Gunnul
Vindeig had located, across the Jefferson County line in what later was
named Sumner Township. Tore Nore, who was then a man of about forty
years of age and had a large family, had emigrated in the spring of
1842, but had not, as the immigrants from Numedal so far had generally
done, gone to Jefferson Prairie or Rock Prairie, but had stopped in
Muskego. Being dissatisfied here, he decided to go to Koshkonong.
Taking his family with him, he arrived there about October first
of that year. Soon after he erected his log cabin in Sumner,[261]
being, therefore, the first Norwegian to settle in that part of
Jefferson County, his being the second family to enter the township
of Sumner.[262] Here he lived till his death in 1868, at the age of
seventy-six. Gjertrud Nore died in 1884. Three sons are prosperous
farmers living in the neighborhood of the father's original homestead.
A daughter, Gro, married Peder Larsen Svartskuren (or Svartskor) in
Norway, in June, 1842. They became the second Norwegian family to
settle in the township. Peder Svartskuren was a native of Konigsberg,
Norway, being, as it appears, the third emigrant to America from that
locality.[263]

[261] This log-cabin was still standing not many years ago.

[262] An American family had come there before him.

[263] The first emigrants from Kongsberg were Thomas Braaten, and
Halvor Funkelien.
In an interview with Svein Nilson printed in 1870, Peder Svartskuren
mentions Björn Anderson (Kvelve), Amund Hornefjeld, Gunnul Vindeig and
Thorsten Olson as being the only Norwegians living in the neighboring
towns of Albion and Christiana when he came there. He speaks of Sumner
Township as being a heavy primeval forest, with only here and there a
stretch of open country. "There was an abundance of game, deers and
prairie chickens, and the lake (Koshkonong) and creek were full of
fish. The Indians were roving about the country, but they did no one
any harm and were kindly and ever ready to help."

Mrs. Svartskuren, who is now eighty-seven years old and quite feeble,
has, since 1902, lived at Leeds, North Dakota, with a son, Carl,
he having sold the homestead after the father's death, and moved to
Viroqua, Wisconsin, and later to Leeds. Peder Svartskuren was among
the founders of the East Koshkonong Church; he was a man of strong
character, who enjoyed in large degree the love and the respect of his
fellows.

The Town of Sumner did not receive many accessions from Norway. In
the same interview Svartskuren says: "There are now twelve Norwegian
families, besides six Swedish families. The rest are German and
English."

The Town of Oakland, Jefferson County, also received a few settlers at
this early period. The earliest arrival there was, I believe, Tollef
Bækhus and wife, Aasild; they came to Koshkonong in 1843 and located
two miles east of the village of Rockdale. They were from Laurdal
Parish, in Upper Telemarken, had been married in 1838, and had two
children when they came to this country. Tollef Bækhus died in 1897,
the widow lived until 1906, being ninety years old at the time of her
death. A son, John Bækhus, now owns the homestead.[264]

[264] They had twelve children in all.

In Chapter XVIII above we gave an account of the founding of the
Koshkonong Settlement, which began in the townships of Christiana,
Deerfield and Albion, in 1840-41. We spoke briefly of the founders and
of those who came and joined the three groups of pathfinders in the
following year. In Chapter XXVIII a similar record has been given of
the events which led to the settling of the Town of Pleasant Spring by
four families in 1843, and by others in the following year. We have
also observed how the towns of Dunkirk and Cottage Grove became settled
in 1843, and that Dunn received its first Norwegian settlers in 1844.
The towns of Sumner and Oakland, in Jefferson County, in the eastern
extremity of Koshkonong Prairie also received a small contingent
of Norwegian immigrant settlers in 1842 and 1843 respectively. The
original nucleus and the subsequent expansions of the settlement, east,
west and north, are thereby indicated.

In four years after its inception, the settlement covered an area
of about fifteen square miles. But the settlers lived, for the most
part, far apart; geographically they had made ample provisions for a
great settlement in this garden spot of Wisconsin. While there were
as yet (in 1843) not more than a hundred and fifty individuals in the
settlement, there was room for thousands more without going beyond
the boundary as already laid out. The beginning made in a few years
was remarkable, but the growth in the years immediately following was
even more wonderful. For a time Koshkonong was the destination of
four-fifths of those who emigrated from Norway.

The year 1842 records the beginning of the great development, which
in five years resulted in the settling of almost the whole of this
vast area by immigrants from Norway. The next year was that of the
great influx from various points in Telemarken, especially, Siljord,
Laurdal and Hvideseid, although there were considerable numbers also
from Vinje and Tin. The year 1843 was the one in which the Telemarkings
took possession of Koshkonong; they gradually selected their permanent
homes in Pleasant Spring, extending into Dunkirk and Cottage Grove and
the northeastern sections of Christiana (as Eggleson, Bjoin, Hauge,
Borgerud, Bosbön and Kingland). The Numedalians came only in limited
numbers after 1842 and did not spread much beyond the original center
around East Koshkonong church in southeastern Christiana and northern
Albion townships. Those on the extreme west were Levi Kittilson, Levi
Holtan, O. O. Lenaas and Tore E. Smithback, all coming somewhat later
than those in the eastern extremity. The immigration from Numedal,
which began in Rollaug, is after 1842 almost confined to Flesberg, a
parish which furnished no immigrants before 1842.

In the year 1843, there came to Koshkonong, 35 families and many single
persons, or a total of 182 individuals. This was the year of heaviest
immigration to Koshkonong. The year's influx is significant in the
large number of districts in Norway represented, Telemarken leading
as has been pointed out above. In addition to 9 persons from Numedal,
and a small contingent from Voss, the first party of fourteen persons
arrived from Kragerö. These first immigrants from Kragerö were: Bjorn
O. Rom, Kjöstolf Tollefsen Hulderöen[265] (b. 1821), Even E. Buaas (b.
1799), Abraham K. Rönningen, Erick K. Rönningen, Halvor E. Dahl (b.
1802), wife Anne, and family, Torbjörn K. Rönningen, Glus P. Tyvang and
wife, Audi, and Peder K. Rönningen. From Leikanger in Sogn[266] Anna L.
Eggum (or Eggene, b. 1811), who in 1845 married Sjur C. Droksvold, from
Voss; from Lier came Knut O. Lier, as also the widow Anne Thorstad,
Knut Asdöhldalen and Gabriel Björnson (from Drammen); from Drangedal
came Baruld J. Strandskougen and family, from Sandsværd, Ellef A. Berg,
from Skauger, Halvor J. Stubberud, from Rögen, Lars P. Haukelien and
family, from Holte, Tarald E. Midböe, from Gjerpen, Peder H. Moe, and
from Hallingdal, Even Olson.

[265] Came to Muskego in 1843, went back to Norway and returned,
settling in Koshkonong in 1846.

[266] There was one immigrant from Aurland, Sogn, in 1843, but he
stopped the first winter in Muskego. See next chapter.

We have noted the fact above that there came for the first time in
1843 a group of immigrants from Flesberg Parish in Numedal. We shall
note here briefly who these were. For the facts I am indebted to Mrs.
Levi Holtan, formerly of Utica, at present of Stoughton, Wisconsin.
The name of the ship on which these people came, Mrs. Holtan cannot
remember, but it was commanded by Captain Overvind; the first mate
was Friis. In the party of ninety persons were: Halvor Kjölen, Juul
Hamre and wife Anne, Tostein Ullebær and Halvor Aasen, who went to
Jefferson Prairie,[267] Gulleik Laugen, who stopped in Rochester, but
soon after came west, locating on Rock Prairie, Paal ("Spelleman")
Lund, Guldbrand G. Holtan, a widower, his brother Ole G. Holtan,[268]
Knut K. Bakli and Kittil G. Bakli and families, Ambjör Olsdatter and
Synnöve Kristoffersdatter Bekkjorden from Lyngdal Annex of Flesberg.
This was the ship on which also Per Svartskuren and wife Gro, Knut
Lier and Baruld Johnson came on.[269] In the same party emigrated also
Klemet Larson Stalsbraaten and wife Gunild, and his brother Halvor
Stalsbraaten (Kravik) from Sigdal in Numedal. Halvor Stalsbraaten took
the name Kravik from the estate where he had worked five years before
emigrating. Reverend Kasberg writes me, citing Halvor Kravik, that they
(the Stalsbraatens)

"Bought tickets for America at Konigsberg Fair, left Drammen May
6 ult., 1843, arrived at New York July fourth, ninety passengers
on the ship." ... "The company of immigrants went from Milwaukee
to Muskego. Halvor Kravik and a young boy from Sandsværd walked to
Koshkonong, arriving Friday evening. Monday morning Halvor was at
work for one of the Englishmen further south. Kravik took a claim
in 1844. During the winter he staid with Gunnul Vindeg, sleeping
in the part of the house occupied at the time by Rev. Dietrichson,
while the parsonage was being built."

[267] Rev. K. A. Kasberg, of Spring Grove, Minn., writes me that
Halvor Kravik in speaking of some of these people says Halvor
Aasen went to Rock Run as did also Paal "Spellemand." He also
adds the name Gunnar Springen who, he says, went to Rock
Prairie.

[268] As I learn through Rev. G. A. Larsen.

[269] The name of the ship, as we learn elsewhere, was _Hercules_.
See above page 228.

The rest of the party also came to Koshkonong a short while after,
except those who went to Rock County. Ole G. Holtan (b. 1821) and
Ambjör Olsdatter (b. 1821) were married a few weeks after arriving;
Ole Holtan died in 1851, leaving wife and two children, Anna and Ole.
Anna later became the wife of Levor Kittilsen Fjöse (Levi Kittilsen)
well known farmer and prominent in the councils of the West Koshkonong
Church.[270] Ambjör, widow of Ole G. Holtan, married Nils Torgerson
Grötrud in 1852; he had come to America in 1849.[271]

[270] Levi Kittilsen died suddenly in 1907; the widow is living (at
Stoughton); a daughter, Andrea, is married to Rev. Abel Lien,
Ada, Minn.; a son, Carl, is in Nome, Alaska. Dr. Albert N.
Kittilsen, another son, owns valuable mines at Nome, Alaska;
he is living in the State of Washington.

[271] Nils Grötrud assumed the farm name Holtan and is therefore
Nils T. Holtan. He located first on the Holtan farm south of
Utica. About 1868 the family settled two miles east of Utica.
We have, on page 183 above, spoken of Lars J. Holo, who was the
earliest immigrant from Ringsaker (1839). From Rochester, New York,
he came to Muskego, Racine County, Wisconsin, in 1841; in 1843 he
located permanently on Koshkonong. His son Johannes also settled on
Koshkonong, as also the sons Lars and Martin Holo. The latter now owns
the farm originally purchased in Albion Township by Björn Kvelve.
Halvor Kravik (b. 1820) was the son of Lars A. Stalsbraaten and wife
Maria. In 1845 he married Kristi Guldbrandson, who had come to America
in 1842. They bought land and settled permanently about three-quarters
of a mile south of East Koshkonong Church at what came to be called
_Kravikhaugen_ (the Kravik hill). The homestead has now for many years
been occupied by the oldest son, Lars C. Kravik. Since about 1899,
Halvor and his wife lived with their son-in-law, Rev. K. A. Kasberg,
in Stoughton, Wisconsin, later in Grand Forks, North Dakota, now for
several years past at Spring Grove, Houston County, Minnesota. Mrs.
Kravik died a year ago; Mr. Kravik in February, 1909.

Kjöstolf Hulderöen (Hulröya), who came to Muskego in 1843, went back to
Norway two years later, but returned to America in 1846, settling on
Koshkonong, at Cambridge. In 1848 he married Hæge O. Sube, who had come
from Telemarken to this country that year. In 1853 he started a general
merchandise business in Rockdale, Dane County, where he lived till
his death in 1889. The widow is living with her oldest daughter Mrs.
John Halvorson in Rockdale. A son, Charlie C. Tellefson, one of Dane
County's prominent democrats, resides at Utica, Wisconsin.

Gabriel Björnson was one of the few who came to Koshkonong from the
region of Drammen. He married Gunhild Grötrud, sister of Nils T. Holtan
(Grötrud). Björnson is said to have been the first Norwegian to be
admitted to the bar in this country. He died in Ada, Minnesota, in
1889; he was at that time County Attorney of Norman County.

There were two families from Voss, who had immigrated earlier among
those who settled permanently on Koshkonong in 1843, namely Styrk
Olson Saue, who, we have seen, came to America in 1837, and Gulleik
Torsteinson Saue, who immigrated in 1840; they had lived most of
the time in Chicago. There Styrk Saue married Eli K. Væte; she
died at Deerfield about 1885. Styrk died in 1894. Gulleik Saue (b.
1821) married Donant Rölje in 1844. They purchased land in northern
Christiania, not far from Cambridge; here, and in neighboring parts of
Deerfield Township, Gulleik Thompson, as he called himself, became in
the course of time the owner of about 1,000 acres of farm land. At the
time of his death he was Koshkonong's wealthiest farmer. His son, Hon.
T. G. Thompson, occupies the old home and owns the estate.

CHAPTER XXXI

_The Coming of the First Large Party of Immigrants
from Sogn. New Accessions from Voss._

It has been noted above that one of the earliest pioneers at Wiota,
La Fayette County, Wisconsin, was from Vik Parish in Sogn, namely,
Per Unde who emigrated in 1839. In 1842 Ole Unde came and joined his
brother at Wiota. In 1843 Ole Schærdalen[272] came to America from
Aurland, Sogn; he was the first emigrant from that parish. It has been
said that there was a party of immigrants from Sogn in 1843, but this
I doubt as I have been able nowhere to verify it. Ole Schærdalen went
to Muskego where he stopped the first year, then he joined the party
of Sognings who came that year and passed through Muskego en route
for Koshkonong. Per and Ole Unde wrote letters home to Vik Parish, in
response to these letters, full of praise for Wisconsin, there came
many immigrants from Vik during the next two years. Ole Schærdalen in a
similar way aided in promoting emigration from Inner Sogn.

[272] So written, but pronounced Schirdalen in the dialect. My
father is the authority for the statement that Schærdalen was
the first to emigrate from Aurland.

In Aurland Parish lived Ole Torjussen Flom; he had travelled much in
Norway and come in contact with people who had relatives and friends
in America, and who themselves were planning to emigrate. He was well
acquainted with Schærdalen and he had been in Vik and knew, it seems,
the Unde family. Ole T. Flom (b. 1794) was the son of Torjus Flom (b.
about 1765) generally called Torjus i Midgarden, who was the owner of a
valuable estate at Flaam near Fretheim. There were three sons, Gulleik,
Ole, and Knut; by the right of primogeniture the estate would fall to
the oldest son, Gulleik Flom. Ole Flom had selected for purchase a
place then for sale, in Voss, and it was his intention to remove to
Voss. He was, however, prevailed upon not to do this by his father who
told him he would give him half of the family estate. When, however,
the time came, the temptation to follow the general practice and give
the estate intact over to the oldest son became too strong for the
father and he gave it all to Gulleik Flom.

Ole T. Flom then began thinking about emigrating to America. In 1843 he
went to Vik Parish and while there he and Anfin J. Seim agreed to go to
America. After he returned to Aurland others in the parish also began
to make preparations for leaving for the New World and the fever spread
to Fresvik and Systrond and up as far as Sogndal Parish. In the spring
of 1844 a considerable number from these regions and from Vik stood
ready to emigrate. Ole T. Flom, wife Anna and sons Ole and Anders,
Ivar H. Vangen and Knut Aaretuen (i Aureto), wife Anna[273] and three
children left Aurlandsvangen on the 12th of April. They had engaged
passage on _Juno_, Captain Bendixen, but were obliged to wait in Bergen
two weeks before sailing. In the meantime others who also were to go on
_Juno_ joined them at Bergen. Among them were the Melaas families from
Norum Annex of Sogndal Parish; they were the first to emigrate from
that district. This party was composed of the following eleven members:
Mons Lasseson Melaas (b. 1787) and wife Martha; Kristen L. Melaas,
wife Aase and daughter Anna; Johans K. Bjelde and wife Kristi; Ole A.
Slinde, wife Martha;[274] and two children.

[273] She was a daughter of Ole Schærdalen.

[274] A daughter of Mons Melaas. Their husbands took the name
Melaas in this country.

The following persons from various parts of Sogn also embarked on
_Juno_: Anders Engen, Per L. Gjerde, Michel J. Engesæter and wife
Synnöve from Systrand, Ole I. Husebö with wife Ingeleiv and children,
and Ole A. Værken (Grinde) from Leikanger, Nils T. Seim, wife Mari and
children (3) and Thomas T. Seim from Lærdal, and the aforementioned
Anfin I. Seim from Vik with his wife Britha and five children.[275]
There were about sixty persons on _Juno_ when it sailed in May. At
the same time two other ships sailed from Bergen with immigrants
for America; they were _Kong Sverre_, Captain Vingaard and _Albion_,
Captain Brock. A very large number of those who embarked on these ships
also were from Sogn, especially Vik, nearly all these going to Long
Prairie (see next chapter). Among those who came to Koshkonong were:
Torstein Thronson Selseng and wife Kari, Knut Gjerde, Ole Selseng,
Jakob I. Gjerdene, from Sogndal, Elling O. Flatland, wife and children,
and Sjur S. Ölman.

[275] Relative to the personnel of this party and the sailing
of _Juno_ I am especially to Kristi Melaas, with whom I
have had several interviews on the question. She is the
oldest surviving member of the party and is still living
at Stoughton, Wisconsin. My father, Ole O. Flom, has also
supplied many facts; he was thirteen years old at the time of
immigration.

_Kong Sverre_ and _Albion_ sailed three days before _Juno_, but arrived
in New York several weeks later. _Juno_ made the journey to New York
in five weeks and three days, which, says Kristi Melaas, broke the
record for fast sailing at that time. "The Brock ship" took eight
weeks for the journey, while _Kong Sverre_ was on the ocean twelve
weeks. The party that came with _Juno_ was therefore the first large
group of Sognings to land in America, the date of their landing being
St. John's Eve. From New York they went by canal-boat to Buffalo,
where they arrived on the fourth of July. Here they were put on board
an old steamboat, which the immigrants feared would go to the bottom
at any moment of the journey, says Mrs. Melaas, over the lakes to
Milwaukee, where they arrived at the end of July.[276] Kristi Melaas
says the agent weighed their goods at every stopping place and charged
toll each time. There was no interpreter on the boat who could voice
their objections. The ticket from New York to Chicago was $14, but by
additional charges along the route, the expense of the inland journey
was greater than that from Bergen to New York. In Milwaukee most of the
party, including Ole Vendelbo, Ole T. Flom, Knut Aaretuen and Michel
Engesæter went to Koshkonong via Muskego, but the Melaas family went
to Chicago, as did Ole Husebö and one man from Vik who had intended to
go south to Missouri,[277] and they were all met in Chicago by one who
was to bring them to Missouri. It seems, however, that the departure
hither was delayed for weeks by their guide who was addicted to drink.
In the meantime the Melaas families becoming discouraged and having
met a certain Ole Bringa who urged them to come to Koshkonong, decided
to go where the rest of the party had already directed their course.
They then bought two yoke of oxen and drove to Koshkonong, stopping in
Pleasant Spring Township about two miles northeast of Lake Kegonsa.

[276] Kristi Melaas called the boat "_ein rota baot skikke-leg_."
She says the agent who had charge of the journey to Milwaukee
was a man by the name of Hohlfelt, a typical immigrant
"runner," it seems, whom she styles as "ain rigele bedragar,
ain stakkars Mann va han."

[277] This man we learn was Anfin Seim (see next chapter).

Soon after arriving at Koshkonong they were met by Ole Trovatten
who aided them in the selection of land and who accompanied Johans
and Ole Melaas to Milwaukee to purchase the land selected. The two
brothers bought each forty acres at first in section three; later
Johans bought out Ole and eighty acres more adjacent to the acquired
forty. Ole A. Melaas thereupon located on section thirty-five in
Cottage Grove Township, a mile northeast of his brother's property.
The Melaas families all located in that immediate neighborhood. Ole
T. Flom bought eighty acres in Cottage Grove Township, a mile north
of Door Creek where also Ole Vendelbo Olson settled, purchasing forty
acres. Olson, however, sold this out to Ole T. Flom not long after,
and moved to Minnesota. Nile Seim also located near there, while Per
Gjerde settled in section two in Pleasant Spring, near the Cottage
Grove line. Ole I. Husebö settled in Christiana Township and Sjur Ölman
settled a mile north of Nora Post-office. Ivar Vangen located on Bonnet
Prairie, Michel Engesæter lived a few years on Koshkonong, then removed
to Norway Grove. Knut Aaretuen settled in Koshkonong, but went west
(to Minnesota) after some years. Anfin Seim, who was from Vik, went
with the Melaas families to Chicago, and thence to Long Prairie, Boone
County, Illinois (see next chapter). The only family from Vik to locate
in Koshkonong that year was that of Mons Halringa, who settled in
Pleasant Spring, a mile or so southwest of Utica; the homestead being
that later occupied by his son Simon.

The immigration to Koshkonong in 1844 was thus principally from Sogn,
and it is to be noted that a considerable number of these settled in
the northern extremity of the settlement, north of Door Creek and
Nora. At the same time there were new accessions from other districts,
especially Voss and Laurdal in Telemarken, while from Rollaug came
that year Gisle H. Venaas and Anfin A. Haugerud. Among those who came
from Voss I shall name here the brothers Nils and Sjur Droksvold, Ole
Droksvold, Henrik O. Hæve, Erik V. Rio (Williams), Erik S. Fliseram,
and Knut E. Rokne; all these had families.

Among earlier immigrants from Voss who located in Dane County in 1844
were Ole and Steffen Gilderhus; the former had immigrated in 1839 while
Steffen came in 1838. As has been observed above, Lars D. Rekve, who
came to America in 1839, did not actually settle in Koshkonong until
1844. Rokne and Venaas settled in Christiana, the former three miles
west of Cambridge, the latter two miles northwest of Rockdale. Most of
the Vossings, however, located in Deerfield Township, south and west of
the village of Deerfield. We shall now turn to the immigrants who came
from Sogn with _Kong Sverre_ and _Albion_ in 1844 and did not settle in
Wisconsin.

CHAPTER XXXII

_Long Prairie in Boone County, Illinois; a Sogning
Settlement._

In the vicinity of the present village of Capron, Illinois, a few
Norwegians located in 1843, forming the nucleus of what later came to
be known as Long Prairie. This settlement is located only a few miles
south of Jefferson Prairie (which extends into Illinois) and is about
sixty-five miles distant west from Chicago. The earliest Norwegian
settlers here were Thor Olson Kaasa and Thov Knutson Traim, his wife
Ingebjorg and sons, Knut, Kjetil, and Ole, from Siljord in Upper
Telemarken. Thor Kaasa was the son of Ole Kaasa and wife Margit, who
immigrated in 1843 with a family of nine children, of whom Thor was the
oldest. We have spoken of their coming on page 235. Among the other
children the sons, Gjermund, Jens, Jörgen, and Kittel, and daughters,
Guro, Aase, Emelie and Kristense, also moved to the settlement in 1845.
Both Ole Kaasa and his wife died of cholera in 1854; Jörgen Kaasa
settled in Winneshiek County in 1852, while Thor Kaasa moved to Filmore
County, Minnesota; Jens located permanently in Chicago.

In 1844 there came five persons from Siljord, Norway, namely Björn
Brekketo[278] and wife Guro, her brothers Jens and Steinar, and
Johannes Kleiva. Björn Brekketo died early and the widow married Ole
Oreflaat. Not many more immigrants from Telemarken located at Capron.
In 1844-45 natives of Sogn took possession of Long Prairie, and the
settlement has ever since remained preëminently a Sogning settlement.

[278] Knut Brekketo, a son of Björn Brekketo, is living at Capron
at present.

We have observed above that of those who came from Sogn on the ship
_Juno_ in 1844, Anfin Seim and family did not locate in Koshkonong, but
went to Boone County, Illinois; they were the only ones of _Juno's_
passengers to settle in Illinois. On the other hand a considerable
number of those who came on _Kong Sverre_ and _Albion_ located at Long
Prairie. Among them were the following who came with the _Albion_:
Ole J. Aavri, wife Britha and daughter Inga and sons Johans and
Andres.[279] Ivar S. Rislauv and wife Eli, a daughter of Ole Aavri;
Lars Johnson Haave, wife Randi, daughter Britha, and two sons Joe
(John) and Ole; Andrew Olson Stadhem (Staim), wife Sigrid, two sons and
four daughters, Olina, Britha, Aase, and Inga; Ole Stadhem and family;
Ivar I. Haave, wife Barbro and sons Ingebrigt and Elling; Endre H.
Numedal and wife Helga, daughter of Ivar Haave; Ole Berdahl and family;
Ingebrigt N. Vange, wife Britha, and three daughters, and Ole Vange.

[279] Andres Aavri soon after returned to Norway.

With the _Sverre_ came: Anders H. Numedal and wife Aagot, Ole Tistele,
Ole O. Tenold and wife Sigri, Ole P. Tenold, Ole J. Orvedal, wife
Ragnilda, and three daughters,[280] Lars O. Fölie, Joe Fölie, who died
of cholera in Chicago, Ivar Fölie, Lars Jensen Haave, with family and
Ingebrigt J. Fuglegjærdet. Besides these there were on both ships a
number of young unmarried men and women whose passage was paid for by
Lars Johnson Haave and Joe Fölie, who may perhaps be regarded as the
leaders of this party. Most of those named were men of means, and some
of them were owners of valuable estates which were of course sold and
converted into cash upon emigrating to America. _Albion_ took eight
weeks for the voyage. _Kong Sverre_ took twelve. The former arrived in
New York about July 25th.

[280] One of whom married Ole Tenold; they moved to Calmar, Iowa.
The Orvedal family all moved to Winneshiek County in the
fifties.
From New York they took the usual inland route to Chicago, their
destination being Wiota. But at Belvidere in Boone County, they met
Thor Olson Kaasa, who advised them strongly against going to Wiota,
which, he said, was two hundred miles from a market. La Fayette County
was moreover nothing but hills, and he gave such an unfavorable
description of that locality, that the immigrants decided to accept
his suggestion and go to Long Prairie, where they were told there was
plenty of level and fertile land only seventy miles from Chicago. A few
were deputed to wait at Belvidere for those who were coming on _Kong
Sverre_, and inform them of the change in plans, the rest accompanied
Kaasa to Boone County,[281] where also soon after the second party
came. Thus by the autumn of 1844 the settlement numbered about one
hundred individuals.[282]

[281] Anfin Seim, who had come on _Juno_, was in Chicago when they
came there; he joined them there when they started for Wiota.

[282] Some of them moved away a few years later as had already been
indicated in the notes on the preceding pages.

In the year 1845 about fifty persons settled near Capron. It has
already been observed that the Kaasa family moved out there that
year from Chicago.[283] Others came directly from Sogn, Norway, the
recruiting region being Vik Parish exclusively. In that year three
ships left Bergen again with immigrants principally from Sogn,
especially Aurland and Vik. Those who came from Aurland went to
Koshkonong, as also many of those who came from Vik. One of these ships
was _Albion_, Captain Brock, the passengers of which went, most of
them, to Long Prairie.

[283] The family numbered ten persons.

Relative to the voyage of _Albion_, Elim Ellingson of Capron, who
was on this ship, tells me the following incident which occurred in
mid-ocean.

"One day a boat carrying seven or eight men, rather ugly in
appearance, evidently Spanish pirates, approached us from the west,
and their leader demanded to speak with the captain. They said
they came from the New Foundland coast and wanted to send some
letters back. Thereupon they veered about and rowed back to their
ship which lay some distance to the west, put out nine boats with
a large number of men and rowed back toward our ship. The captain,
suspecting their purpose and realizing that we would be helpless
before an attack of pirates, turned the ship around and sailed
back for one whole day and night. In the meantime a considerable
tumult arose on board, axes and guns being gotten in readiness and
many carried up stones from the ballast. We succeeded, however, in
escaping, and, after sailing a day and a night, we turned back and
arrived safely in New York. Here we learned that recently a ship
had arrived at port, the masts of which had been entirely destroyed
by guns from a pirate attack."

Mr. Ellingson in telling this, added that it is doubtful what fate
might have awaited them, had not the captain promptly turned the ship
about and succeeded in escaping what most certainly would have been a
similar attack.

Among those who came on that ship at the same time, and who located
at Capron, were: Johans Dahle from Voss, his wife, Ingebjör, and son,
Ole;[284] Lasse Ellingson Aase (b. 1808), wife Gjöri Ravsdal and five
children, Ragnild,[285] Elling (Elim), (b. 1835), Nils, Endre and
Britha; Andres E. Aase, wife and two sons;[286] Anders O. Torvold,
Johannes Lie (now living in Goodhue County, Minnesota), and Johanna
Stadhem. John Benson of Capron tells me that his grandmother, Martha
Numedal, a widow, came there in 1845 or 1846, and also the following:
Joe Sande, who was married to a Miss Aase, Edlend Myrkeskog, wife Eli
and daughter Ingebjör,[287] and Ole Myrkeskog, who is living at Capron
yet at the age of eighty.

[284] A son Andres Dahle was not in the ship, says Elim Ellingson,
and probably did not come therefore until the next year.

[285] Who married Sjur Ölman, who also came in 1844 and settled in
Cottage Grove Township, Dane County.

[286] Andres Aase and family soon after moved to Dane County,
Wisconsin, and settled near Cambridge; they finally located
permanently in Winneshiek County, Iowa.

[287] Edlend Myrkeskog died about 1850, and the widow later moved
to Iowa.

The Long Prairie Settlement continued to grow for a decade. Space does
not, however, permit printing here the complete list of later arrivals,
kindly supplied me by Elim Ellingson and John Benson.[288] We shall now
speak briefly of the growth of the old settlement of Muskego.

[288] Mr. Benson came there in 1851.

CHAPTER XXXIII

_The Growth of the Racine County (Muskego) Settlement,
1843-1847. Personal Notes._

In Chapter XV we discussed briefly immigration to Racine County in
1841-1842. The period of largest growth of the settlement was between
1842 and 1847; an especially large party came in 1843. After 1847
the arrivals that became permanent residents were few and scattered.
In the early fall of 1842 there arrived at one time a party of forty
persons. They had embarked at Langesund about May 30th, were over
eleven weeks on the ocean, arriving in New York August 16th. Here
they met Elling Eielson, who accompanied them to Albany; three weeks
later they landed in Milwaukee. Among others there were the following
persons: Hermo Nilsen Tufte and family from Aal in Hallingdal, Johan
Landsverk and family from Tuddal, Telemarken, Sondre N. Maaren and wife
and his brothers Östein and Nils from Tin, Östen G. Meland also from
Tin, Tostein E. Cleven and Aanund Bjaan (Bjoin) and family who were
the first to emigrate from Siljord. Of these several remained only
temporarily; thus Anders Dahlen went to Winnebago County, Wisconsin,
about 1848, in company with Ole Myhre, an immigrant of the year 1843.
Kjittel Busness, who was a brother to the said Ole Myhre's wife, also
remained in Racine County only a few years, then he went to Stoughton,
Dane County.

Sondre Maaren settled on section 34, Town of Norway, where he and his
wife lived in a dug-out for a time; later, selling out to a Mr. Sawyer,
they moved to Jefferson Prairie and ultimately to Cresco, Iowa. Aanund
Bjoin died in 1847; the son Halvor, then eighteen years old, walked to
Koshkonong with the view of selecting land and settling there, and the
rest of the family moved there that same year. Johan Landsverk, who was
a brother of Ole Landsverk, an immigrant of 1838, settled on Yorkville
Prairie and remained there till 1854, when he moved to Sande in
Chickasaw County, Iowa, where he lived till his death. A son, Peder J.
Landsverk, born 1840, occupied the homestead later; he died in January,
1908. Hermo Nilson Tufte and family located on section 31 in Raymond
Township; here he lived till his death.

As has been said, Tufte came from Aal Parish, Hallingdal, and was
not only the first emigrant to America from Aal, but it seems, also
the first from the Valley of Hallingdal. The Tufte farm lay in the
extreme north of the valley close up under the mountains; the region is
extremely cold, much of it covered by snow the whole year round. The
family was extremely poor; of a pious nature and fervid adherents of
Hans Nilsen Hauge. Besides the father and mother there was a son, Nils,
and a daughter, Sigrid. The latter, in whom the piety of the mother
had found strong expression, was attracted to the young lay preacher,
Eielson, and in July the next year became his wife. The son, Nils,
married in 1865 a daughter of Ole Sanderson in Perry Township, Dane
County, and lived on the old homestead until he died about 1901. The
daughter, Julia, married Thomas Adland of North Cape, Racine County,
and another daughter, Betsey, married O. B. Dahle of Perry, Dane
County. Hermo Nilson and his wife both died in the latter part of the
sixties.

Three different parties of immigrants, nearly all from Telemarken, came
to Racine County in 1843. One, the so-called Wigeland party, left Skien
early in the spring by ship commanded by Captain Bloom, sailing to
Havre, France. The second party, going about the same time, sailed out
from Skien by the _Olius_, Captain Björnson, also going to Havre. Of
the third party we shall speak below.

At Havre those in the first party seem to have engaged passage on an
American ship _Argo_, a five-masted sailing vessel loaded with Swedish
iron bound for New York. While _Olius_ was laid up for repairs, the
American captain began cutting prices, offering at last to take the
new arrivals to New York for nine five-franc pieces each (or about
$8). Many did not dare to take passage on the _Argo_, fearing that
some trick was being played on them, but most of them went. _Argo_
proved a good sailer, reaching New York four weeks ahead of _Olius_.
There were, however, long delays in New York and Buffalo, so that the
immigrants did not reach Milwaukee before August 15th. Among those who
came on the _Argo_ were: Arentz Wigeland and wife Gunild, his aged
father Andrew Wigeland, and his brothers George and Andrew, and two
sisters; Halvor Pederson Haugholt, with wife Tone and four sons and two
daughters, Gunild and Ingeborg; Ole Overson Haukom and family, eleven
in all; Anders Jacobson Rönningen, wife Kjersti and three sons;[289]
Jens Hundkjilen and Anders Smekaasa; Amund S. Sötholt, his brother,
Sören S. Sötholt, Sven S. Klomset; Lars Tinderholt; Nils H. Narum,
Halvor Nisson, John Maaren, Nils Rue, John Kossin, John Husevold,
all with families; Östen Ingusland, John Husevold, Hans Tveito,
Svein Nordgaarden, Gjermon T. Nordgaarden, Mathias H. Kroken, wife
and children, his wife's sister Anne and their mother Sissel; Ole O.
Storlie, with wife,[290] four sons and two daughters; Kjittil Haugan
and family; Gunuld K. Maaren, Gro Grave and her mother; Halvor I.
Doksrud, wife and two sons, Halvor and Ingebret. All these, about one
hundred in all, were from different parts of Telemarken. Besides there
were sixteen persons from Sætersdalen as follows: Tollef Gunnufson
Huset, wife Hæge Olson and six children from Bygland, Augun Berge and
wife from Vallö, Kjögei Harstad from Vallö, Tollef Knudson and wife
and three children from Holestad Parish, and Tolleif Röisland and Ole
Nummeland from Vallö, the first emigrants from Sætersdalen to America.
All but the last two of these went to Muskego.[291]

[289] One of whom, Jacob, now lives in Racine.

[290] It was Mrs. Ole Storlie, who was accidentally shot by Sören
Bakke, which unfortunate event seems to have been the chief
cause why Bakke, almost crazed with grief, gave up pioneer
life and returned to Norway.

[291] Röisland and Vigeland settled at Pine Lake.

Arentz Wigeland, born 1812, who may be regarded as the leader, had
sailed for seven years between Boston and the West Indies and along the
American Atlantic coast. Passing the winters in Boston he had learned
the English language, and in 1842 returned to his home in Bamle,
Norway, to bring his family to America. He became the chief promoter of
the considerable immigration from Lower Telemarken that year. Wigeland
settled in Yorkville Township. In 1844 he married Gunild Pederson; he
died in 1862. The daughter Maren (b. 1845) married John W. Johnson in
1865. Mrs. Wigeland died in Racine in 1897. Haugholt (b. 1799) was from
Saude Parish in Lower Telemarken. He settled on section 18 in the Town
of Raymond; there he died in 1882, his wife[292] died in 1876, aged
79 years. Their oldest son Ole, who was drowned in the fifties in the
Norway marshes, was the first person buried in the Yorkville Cemetery.

[292] She was Gunild Wigeland; they were married in 1844.

Nels Narum was from Stathelle in Bamle Parish; he settled in Norway
Township on section 20. Both he and his wife died in 1887, about
eighty-seven years old. Hans Tveito (Twito) settled in the part of the
settlement that lay in Waukesha County; he moved to Houston County,
Minnesota, in 1855 and in 1866 to Filmore County; Halvor Nissen who
was from Bamle, also settled in Waukesha County. Ole Overson was from
Hviteseid Parish; when they came to Norway they lived for some time
with John Dale (who had come from Norway in 1837 with Mons K. Aadland
and Ole Rynning). In 1845 he preëmpted land in section 34, where his
son Frank Overson lived until quite recently.

Our third party of emigrants were from Upper Telemarken, mostly from
Siljord Parish. They came on the ship _Vinterflid_.[293] Among those
in the party were: Knud S. Kvistrud and Kari Berge from Tin, Egil O.
Cleven and family, and a cousin Knut Haugan, wife and two daughters
from Langelev; Björn Stondal, Ole O. Hedejord[294] and wife Liv, three
daughters, Esther, Ida and Etta, and two sons, Ole and Edward; Torbjörn
G. Vik and family, who later moved to Koshkonong; Aanund Drotning
who also went to Koshkonong that same year;[295] Aase and Ingeborg
Olson[296] from Mandal, Telemarken. John Homme from Siljord, father
of Reverend G. Homme, founder of the Indian School at Wittenberg,
Wisconsin, also came at the same time, as also Ole Myren and wife
Bergit, and Torgrim Busness and wife Anne from Tin, who moved to
Springfield Township, Winneshiek County, Iowa, in 1851.

[293] Many of the facts relative to this party were gathered on
a visit at the home of Mrs. Ingeborg Roswall, Whitewater,
Wisconsin, August 12, 1908; Mrs. Roswall does not remember
the name of the Captain of the ship.

[294] Ole Hedejord died on Koshkonong; Liv is still living, with
her grandchildren on the old homestead, near Waterford, in
the Town of Yorkville.

[295] Edwin Drotning of Stoughton tells me that his father Anon
remained a while in Milwaukee before going to Koshkonong,
where he located, as we know in 1844.

[296] These two sisters married Tostein and Gulleik Cleven in
1844. Tostein and Aase Cleven lived in Yorkville till 1866,
when they moved to Pleasant Spring, Dane County, Wisconsin.
Tostein died in 1893, Aase in 1905, leaving four daughters
and three sons: Mrs. Astri Drotning, Mrs. Ed. Drotning, both
of Stoughton, Wisconsin, Mrs. Anna Howe, Mrs. Edwin Bjoin,
Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Ed., Thomas, and Henry. Thomas Cleven
occupies the farm.

That year also Ole Heg, son of Even Heg and a brother of Colonel Hans
C. Heg,[297] came and settled in Racine County, as also Knud Langeland
from Samnanger, who in 1866 became the first editor of _Skandinaven_
founded that year by John Anderson in Chicago. Knud Langeland lived
at first in Muskego, later at North Cape, Racine County. In 1849 he
married Anna Hatlestad (born in Skjold Parish, Ryfylke, in 1830), whose
parents Jens O. Hatlestad and wife Anne had immigrated in 1846, and
settled in the Town of Norway. Knud Langeland was also the first editor
of _Amerika_, which began publication in Chicago in 1884. During the
last years of his life Langeland lived in North Cape and in Milwaukee,
where he died in 1888; his wife died in 1908, at the home of her
son, Dr. Peter Langeland with whom she had lived since her husband's
death.[298]

[297] Ole Heg is still living in Burlington, Racine County,
Wisconsin.

[298] The other children are James, Charles, and Frank Langeland,
and Mrs. Harry Brimble of Chicago, and Leroy Langeland, who
is news editor of the _Evening Wisconsin_, Milwaukee.

There came three persons from Voss to Racine County in 1843, namely,
Knut S. Skjerve (b. 1808), and wife Kari, and his unmarried sister,
Brita Selheim. Skjerve located in Norway, Racine County, in the
neighborhood of Nils Johnson. In 1847 Skjerve sold his land to Knut
K. Aaretuen from Sogn and went to Jefferson Prairie, Boone County,
Illinois, where he bought a farm and lived till his death in 1892; his
wife died there in 1873.

During 1844-1846 the increase in immigration was constant, though not
large. In 1847 there arrived a considerable number. The scattered
accessions of these years represent as widely removed parishes as
Skien, Lærdal in Sogn, and Namsos in Trondhjem. The following is a
partial list: 1844, John Larson and Peter Jacobson and family from
Stathelle, Bamle, Johannes J. Quala from near Stavanger; Thormod S.
Flattre with wife Ingeborg (Lydahl)[299] and children from Voss, who
settled in Norway Township, Halvor O. Skare and wife Margrete and two
children from Lower Telemarken, who located in Norway Township in
1845;[300] John I. Berge and wife Julia, and Hans H. Bakke and wife
Ingeborg, who moved to Spring Grove in 1854, and Peder Torgerson
and wife Anne and five children from Kragerö.[301] In 1846: Jens
O. Hatlestad and wife (see above page 284) parents of Rev. O. J.
Hatlestad, pioneer publisher, minister, and author of _Historiske
Middelelser om den norske Augustana-Synode_, Decorah, Iowa, 1877;
Elling Spillom, wife Maren and three sons, Ole, Hendrik, and Mikkel and
one daughter; Ole Homstad and Mathias Homstad, both with families, from
Namsos in Trondhjem Diocese;[302] they settled in Raymond Township;
Halvor and Ingebret Roswald[303] from Gjerpen. Knudt K. Hedle, wife
and sons Mathias, Peter, and daughter Betsy from Lærdal, Sogn; Tyke
Hendrikson Lökken and wife Anne from Gjerpen, who bought the Aslak Aas
farm in Norway Township; they had four children, Hans, Ole, Peter and
Maria.[304] In 1847: Peter M. Andsion from Namsos, with wife and four
children (three daughters and a son); they settled in Norway Township.

[299] Thomas F. Thompson, who died in Leland, Illinois, in 1908,
was their son.

[300] He moved to Winchester, Wisconsin, in 1854.

[301] Torgerson removed to Wheeler Prairie, Dane County, in 1846.
One of the children Anne Tomine, married Ole C. Erikson in
1854 and they moved to Lake Mills, Jefferson County. In the
spring of 1867 they moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin, where
Erikson was one of the first promoters of the Stoughton Wagon
Company. Mrs. Erikson is still living in Stoughton.

[302] They were the first families to emigrate from Trondhjem.

[303] Ingebret Roswald married Ingeborg Cleven in 1854, and they
then settled in Dodge County. The widow is now living in
Whitewater, Wisconsin.

[304] Hans died in 1856, Ole died in Milwaukee in 1901. Peter
Hendrikson graduated from Beloit College, held a chair in
Modern Languages there for about ten years, was later editor
of _Skandinaven_ and Principal of Albion Academy, Albion,
Wisconsin. Is now engaged in farming in the State of Maine.

In this year Captain Hans Friis from Farsund, Agder, Norway, settled in
Muskego. Friis was a sailor with _Enigheden_ in 1837 (see above page
96), and between 1837 and 1847 had made nine journeys to America. After
settling in Muskego he continued for many years sailing on the Great
Lakes. In 1848 the following came to Muskego: George J. Björgaas from
Houg, Voss,[305] Tollef O. Öien from Tönset, Österdalen (removed to
Kewanee County in 1855), and J. H. Skarie, from Hadeland, who located
in Town of Norway. This year also brought to Muskego the pioneer
minister Hans Andreas Stub (b. 1822), who had that spring received and
accepted the call to the Muskego church. Knut and Anna Aaretuen from
Aurland, Sogn, also appear among the number; they bought the farm of
Knut S. Skjerve in Norway Township. In 1854 they moved to Winneshiek
County, Iowa, and about 1860 to Gilmore County, Minnesota. John T. and
Christoffer Olson from Romskogen in Rödenæs, Halvor "Modum" from Modum,
Norway, and Guro Wait and son Reuben from Österdalen, Norway, all came
in 1848.

[305] His parents with family of ten came in 1849. George Björgaas
moved to Adams County, in 1849, where he has lived since.

This brief outline of the growth of the settlement represents fairly
completely the increase by immigration from Norway between 1842 and
1850. The wave of migration had long ago moved westward; it had
already gone beyond Koshkonong also. It was northern and western
Dane County and southern Columbia County that were now the Mecca of
immigrants. In the meantime some small settlements in Walworth and
Jefferson Counties had already been founded. We shall, therefore,
briefly discuss these now.

CHAPTER XXXIV

_The Heart Prairie Settlement in Walworth County,
Wisconsin. Skoponong. Pine Lake._

Walworth County forms one of the southern tier of counties in
Wisconsin, being situated between Rock on the west and Kenosha and
Racine on the east; to the north lies Jefferson County. There are four
Norwegian settlements in the county, as follows: (1) in the southern
part of the Town of Whitewater and the northern part of the Town of
Richmond lies the Heart Prairie Settlement, taking its name from the
beautiful little prairie directly east of it; (2) about four miles east
of the city of Whitewater lies Skoponong, partly in Whitewater Township
and extending north into Jefferson County as far as Palmyra; (3) in
the city of Whitewater there is a considerable Norwegian colony, and
(4) about six miles southeast of Heart Prairie lies the Sugar Creek
Settlement, extending from about five miles north of Delavan to about
three miles northeast of Elk Horn, the county seat of Walworth County.
It is the first of these settlements that we shall discuss in this
chapter.

The first Norwegian settlers at Heart Prairie were Ole A. Sögal and
wife Kari, who, with their four children Anne, Andrea, Karen, and
Johanne, came in 1842 and located four miles and a half southeast of
the city of Whitewater. They lived there only a few years, however,
then moved to Wautoma, Waushara County, in Central Wisconsin. The next
settler was Ole's brother, Hans A. Milebon, who with his wife Kari came
in 1843, and settled about a mile north of his brother's place; they
had one daughter, Mary Ann, who was about three years old when they
came, and who is still living near Whitewater.

During the year 1844 a number of families arrived from Norway and
settled at Heart Prairie. They were as follows: Hans Arveson Vale and
wife Aaste (Esther), with children Arve (or Harvey) and Isak. Mr.
Arveson bought his first eighty acres at government price of $1.25
per acre, and built his log house in the fall of 1844. In this log
cabin many a Norwegian immigrant found a temporary home upon his
first arrival in Wisconsin in the early days of the settlement. Here
Mr. Arveson lived, cultivating his own farm, until his death in 1873
at the age of sixty-one; the widow died in June, 1900, at the age
of eighty-six. Hans Thompson and wife Marie also came in 1844; they
had three children, Thomas, Karen and Ann. He bought land adjoining
Arveson's farm, lived the first winter in a dug-out. But the next
spring "when the snakes began to come in," writes my informant, they
moved to the Arveson's where they lived till they got their log-house
built.

Andres J. Skipnes and his wife Aaste also came at the time; they
settled near Ole Arveson, but lived there only a short time, then
moved to a farm near Stoughton, Wisconsin. Ole J. Vale and wife Anne
likewise came in the same party, but they went to Sugar Creek, where
a son, John, and a daughter, Annie Torine, had located the year
before.[306] Another arrival at this time was Peder H. Swerge, and Ole
Tölvson Grönsteen and wife Kari and three children, Tosten Olson, a
carpenter, and wife Aaste, Karine, a daughter of Halvor Anderson, came
in 1844. Tosten built most of the log-cabins that were erected in the
settlement for a number of years. His wife died soon after coming to
America, and Tosten died in the Civil War. Finally the accessions of
1844 included also the following persons: Gunder H. Lunde, Anne Kosa,
Ole O. Huset and family, John C. Opsal, and Halvor Huset. The latter
two remained only a short time, then went west; Ole O. Huset located on
Koshkonong.[307]

[306] The rest of their children who came with them were Aaste, a
widow, Andrea, Anders, and Anne Christine.
Thomas Thompson married Mary Ann, daughter of Christen Mason. They
lived on the Thompson homestead till their death; Thomas died in 1869,
his wife in 1871. They had six children, of whom Hans, the oldest,
lives at Forest City, Iowa. Karen Thompson, oldest daughter of Hans
Thompson, married Jens Skipnes (better known as John A. Johnson of
the firm, Fuller and Johnson, Madison, Wisconsin), and with him lived
near Stoughton, Wisconsin, where she died about four years after their
marriage.

[307] See Koshkonong Church Register, page 324 below.

All the above thirty-one persons who emigrated in 1844 were from the
vicinity of Skien in Holden, and all came on the same ship, namely,
_Salvator_, Captain Johan Gasman. They were nine weeks on the ocean,
landing in New York July 4th; they came by the regular route to
Milwaukee, thence they drove in lumber wagons to Heart Prairie.

For the year 1845 the following accessions are to be noted: The
brothers Nils and Gunder C. Opsal; Halvor A. Lunde and wife Ann and
six children, most of them grown up, and another son Gulleik and wife
Dorothea; Anders J. Björndokken; Johans Grönsteen with wife Maria and
three children. For 1846 we note the following: Anders Gunderson, John
Arveson and wife Kjersti and four children;[308] Lukas Ingebretson;
Anders G. Bjerva, wife Anne and four children:[309] Anne, Börte Maria,
Karen, and Jens, who many years ago moved to Crookston, Minnesota; and
John Grönsteen and wife Asberg. All those who came during the years
1845-46 were from near Skien.

[308] The mother and one child died that same fall.

[309] She was a widow when he married her. The children of the
second marriage were: Gunder, Christen (Whitewater), Esther
(who was Mrs. Chas. Sobye, Stoughton, Wisconsin, but now
dead). Anders Bjerva and wife died many years ago.
In 1847 Christen M. Bö, wife Inger and four children from Gjerpen came
to Heart Prairie; and in 1848 came Ole Nilsen from Christiansand.

In either 1848 or 1849 came Nils, Steen and Ole Haatvedt; Nils moved
to Wautoma, and Ole settled in Waupaca after living a few years at
Heart Prairie. In 1850 Hans Hanson, a blacksmith, came from Holdon and
located there; he worked for a time with the George Esterly Harvesting
Machine Co., then bought a farm, which he occupied till his death
in 1893. Another blacksmith by the name of Claus Hanson came at the
same time; worked at his trade for a while in Whitewater then went to
Michigan, married and came back and settled in Milwaukee, where he is
still living. In 1851 Arve Gunderson Vale emigrated; his son Hans Vale
had come in 1844; Arve Vale lived only a week after arriving. With him
came Gunder H. Vala and wife Kersti and seven children; they moved to
Vermillion, South Dakota, a few years later, all except the oldest
son Halvor, who is living at Rio, Wisconsin. In that year (1851) came
also Christopher Steenson Haatvedt and his two brothers-in-law, Peter
Kystelson Haatvedt and Christen J. Tveit, while in 1852 came Jörgen A.
Nilson Vibito and wife Karen Kristine, née Hanson, and six children.
Jörgen Nilson had taught parochial school in Norway for twenty-nine
years and continued to do so here for many years.

The above is a complete account of all arrivals to the settlement from
Norway down to the year 1852; the roster of settlers here given has
been patiently gathered during several months of research by Mr. Harvey
Arveson[310] of Whitewater, himself the oldest son of the third settler
in the community, namely Hans Arveson Vale, of whom we have spoken
above. I have followed his manuscript closely, omitting only certain
facts of family and personal history. Mr. Arveson speaks briefly of
the trying summer and fall of 1846 when for a time sickness and death
seemed to threaten to exterminate the settlers of Heart Prairie. I
will quote from his own account of the condition; speaking of John
Grönsteen, who came in 1846 and died that same fall, he continues:

There was so much sickness here at that time that there was hardly
any one well enough to bury those that died; and well can I
remember that the men had to come down to our house and rest before
they could finish the grave, and well can I remember that the cow
stood outside bellowing to be milked and no one able to milk her;
everybody was thirsty as all had fever and ague and had to go a
mile for water before we got to the well, and sometimes no one able
to go after it. I am sure a great many died for want of care, as
there was none that understood the English language and did not
understand how to take their medicine. Those were hard times, and
to many this account may sound incredible; nevertheless, it is true
and I could write volumes and tell true incidents of the trials and
hardships that the old pioneers had to endure.

[310] I acknowledge here with gratitude Mr. Arveson's valuable aid.
It is only through such intelligent interest and patient effort
on the part of the sons of the pioneers themselves, who have
continued to live in the community, that such reliable facts
can be secured.

Whitewater city received no Norwegian settlers until in the fifties,
therefore an account of their coming falls outside the scope of our
discussion. Of the old Skoponong Settlement I am able to give only
a few general facts. The first settlers came in 1843-44; they were:
Kittil Jordgrev, Hans Bukaasa, and Björn Lien from Upper Telemarken,
Hans and Harald Nordbö from Flaa, Hallingdal, Ole Lia from Hiterdal,
Halvor Valkaasa from Sauland, Lars Johnson Lee, Sjur Hydle, Knut T.
Rio, and Tollef Grane from Voss, and Anon Dalos; several of these
had families. Lars Lee and wife Britha came to Muskego in the summer
of 1843 and to Skoponong early in the fall, and were therefore among
the very earliest in that locality. They lived there until 1861, when
they located at Spring Prairie, Town of Leeds, Columbia County.[311]
In his history of the Skoponong Congregation (founded in 1844), C. M.
Mason, Secretary of the congregation, names also the following among
the earliest members of the church: Halvor Mathison (in whose house the
church was organized in 1844), Styrk Erikson, Knud Dokstad, Nils Herre,
Ole Sjurson, Simon Sakrison, Jacob Kaasne, Halvor Glenna, Mathias
Baura, Björn Hefte, Sjur Flittre, Lars Klove, Mathias Lia and Even
Gulseth.

[311] Lars Lee died in 1883, his wife in 1905. Dr. Lewis Johnson Lee
of De Forest, Wisconsin, is their son.

In 1846 Syver O. Haaland, wife and nine children, Hadle Evenson
and wife Anne J. Fjösne, and Tostein H. and Osmond O. Högstul came
to Skoponong, the latter two from Tuddal in Telemarken; the former
were from Etne Parish in Söndhordland. Björn Holland of Hollandale,
Wisconsin, who is a son of Syver Haaland,[312] writes me that they came
on the ship _Kong Sverre_ from Bergen.[313] In Ulvestad's _Nordmaendene
i Amerika_, page 56, appears an account of their first few weeks in
the settlement and of S. Haaland's sickness and death. The Högstul
party came in a brig by the name of _Washington_, which carried iron
from Tvedestrand, commanded by a Norwegian captain by the name of Simon
Cook. He says:

"In Milwaukee, there were only a few stores at the time. We drove
with oxen and a wagon to the so-called Skoponong Settlement near
Whitewater. When we came there nearly all the settlers lay ill with
ague, the condition was wretched. We immediately began to rid and
break some land and after a while we got so far that we could raise
some wheat. But we had to haul it fifty miles to Milwaukee with
oxen; there we got 25 cents per bushel.... wages was usually 25
cents a day in the spring and fall; in the haying it was 50 cents.
But there was little work to get. Like other settlers my parents
were poor. My mother made baskets from withes; these she then
carried on her back about the prairie and sold them to Americans,
getting in return for them flour, pork and garments, in order that
we should not suffer distress."

[312] The family changed the name to Holland in this country.

[313] Letter of May 5, 1905.

Hadle Evenson moved to Perry, Wisconsin, in 1854, where Mrs. Evenson
died in 1861. The oldest son Edwin Hadley, enlisting in Co. E, 15th
Wisconsin, was killed at the Battle of New Hope Church, Georgia, in
May, 1864. In 1875 Mr. Evenson settled at Slater, Story County, Iowa.
Peter Hadley, Treasurer of Webster County, is the only surviving son.

Among the early settlers at Skoponong was Mrs. Ingeborg Nelson who came
from Evanger, Voss, in 1849. She left Skoponong a few years later,
settling permanently at Deerfield, Dane County, in 1853, where she
is still living at the age of ninety-five. Mrs. Nelson is the mother
of Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who was born in Norway in 1843.
Knute Nelson was educated at Albion Academy, Albion, Wisconsin, and
removed to Alexandria, Minnesota in 1871. He was Governor of Minnesota
during 1892-1895. In the latter year he was elected U. S. Senator and
has been reëlected twice since, serving now his third term.

I shall mention one more settler, namely Torstein Rio,[314] born at
Vossevangen in 1835, who, with his wife Ingeborg (Bershaugen) and
family came to America in 1849 on the ship _Henrik Wergeland_ and
located at Skoponong. A brother whose name also was Torstein came at
the same time, and the family included a son Nels (Thompson), who is
living at Madison, Wisconsin, having moved there in 1860.[315] Torstein
Rio died at Skoponong in 1869, his wife died in Madison in 1876.

[314] Father of Knut Rio.

[315] In 1880 Nels Thompson became a member of the well known firm of
clothiers, Boley, Hinrichs and Thompson, later Hinrichs and
Thompson.

At Pine Lake and Nashota in northwestern Waukesha County a considerable
number of Norwegians lived among the forties and fifties, since which
the settlement has dwindled very much.[316] At Pine Lake the first
Swedish settlement founded in America in the last century had been
established in 1841 by Gustav Unonius.[317] In 1843 about fifty
Norwegian families located at Pine Lake, according to Unonius _Minnen_,
1862, page 3. Unonius mentions especially a Captain Hans Gasman as
the principal figure there. Gasman had a large family of sons and
daughters, and the name is a well known one among the early pioneers
of Racine, Waukesha, and Dodge Counties.[318] Other members of the
family were Charles, Peter and Captain Johan Gasman, who commanded the
_Salvator_, plying between Skien and New York. This very ship brought
a number who located at Pine Lake, among them Halvor Salveson from
Gjerpen.[319]

[316] Or rather also in part Americanized.

[317] I have discussed this in my _Chapters on Scandinavian
Immigration_ (1906), pages 83-85.

[318] Into this county the settlement extended to and about Ashippun
and Toland.

[319] Many of those who came with Capt. Gasman this time went to
Heart Prairie.

Among the fifty families who came to Pine Lake in 1843 I may name
Engelbret Salveson from Gjerpen, Erik Helgeson, Hans Roe, Christen
Puttekaasa, Halvor Rosholt, Jacob Rosholt, Peter Næs from near
Skien and Gjerpen, Ellef Björnson and Halvor Halvorson from Saude,
Telemarken, and Tollef Waller from Eidanger in Lower Telemarken,
Christopher Aamodt and Hans Uhlen from Modum, Tolleiv Röisland and Ole
Nummeland from Vallö in Sætersdalen and Ole Lia from Gausdal.[320]
Some of these, as e. g. Halvor Halvorson[321] located in the extreme
northern part of the settlement at Toland, and John Lia settled across
the Jefferson County line,[322] but most located in Waukesha County at
Hartland or Nashota.

[320] Holand _De norske Settlementers Historie_, page 170, to which
I am indebted chiefly for this roll of immigrants to Nashota,
etc., in 1843.

[321] Halvorson died in the spring of 1908 as the last of the
original Norwegian settlers at Toland; he was born in 1818,
married in 1848 Kirsten Aandrud, who survives him.

In subsequent years there arrived constantly new settlers from Skien,
Sætersdal and Gudbrandsdalen, but even in the later forties many began
to go to the counties immediately northwest to Waupaca and Portage
counties and elsewhere. In 1850-54 these counties, as also Waushara and
Winnebago counties on the south, received hosts of Norwegian settlers,
some coming direct from Norway, a large number however from Racine and
Dane Counties, and the Pine Lake region.[323] The period of growth
in this settlement was therefore relatively short, and the removals
relatively large. The result was that the Norwegians came to live more
scattered and the community soon began to lose its distinctive national
character. Thus it is significant, that of the ninety services held
during 1907 in _Vor Frelsers Kirke_ at Oconomowoc sixty-three were in
the English language.[324] But we are here touching upon questions
which it is not our purpose to discuss in connection with the survey of
settlement.

[322] Through John Lia's influence this then came to be the
destination of the earliest emigrants from Gudbrandsdalen
between 1846-49.

[323] Walworth County contributed some of the number; thus Ole
Sögal, the first Norwegian settler at Heart Prairie, was one
of those who went to Waushara County.

[324] By way of comparison the number of English services to
Norwegian as far as statistics are available were in the
following localities: Morris, Ill., 13 of 67, Blue Mounds,
Dane Co., Wis., 0 of 22; Leland, Ill., 14 of 28; Stoughton,
Wis., 35 of 80; Long Prairie, 7 of 25; Koshkonong, 0 of 75;
"Muskego," 41 of 112.

CHAPTER XXXV

_The Earliest Norwegian Settlers at Sugar Creek, Walworth County,
Wisconsin. The influx from Land, Norway, to Wiota and Vicinity,
1844-1852_

We have briefly referred to Sugar Creek, Walworth County, Wisconsin,
in chapter XXXIII above. This little settlement received its first
Norwegian settlers in 1844 when Ole Vale and wife Anne from Holden
Parish, Skien, located there; with them came the sons John and Anders
and the daughters Aasta, Anne, Turine, Andrea and Maria. Vale and his
wife lived in Sugar Creek till their death, and the daughters all
married and settled there. In the same year Ole Kittelson and Nils
T. Kvamodden, both unmarried and both also from Holden, came to the
settlement. Ole Kittelson located permanently in Sugar Creek, but Nils
Kvamodden and wife moved to Norway Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota,
in 1857. There they died years ago, the homestead being now occupied by
the son Ole.

Christian L. Vestremo and wife Ingeborg and three children, and Gunder
K. Næseth emigrated from Gjerpen near Skien, in 1844. Næseth moved
to Norway, Minnesota, in 1856 and Vestremo in 1857. According to Ole
Jacobson of Elk Horn, to whom I am indebted for these facts, there
were no further accessions to the colony before 1847. In that year
his parents came from Gjerpen, as also Jacob Torstenson and wife Maren
Margrete and three sons Ole, Torsten and Jacob, and a daughter, Maria
with her husband Lars Jensen Teigen and family. With them came also
Teigen's mother. Jacob Torstenson died in 1861; the widow is still
living at the old home.

Ole Jacobson writes me that his father and family left Skien in April
by the ship _Axel (og) Valborg_, Captain Bloom, going first as far as
Havre, France. There they waited three weeks, then secured passage
with an American ship, the journey being very slow. Landing in Boston,
they went by train to Albany, thence by canal boat to Buffalo, and by
steamboat via the lakes to Milwaukee, where they arrived sometime in
August. From Milwaukee they thereupon proceeded to Sugar Creek, where
they located permanently. Ole Jacobson is at present living on the farm
purchased in 1847. In 1849 Aslak Rasmusson Slettene with wife Gunild
and eight children came from Gjerpen, Norway.[325] Grindemelum, with
wife, son, and daughter, also came in 1849, as did Peter J. Gromstulen,
wife Svanang and five children, and Nils J. Overholt, wife and two
children.

[325] Some of the children have moved away, to Minnesota and
Washington.

There do not seem to have been any further accessions of Norwegian
immigrants during the pioneer days of the Sugar Creek settlement. In
the sixties quite a number came and located at and about Elk Horn but
these do not fall within the scope of our survey.

The original home of immigrants from Land, Norway, was Rock Prairie, as
we saw above, chapter XXIV. From this as their distribution point they
migrated west and north, aiding in the founding of other settlements.
As early as 1844 we find one pioneer at Wiota from Land, Norway, namely
Syver Johnson Smed (see above page 213). But the influx from Land did
not begin until 1847.[326] In that year two families, numbering in
all fourteen persons, arrived via Rock Prairie; they were those of
Svend Nörstelien (wife Karen, and five children) and of the widow Kari
Lillebæk, who had six children.[327] In 1848 Hovel Tollefsrude, wife
Bertha and children: Christopher, Hans, Jahannes, Siri, and Lovise
arrived. Further immigrants of that year were: Johannes Brenom, wife
Ingeborg and three children; Hans Halvorson (Brenna), wife Eli, and
children, Berte, Halvor and Johannes; Johannes E. Smedsrud, with wife
Anne and two sons Engebret and Mathias; and Johannes Smehögen (or Smed)
with wife Engeborg, and two children.

[326] Matthew J. Ingebretson of Gratiot, Wis., who came to Wiota
with his parents in 1848, has kindly aided me with many of
the facts on immigration to Wiota in 1847-50.

[327] John Larsen Lillebæk was one of her sons.

In 1849 came Torkild Husværet, with wife and three sons, Gulbrand, Lars
and Frederik; Ole Monson Tollefsrude, wife Karen and three children,
and Nils Aason, Ovre Hasle and wife Ingeborg, who had come to Rock
Prairie in 1848 (removed to Wiota in 1848). Hans Lillebæk came in 1850
and about twenty in all in 1851-52.

Ole Monson, whom we have mentioned as coming in 1849, was the builder
of the old Norwegian church at Wiota, which is still standing; the
present larger and more commodious structure stands on the wall built
by Ole Monson.

There were not very many from other provinces in Norway among those who
emigrated to Wiota in the late forties. We have spoken of Ingebrigt
Fuglegjærdet's coming in 1846 from Long Prairie, where he had lived two
years; he was from Vik, Sogn.[328]

[328] Ingebrigt Johnson removed to Town of Dane, Dane County,
Wisconsin, in 1851; there he lived till his death in 1893,
his wife having died in 1890. John J. Johnson, retired
farmer, of Lodi, Columbia County, Wisconsin, is their son, as
is also Joseph Johnson of Dane Township in Dane County.

From Vik came Erik I. Haave and wife in 1847, while Harald Melland
and wife Anne came from Telemarken. From Sigdal there came one family
in 1848; Ellef (Alef) Johnson and wife Anne. The latter served in the
Civil War, in Company G of the Twenty-Second Wisconsin Regiment.[329]
In 1872 he married Mary Larson,[330] of Blanchardville, La Fayette
County, where they are now living.

[329] He was only sixteen when he enlisted.

[330] She was a daughter of Ole Larson, who served in the Third
Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, in the Civil War.

I may conclude this chapter by saying that Arne Vinje, whose name is
so intimately interlinked with the history of the community, died in
1903, having lived on the old homestead for sixty-two years. Of his
eight children, three are living: Peter S. Anderson, Newell, Iowa,
Daniel K. Anderson and Mrs. Martha Brunkow of Woodford, Wisconsin.

CHAPTER XXXVI

_Continued Immigration from Aurland, Sogn, to
Koshkonong. The Arrival of Settlers from
Vik Parish, Sogn, in 1845._

In the year 1845-1846 immigration to Koshkonong from Laurdal, Vinje and
Moe Parishes continued and a considerable number came from Flesberg.
The accessions from Laurdal, Moe, and Hvideseid for these years record
the end of a movement that began in 1843. But that which especially
characterized the growth of the Koshkonong Settlement in 1845-1846 was
the extensive additions through immigrants from Sogn. So extensive,
in fact, was the influx from Sogn these years as to make their total
representation on Koshkonong at once exceed that from either Voss or
Numedal, and equal to about half that from Telemarken. These four have
ever since been the dominant elements in Koshkonong's population. A
part of this immigration from Sogn was from parishes represented among
the arrivals of the year before. Such were Botolf J. Grinde, Ole N.
Steenhjerde and Sjur I. Romören from Leikanger, Herman T. Vee, Joseph
J. Gjellum and Hermund O. Offerdal from Lærdal, Anders S. Övrebö,
wife Anne and three children from Lyster, Erik L. Grov and Anders H.
Ödegaard and wife Martha from Hafslo.

But much more significant was the immigration from Aurland Parish in
1845-1846, from Sogndal in 1846, and the new immigration from Vik
Parish in 1845. We shall discuss these three groups in order briefly.

We have noted above, Chapter XXXI, that there were several persons from
Aurland Parish, Sogn, among the immigrants who settled on Koshkonong in
1844. I am now in receipt of a letter from Anders J. Flaam of Flaam in
Aurland, Norway, relative to the earliest emigration from Aurland to
America. His letter, as also that of Reverend E. P. Juul, the present
Minister of the Parish, shows that the earliest emigrants left there in
1844. I quote in translation from Reverend Juul's letter:

"Those who, according to parochial records here, were the first
to emigrate to America are the following: Iver Hansen Vingum, age
twenty-five, unmarried,[331] Ole Torjussen Flaam, age fifty, wife
Anna Botolfsdatter, age forty, and children, Ole, thirteen and a
half years old, and Anders, ten years. Of these, Iver Hansen's
certificate of emigration is shown to have been issued March 20,
1844, and he to have left the district on April 13th the same year.
Ole Torjussen's certificate of emigration was issued on the 13th of
April, 1844, and his departure took place the following day. All
therefore emigrated together."

[331] The writer's father has always pronounced the name Vangen, which
also according to Haakon Lie, is the correct form. Iver Vangen
settled on Bonnet Prairie, where his son Hans Vangen is still
living.

Reverend Juul thereupon gives a list of those who emigrated from
Aurland in 1845, and while several of these did not settle on
Koshkonong it will be of interest to the reader to see this list. I
therefore give it complete here:

"In 1845, on the 19th of April the natives of Aurland
(Aurlændinger) left their native village: Torsten Olsen Bjelde,
(45 years of age) wife, Anna (29), and son, Ole (3½ years);
Iver Ingebrigtsen Ytreli (32 years); Jens Botolfsen Bergkvam
(23½ years); Jens Torgersen Tærum (44½ years), wife Ragnhilde
Monsdatter (27) and son Torger (one year); Sjur Olsen Stundal (19)
and sister Katrine (30); Anna Marie Hansdatter Vangen (28½);
Erik Johannesen Ytreli (43) and wife Marthe Larsdatter (48) and
children; Brita (21 years), Magnilde (18 years), Johannes (16
years), Ingeborg (14 years), Lars (10½ years), Haakon (9 years),
Anna (7 years), Tomas (5 years); Johanne Botolsdatter Ytreli (16
years); Eilef Olson Loven (24 years); Mikkel Knutsen Österbro
(22½ years), and wife Martha Gulvsdatter (27½ years), and son
Knut (two months); Lars Gundersen Gjellum (33½ years) and wife
Gjertrud, and son Knut (4 years); Martha Gundersdatter (17 years);
Josef Johannesen Vindedal (73 years), and wife Anna Jensdatter;
John Johnsen Frondal (28 years) and wife Magnhilde; Rognald
Johannesen Knit (19½ years); Simon A. Gjellum (20 years); Peder
Monsen Loven (34 years); Johanne M. Loven (20 years); Iver J. Stene
(22 years).

These are the emigrants who first went to America from this Parish.

Aurland Parish, January 25th, 1909.
E. P. Juul."

Some of the immigrants mentioned by Reverend Juul are still living
on Koshkonong. Thus among the children of Erik J. Ytreli (who died
in 1892, at the age of 90),[332] Johannes (John E. Johnson) is still
living on the old homestead, two miles east of Utica, and his brother
Haakon is living there with him.[333] Simon Gjellum lived two years
in Chicago, then entered the Mexican War, after which he came to
Koshkonong. Ivar I. Ytreli[334] had been a school teacher and deacon at
Systrond, in which capacity he continued serving here in this country,
at Rock Prairie, Rock County, whither he went soon after arriving in
Wisconsin; he died there about 1875. Of other immigrants from Aurland,
which Mr. Anders J. Flaam speaks of, I shall mention Peder J. Gjeirsme,
and Torbjörn O. Gjeirsme, wife Metta and family, who came in 1846, and
Hans Torjussen Flom, who, he says, went soon after Ole T. Flom.

[332] The family shortened the name to Lie in this country.

[333] During a visit with him at the John E. Johnson homestead last
August I had the pleasure of listening to H. Lie's narrative
of the emigration of this party from Aurland and of their
early experiences. Haakon Lie has a remarkable memory and he
has made it a point to follow the career and keep in touch
with his fellow immigrants of 1845, and their history in this
country. Space does not permit me to give here details from
my interview with him, nor from that with others relative to
the immigration of these years. But I may add that the party
sailed with Kong Sverre, Captain Fisher; they were six weeks
and four days on the way from Bergen to New York, thence
they went by steamboat to Albany, where they arrived on the
fourth of July. Arriving in Chicago one of the last days in
July, they remained there a week then proceeded to their
destination, Koshkonong, driving with oxen from Chicago.

Haakon Lie says there were none on the ship from Telemarken or
Numedal; the 300 passengers were all from Sogn and Voss; but
I learn through others that there were some from Hardanger on
the ship.

The limitations of space necessitates curtailment in the account
in nearly every chapter. From the vast amount of material I
have, I can offer here practically only that which pertains
specifically to the history of immigration.

[334] Or, as Kristen Sherpi of West Koshkonong called him in an
interview last summer, Ivar i Heggvikji.

During the year 1845 there came also a group of immigrants to
Koshkonong from Vik Parish, namely several families from near
Arnefjord. This party included several Næset families, the oldest
living survivor of which is Jens J. Næset (b. 1828), well-known
Koshkonong architect, who resides at Stoughton, Wisconsin.[335] I have
had several interviews with Mr. Næset relative to their sailing, and
their early life as pioneers; it will be possible to give here only
the briefest facts. Jens Næset tells me that there were eight estates
at Næset and that the owners of four of them sold out at the same time
and went to America. The biggest of these estates was that of Ingebrigt
Næset, or as he was usually called, Skuungen. In the party were Jens
Næset's parents, Johannes Jensen Næset and wife Eli, his oldest sister
Gro, married to Ole Larson (Haugan)[336] who is living in Cambridge,
Wisconsin, two brothers Ingebrigt and John, and another sister who
later married Henrik Lien of East Koshkonong.[337]

[335] Jens Næset, I have just learned, died at Stoughton last week,
May, 1908.

[336] They had one child when they came; she is Mrs. Ole Venaas,
Rockdale, Wisconsin.

[337] Johannes Næset was born in Feios, but his father had bought
Næset in 1823 and settled there, three Norwegian miles from
Arnefjord.

There were three ships that sailed at the same time, Næset relates. One
of these was the _Kong Sverre_, Captain Fischer (of which Haakon Lie
speaks above), and on which the emigrants from Aurland were embarked.
Another was a two-masted sloop, _Peder Schröder_, and which carried
about 130 passengers, among whom the Næset families; this sloop had
crossed twice before. The third was one commanded by Captain Brock. The
passengers on this ship were mostly from Sogn, but there were three
boys from Hardanger, and a few persons from Voss. _Peder Schröder_ also
carried emigrants principally from Sogn, but there were two from Voss,
says Næset. One of these was Brynjulf Leland, who settled at Norway
Grove, where he is still living. The other was Odd Himle, whom we have
met with above page 168, as the guide of the first party of explorers
of Koshkonong in 1839. He had returned to Norway in 1844, married there
in 1845, and was now returning to America. Among those who came on the
Brock-ship were Skuungen and Ole Menes.

We recognize in Captain Brook's ship the same ship that Lasse Ellingson
of Capron, Illinois, came on in 1845. It was furthermore the very
same voyage of this ship. The name of the ship was _Albion_. For a
partial list of the passengers on this ship as of _Peder Schröder_,
whose captain was Vingaard,[338] the reader may now be referred to the
account of the sailing of these two ships above, Chapter XXXII.

[338] The much talked of Vingaard-ship.

The two ships _Kong Sverre_ and _Peder Schröder_ sailed side by side
the whole way, relates Næset, _Kong Sverre_ arriving in New York in
the evening, _Peder Schröder_ the next morning. Captain Brock's ship
which had started ten days earlier, arrived three days later (see above
page 275). From New York the immigrants were taken over the usual route
to Milwaukee.[339] Having arrived in Muskego, they secured Halvor
Luraas to take their goods to Koshkonong; he brought them to Clinton
(Rockdale), where the first man they met was Torstein Selseng, who
had emigrated from Aurland, Sogn, to Koshkonong the preceding year.
Johannes Næset, who was a man of considerable means for the time,
bought the land, which is now occupied by the son Ingebrigt Næset,
which is section thirty-five in the southeastern part of Christiana
Township.

[339] Mr. Næset's full account of this journey I shall publish
elsewhere.

Johannes Næset was born in Leikanger Parish in 1795; his wife,
Eli I. Berdahl, was born in 1797. She died in Koshkonong in 1850,
Johannes died in 1882. He was noted for his ability as a mechanic, was
successful as a maker of violins, and was himself a capable player.
Jens Næset early distinguished himself as a builder and an architect.
Though but sixteen years old he assisted in the building of the old log
church in East Koshkonong in 1844, and it was Næset who took it down
again in 1858 and constructed the old stone church, which a few years
ago was replaced by a handsome brick edifice. He also built the tower
of the old Liberty Prairie Church, and a number of the oldest houses on
Albion Prairie were erected by him. Jens Næset was married in 1850; he
has no children. Mrs. Ole Melaas of Stoughton, Wisconsin, is an adopted
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Næset.[340]

[340] The Næsets have been living in Stoughton since 1876.

As has been noted, there was a considerable immigration from Sogndal,
Sogn, in 1846; to name only a few: Ole C. Teigen, Ellend T. Quale,
with wife Dordei Baardsdatter and family, eight in all, Anders S.
Hundere, Nils O. Selseng and wife, and Johannes I. Gjerde. From
Aurland, Sogndal, and Hafslo there came others in the following four
years. I shall here name Peder Sylfestson Aaberge from Hafslo, who
came in 1847, Ole O. Anderson (1848), Ole O. Hemsing (1849), both from
Sogndal, Atle S. Gjellum and family, Per Sherping and wife Kristine and
Kristen Olson Gulvangen from Aurland in 1849. Of these Aaberge later
moved to Minnesota. Ole Anderson (often called Skog-Ola) settled three
miles north of Albion, where he lived till his death. He married Guri
Pederson, adoptive daughter of Torstein Selseng in 1851, who had come
to America in 1849. She died in June, 1909. Ole Hemsing located first
in Cottage Grove; in 1855 he purchased the old Hemsing farm three miles
north of Stoughton, later owned by the son Ole H. Hemsing (b. 1853),
since 1884, of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Ole O. Hemsing died about 1895,
the widow (Ragnilda) died in 1907. Per Sherping died early and the
widow married Kristen Olson, who then took the name Sherping (Sherpi).
Kristen Sherpi (b. 1823) is still living at the old homestead near West
Koshkonong Church. There was scattered immigration from Telemarken
down to 1850, especially from Hvideseid, about forty in all came from
Hallingdal, and twenty-five from Hardanger; Valders, Ringsaker, Biri
and Vardal, and a dozen other provinces and parishes are represented
by four or five settlers each. The first to arrive from Hardanger were
Svend L. Lund, Ingebrekt, Nicolai, and Johannes Erdahl, Guttorm Buo,
Ole L. and Aslak E. Quammen; these came in 1847. From Ringsaker came
Anders J. Tömmerstigen, wife Maria Olsdatter and children Johannes,
Olive, Peter (b. 1843) and Karen Marie, in 1846, while from North
Aurdal in Valders came Ole Loe and Ole H. Hippe, both with families,
and from Slidre, Tollef H. Gvale, all in 1847.

I shall now offer a copy of the official register of members of the
Koshkonong churches during this period, according to the Parochial
Records left by Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson for the years 1844 to
1850. This is here printed for the first time and will be read with
considerable interest by the many descendants of the founders of these
two historic congregations on Koshkonong Prairie.

CHAPTER XXXVII

_"Kirkeregister." Church Register of the East Koshkonong,
West Koshkonong and Liberty Prairie
Congregations as Constituted During the
Years of Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson's
Incumbency of the Pastorate
from 1844 to 1850, and as Recorded
by Reverend Dietrichson._[341]

_Indvan-_
_drede_ _Födt_ _Kones Navn_
_Bygd_ _Navn_ _Aar_ _Aar_ _og Födselsaar_

Ole Knudsen Trovatten Laurdal 1840 1807
Gunnul Olsen Vindæg Rollaug 1839 1808 Guri, 1811
Ole, 1842 1842
Gudbrand Gudbrandson Holtan Flesberg 1843
Torkild Gunlegsen Sundböe[342] Sillejord 1843 1816 Margit
Torstein Thronsen Selseng Sogndal 1844 Kari
John Pederson Tverberg Tind 1842 1811 Gro
Knud Mortensen Roland 1844
Mikkel Johnson Engesæter[343] Leganger 1844 1819 Synneva, 1822
Niels Olsen Smetbak Rollaug 1842 Barbro
Gisle Helgesen Venaas Rollaug 1844
Sondre Olsen Reishus Sillejord 1843 1820
Even Stenerson Bilstad Moe 1843 1802 Dagne
Johannes Johnson Berg Kragerö 1844
Gunder Jörgensen Fladland Hvidsöe 1843
Björn Gulbrandsen Mörkvold Rolland 1842 Asbjör
Gulbrand
Halvor Johnson Grovund Nissendal 1843 Gunhild
Gaute Ingebretsen Gulliksrud Tind 1843 1815 Kari
Niels Colbeinsen Fladland Hvidsöe 1843
Hans Pedersen Tverberg Tind 1841 1814 Ingeborg, 1820
Peder, 1845
Amund Anderson Stavanger 1836 Ingeborg
Anfin Anfindsen Haugerud Rollaug 1844
Knud Olsen Holtene Hvidsöe 1843 Kirkesanger
Mikkel Hansen Strömmen Hvidsöe 1843
Anen Tollefsen Bolstad Gjerpen 1844
Baruld Johnsen Strandskougen Drangedal 1843 Kari Kristine
Aase Helene, Helge Marie
Knud Aslaksen Gjöttil Laurdal 1843 1803 Thone 1816
Niels Torstensen Seim Leirdal 1844 1812 Mari
Ingeleif, Torsten, Britha
Christen Olsen Hole Vos 1844 1813
Tollef Olsen Kaase Laurdal 1844
Johannes Johnson Berge Laurdal 1843 1791 Birgit
Ellef Anderson Berg Sandsværd 1843
Tollef Johannesen Berge Laurdal 1843 1814
Jens Pedersen Vehus Rollaug 1842 1814
Knud Osmundsen Dahle Sillejord 1843
Vetle Osmundsen Dahle Sillejord 1843
Richard Björnsen Rotkjön Vinje 1842 1816
Knud Aslaksen Juve Hvidsöe 1843 1799 Gudbjör 1802
Halvor Paulsen Grovum Nissedal 1843
Even Eilertsen Buaas Krageröe 1843 1799
Björn Olson Rom Krageröe 1843
Hellik Gundersen Vashovd Flesberg 1842 Marith
Peder Larsen Svartskuur Eger 1843 Groe
Marthe Marie, Grethe Sophie
Thore Knudsen Nore Rollaug 1842 Gjertrud
Knud Kittilsen Baglie Flesberg 1843
Ole Ellingsen Fladland Sogndal 1844
Peder Kittilsen Byestölen Vos 1843
Tov Kittilsen Svimbil Tind 1836 1801 Sigrid, 1800
Kittil 1833, Ole, Gunhild 1843
John Halvorsen Grovum Nissedal 1843
Ole Pedersen Selseng Sogndal 1844
Tarald Ellefsen Midböe[344] Holt 1843 Anne
Ole Helgesen Lien Rollaug 1841 Thuri
Barbro Larsdatter (her child), Ole
Lars Johannesen Hollo Hedemarken 1839 Marie
Fredrik, Martin, Anders
Gunstein Rolfsen Omdal Moland 1844
Odne Osmundsen Bondal Moland 1843
Halvor Larsen Stahlsbraaten Rollaug 1843 1820
Gjermund Knudsen Sunde Rollaug 1839 1812
Ole Knudsen Hjemdal Laurdal 1844 1799
Gunder Gundersen Vashovd Flesberg 1842 Kirsti
Ole Torgersen Bergland Moe 1843
Knud Ellingsen Doknæs Holt
Christen Lassesen Melaas Sogndal 1844 1799 Aase, 1803
Peder Larsen Hollo Ringsager 1839
Stener Evensen Bilstad Moe 1843 1828
Halvor Aslaksen Kostvedt Vinje 1842 Sigrid
Aslak 1845
Ole Laurandsen Hogndalen Sillejord 1843 1807
John Halvorsen Vindlös Laurdal 1844
Even Jörgensen Iualen Laurdal 1844
Osmund Aslaksen Næstestue Vinje 1843 1797
Hermund Endresen Huke Leganger 1844 1811 Kirsti
Endre, Lars
Neri Tarjesen Hauge Hvidsöe 1844
Peder Larsen Gjerde Leganger 1844 1797
Halvor Laurantsen Fosheim Sillejord 1843 1810
Aslak Olsen Gjergjord Hvidsöe 1843
Ole Iversen Huseböe Leganger 1844 1808 Ingeleiv, 1805
Anna 1833, Gjertrud 1837, Lars 1840, Iver 1844
Lars Larsen Hollo Ringsager 1839 Gunbjör
Ole Knudsen Dyrland Sillejord 1843 1819
Kittil Kittilsen Rinden Moland 1843 1791
Ole Sondessen Brækken Vinje 1844
Sjur Sjursen Ölmen Sogndal 1844 1816
Gotskalk Odmundsen Meland Vos 1844 1806
Thone Aslaksdatter Lien Laurdal 1843 1807
Anna Larsdatter Eggum[345] Leganger 1843 1811
(widow, one child, Anna)
Stephen Knudsen Gilderhus Vos 1838 1813 Anne, 1806
Elling Olsen Fladland Sogndal 1844
Knud Annundsen Jamsgaard Vinje 1843
John Osmundsen Suböe
Henrik Olsen Hæve Vos 1844 1800
Berge 1833
Reinert Andreas Gunsteinsen Moland 1844
Clemet Larsen Stahlsbraaten Modum 1843
Johannes Larsen Hollo Ringsaker 1839 1822 Andrine
Ingeborg Olsdatter Trovatten,
Enke Laurdal 1843
Ole Herbransen Mörkvold Rollaug 1842
Aslak Evensen Groven Laurdal 1843 1802
Björn Olsen Hustvedt Vinje 1843
Amund Olsen Jordet Moland 1843 1816
Tollef Kittilsen Rinden Moland 1843 1826
Gunder Kittilsen Rinden Moland 1843 1823
Ole Andersen Værken Leganger 1844 1823
Osmund Vetlensen Dahle Sillejord 1843
Herbrand Tollefsen Mörkvold Rollaug 1842
Knud Helliksen Roe Tind 1839 Anne
Ole Larson Strömi Vos 1844 1796
Anund Olsen Drotning Vinje 1843 1819 Lisbeth[346]
Gunleg Johnsen Haugelie Hvidsöe 1844
Aslak Björnson Rotkjön Vinje 1842 1826
Thron Halvorsen Gjötil Laurdal 1843 1819
Ole Aslaksen Rorge Laurdal 1843 Gunhild
Abraham Knudsen Rönningen Krageröe 1843 Ingeborg
Knud
Erik Knudsen Rönningen Krageröe 1843
Halvor Eilertsen Dahl Krageröe 1843 Anne
Eilert, Olaus, Carl
Niels Johnson Luraas Tind 1843 1789
Anver Halvorsen Grovum Nissedal 1843 1814
Anders Halvorsen Grovum Nissedal 1843 1824
Tarje Nerisen Hauge Hvidesöe 1844
Ole Sörensen Quistrud Tind 1843
Knud Halvorsen Teisberg Laurdal 1843 1803
Thorbjörn Guttormsen Viig Sillejord 1843
Ole Gulbrandson Holtan Flesberg 1843
Niels Olsen Grovum Nissedal 1843
Knud Olsen Lien Laurdal 1844 1797 Ragnhild
Halvor Johnsen Donstad Hvidesöe 1843 1816
Torstein Gunlegsen Bringa Sillejord 1843 1817
Askjer Knudsen Hjemdal, Pige
John Olsen Haugen Nordrehaug 1840
Harald Kittilsen Dahle Sillejord 1843
Halvor Kittilsen Luraas Tind 1841 1814 Jorand, 1815
Kittil 1840, Niels 1845, Ingeborg
Lars Gunlegsen Sundböe Sillejord 1843 1829
Berit Levorsdatter Bergerud Flesberg 1843
Anders Andersen Fenne Vos 1838
Aadne Björnson Lien Hvidesöe 1843
Botolf Larsen Lunde Vos 1844
Knud Thoresen Nore Rollaug 1842
Aslau Thorsdatter Kaase Rollaug 1842
Gulbrand Gulbrandsen Holtan Flesberg 1843
Kittil Gulliksen Baglie Flesberg 1843
Inbeborg Tollefsdatter
Midtlien Moland 1843
Tellef, Gunhild, Thone
Mons Simonsen Halfsrund Viig 1844
Halvor Danielsen Stensrud Sanne 1849
Björn Osmundsen Næstestue Vinje 1843
Eigil Aslaksen Lien Vinje 1843
Erik Henriksen Hæve Vos 1844
Ole Nielsen Grovum Nissedal 1843
Torsten Torstenson Gaarden Tind 1842 Anna
John Johnson Landsværk Hjendahl 1842 Anne
Peder, John Omgangsskolelærer, Kirkesanger
Tollef Sigurdsen Tveten Laurdal 1844
Juri Knudsdatter Holtene Hvidesöe 1843
Turi Hermandsdatter
Fjerrestad[350] Viig 1844
Martha Ellingsdatter Fladland Sogndal 1844
Ingeborg Halvorsdatter
Hagedalen Hvidesöe 1843
Anna Christensdatter Melaas Sogndal 1844
Martha Henriksdatter Hæve Vos 1844
Aslau Eivindsdatter Qualen Laurdal 1844
Guro Olsdatter Strömi Vos 1844
Synneva Olsdatter Huseböe Sogndal 1844 1831[351]
Ingeborg Tarjesdatter Dyrdal Laurdal 1843 1829
Ragnhild Herbrandsdatter
Mörkvold Rollaug 1842
Gjertrud Brynildsdatter Sanve Vos 1844
Knud Olsen Hjemdal Laurdal 1844
Thorbjörn Gunderson Fladland Hvidesöe 1843
Halvor Nerisen Hauge Hvidesö 1844
Asbjörn Eivindson Qualen Laurdal 1844
Colbein Nielson Fjeldbye Vos 1844
Tollef Anesen Bolstad Gjerpen 1844
Ole Gundersen Bringen Sillejord 1843 1830
Tarje Aslaksen Lien Moe 1843
Ole Henriksen Hæve Vos 1844
Gunhild Aslaksdatter Giöttil Laurdal 1843 1792
Kristi Halstensdatter Vinje Vos 1844 1821
Knut Jarandsen Bosböen Sillejord 1843
Ole Olsen Stuen Sövde 1843 1814 Aslan
Aslak, Ole
Gunvor Johannesdatter Berge Laurdal 1843 1822
Gunleg Torkildsen Sundböe Sillejord 1843 1785 Margit
Gunder Olsen Skrabak Sillejord 1843
Ole Anderson Sanden Sillejord 1843 1821
Kittil Tovson Aase Sillejord 1843
Liv Pedersdatter Bjaaen, Enke Sillejord 1842
Johannes Anderson Aabö Hvidesöe 1843
Ole Knudsen Gilderhus Vos 1839 1817 Martha
Britha
Lars Nilsen Væhle Vos 1844 1803
Lars Torgersen Röte Vos 1840 1819 Ingeborg, 1822
Torge 1845
Torstein Levorsen Bergerud Flesberg 1842 Kirsti
Levor
Anne Marie Halvorsdatter Thorstad,
enke Lier 1843 1809
Thore Olsen Kaase Rollaug 1842 Anne
Niels Larsen Bolstad Vos 1837 Anne
Lars, Ingeborg
Ole Sjurdsen Gilderhus Vos 1840 1814 Eli
Martha 1845, Syvert 1845
Lars Davidsen Rekve Vos 1839 1818 Ingeborg
Ole Larsen Dygsteen Vos 1843 Anna
Niels Cornelius Nielson Tveten Sandsværd 1844 Anna Kirstine
Osmund Osmundsen Lunde Vinje 1842
Niels Ellefsen Masterud Bamble 1843 1816
Væren Svendsen Tveten Laurdal 1844
Even Olsen Unskard Hallingdal 1843 Sigrid
Ole, Mari
Aasild Torgrimsdatter Strand Moland 1843 1774
Anders Nielsen Grove Vos 1843 Borgilda
Anders Halskusen Sanden Sillejord 1844
Even Sörensen Bjaaland Laurdal 1844
Barbro Evensdatter[347] Sannikedal 1843 1827
Eilert Evensen Buaas Sannikedal 1843 1829
Aslak Anundsen Juvet Laurdal 1843 Barbro
Thore, Thov, Thone
Even Olsen Ramberg Vinje 1844
Gunhild Nielsdatter Luraas Tind 1826
Aslau Nielsdatter Luraas Tind 1829
Jacob Jarandsen Bosböen Sillejord 1843
Gulleck Torstensen Saue Voss 1840 1821
Dönaut Torgeirsdatter Rölje Voss 1844 1820
Ole Knudsen Schærdal[348] Urland, Sogn 1843
Ole Knudsen Trængeklev Sillejord 1843 1816
Knud Ingebrigtsen Gjerde Sogndal 1844 Synneva
Ole Gunlegsen Sundböe Sillejord 1843 1819
Knud Olsen Asdöhldalen Lier 1843 1821
Johannes Christiansen Bjelde Sogndal 1844 Christie[349]
Hans Thowsen Ederklip Rollaug 1843
Lars Henricksen Lien Ness 1845 1790 Jorand, 1787
(Hallingdal)
Mette Larsdatter Lien Ness 1845 1823
Henrich Larsen Lien Ness 1845 1826
Ole Höljesen Yttreböe Hvidesöe 1842 Margit
Johanne, Anne
Ingebregt Ingebrechtsen Næse Wiigs
Prestegjæld 1845 Johanne
John, Ingebrecht, Gjertrud
Gudve Nielsdatter Droksvold,
Enke, Voss 1844
Anders Ellingsen Aase Wiigs
Prestegjæld 1845 1810
Johannes Jensen Næse Wiig 1845 Eli
Jens Johannesen Næse Wiig 1845
Sjur Magnesen Sætre Vos 1844
Mons Lassesen Melaas Sogndal 1844 1787 Martha, 1796
Ole Andersen Melaas Sogndal 1844 1812 Martha[352]
Mons 1840, Kari 1844
Birgitte Johnsdatter Lien Tind 1843
Ingeborg Johnsdatter Lien Tind 1843
Niels Nielsen Girl Næss, Christine
Hallingdal 1845 1817
Niels 1841, Mari, 1843, Iver, 1845
Ole Gulliksen Kjerre Laurdal 1845
Gjertrud Olsdatter Sælabakka Rollaug 1842 1822
Lasse Sjursen Lillesand Vig 1845 1820
Knud Laavesen Aaker Laurdal 1845 1797
Lars Knudsen Aaker Laurdal 1845 1825
Wetle Torjusen Haatvedt Laurdal 1845 Birgit
Torjus Vetlesen Haatvedt Laurdal 1845
Aasne Evensdatter Rue Laurdal 1845
Peder Monsen Loven[353] Sogn 1845 1811 Johanna
Jens Torgersen Tærum Sogn 1845 1801
Torger 1844, Unni
Ingeborg Olsdatter Kammerfos Sanikedal 1845
Sörine Johannesdatter Helle Sanikedal 1845
Birgith Pedersdatter Tverberg Tind 1842
Hans Olsen Asche Laurdal 1845 1819
Knud Larsen Bjaaland Laurdal 1845
Gunder Tollefson Qvaale Laurdal 1845 1823
Iver Hansen Næse Sogn 1845 1797
Anders Sjursen Ovreböe Sogn, 1845 1799 Anne
Lyster
Ole 1834, Andrine 1838, Christine 1841
Ole Syvertsen Skotter Laurdal 1845 1813
Halvor Svennungsen Barstrak Drangedal 1845 Signe
Anne Marie Christensdatter Drangedal 1845
Thor Larsen Skareböe Sanikedal 1845 1830
Britha Hansdatter Quamme Vig 1845
Ole Vetlesen Qualen Laurdal 1845 1812
Anders Olsen Askje Laurdal 1845
Stener Halvorsen Junnsaas Sande 1845
Knut Erichsen Rokne Voss 1840 1820 Cherstie[354]
Ole Tostensen Gaarden Tind 1843
Torbjörn Ellefson Skaate Krageröe 1845 1814
Anders Olsen Skolaas Laurdal 1843 1817
Aslak Olsen Midgaarden Laurdal 1844 1819
Anders Evensen Trovatten Laurdal 1843
Kittil Rolleifsen Leguam Sande 1844 Liv
Rolleif
Torgeim Olsen Askje Laurdal 1845
Ole Andersen Droksvold Vos 1844
Sjur Colbeinsen Droksvold Vos 1844
Jacob Thomsen Aase Sillejord 1843
Ole Tollefsen Quaale Laurdal 1845 1816
Gunder Torgeson Sundet Moe 1843
Lars Ellefsen Mastrei Bamble 1843
Jens Ellefsen Mastrei Bamble 1843
Knud Sörensen Quistrud Tind 1843
Gunild Kittelsdatter Börte,
Enke Böe 1845 (three children)
Claus Gjermundsen Traae Drangedal 1845
Kittil Torjusen Börte Böe 1845
Iver Ingebrechtsen Yttrelie Sogn 1845 Fraflyttet
Johannes Olsen Finne Viig 1845
Ole Olsen Skrabak Sillejord 1843 1823
Niculs Halvorsen Aasen Laurdal 1845 1826
Anders Johnson Aaböe Hvidesöe 1845
Kittil Kittilsen Stohrmyr Böe 1845 1815
Andreas Larsen Hollo Ringsaker 1843
Ole Anundsen Buina Flesberg 1842 Helene
Anne 1846
Iver Knudsen Gilderhus Vos 1845 1810
Johannes Johannesen Mænæs Wiig 1845 Sigrid
Ole Olsen Næse Wiig 1845
Aslak Andersen Aaböe Hvidesöe 1845
Ole Pedersen Næse Wiig 1845
Erich Evensen Helle Sanikedal 1845 1822
Knudt Bendt Nielsen Helle Sanikedal 1845
Tollef Olsen Haatvedt Laurdal 1845
Peder Simon Asmundsen Sanikedal 1845
Endre Andersen Vraae Hvidesöe 1843
Lars Davidson Mölster Vos 1844 1814
Anne Gislesdatter Hamre Flesberg 1842 1797
Halvor Hansen Dalstiel Hvidesöe 1842
Thomas Tostensen Seim Leirdal 1844 1827
Margrethe Olsdatter Gjeide Leirdal 1845
Sebjörn Thoresen Nore Rollaug 1842
Östen Olsen Blomhauge Tind 1843
Halvor Staalesen Sandbæk Laurdal 1844
Halvor Gulliksen Bringa Sillejord 1843
Peder Torjussen Tallakshavnen Krageröe 1845
Torjus Pedersen Tallakshavnen Krageröe 1845
Ole Pederson Tallakshavnen Krageröe 1845
Guttorm Torbjörnsen Wiig Laurdal 1843
Halvor Asbjörnsen Juve Hvidesöe 1842 Birgith
Liv, Asbjörn, Eigild, Asmund, Anne
Helge Sigurdsen Grimsrud Tind 1842
Sigurd
Aslak Olsen Oisnes Vinje 1842 Anne
Olaus
Torbjörn Knudsen Rödningen Krageröe 1843
Ole Vendelbo Olsen Gjerlöv Urland 1844 Ragnild. Er
Ole Stephanus Fraflyttet
Sjur Iversen Romören Leganger 1845 1824 Brithe
Ole Tostensen Aasnæs Winje 1842 Ingeborg
Knud Danielsen Stubberud Skauger 1844 1798 Martha Maria
Hans Daniel 1839
Peter Knudsen Stubberud Skauger 1844 1824
Halvor Jensen Stubberud Skauger 1843 1803
Aadne Eigilsen Ögaard Vinje 1843 Guro
Ole, Torbjörn 1843
Lars Pedersen Haukelien Rögen 1843 Bertha
Anne, Hans, Caroline
Niels Sjursen Gilderhus Vos 1839 Ragnild
Martha Maria 1846
Sigurd Johnson Gislöv Winje 1845
Ole Nielsen Steenhjerde Leganger 1845 1821
Hæge Olsdatter Aasnæs Vinje 1842
Kittil Hansen Strömmi Hvidesöe 1843 1790 Dagne
Anne Halvorsdatter Limesand Viig 1845
Halvor Torjussen Börte Böe 1845 1826
Ole Larsen Fimrede Sogndal 1846 1810
Endre Endresen Rudi Vos 1839 1796 Jorand
Maritha 1838, Olene
John Torjussen Homme Hvidesöe 1843
Stephen Olsen Dahle Viig 1845 1825
Torsten Olsen Brække Urland 1845 1800 Anne[355]
Ole, Ragnilda
Knud Olsen Aaretuen Leirdal 1844 1812 in Urland Anne
Gunilda Christine (Urland), Annie Marie, Ole (Leirdal)
Torstein Olson Bjodland Haae, 1826 1803 Guro
Jæderen
Ole, John, 1846
Vetle Thronsen Norgaarden Hvidosöe 1843
Hans Gulbrandsen Mörkvolden Rollaug 1845 1805 Ingeborg
Gabriel Björnson[357] Drammen 1843 1820
Hellik Helliksen Berge Flesberg 1843 1821
Ole Aslaksen Lien Vinje 1843 1821
Ole Anundsen Jamsgaard Vinje 1846 1816
Hermand Thomassen Vee Leirdal 1845 1805 Ingeborg
Johanne 1838 Ingeborg Andrea, 1843 Andrea b. 1813
Ole Olsen Svakur Leirdal 1845 1820
Thomas Johnsen Landeman Sandsværd 1842 1804 Stine
Erik Johannesen Ytterlie Urland 1845 1802 Martha,1798
Ingeborg 1831, Lars 1833, Anna 1858, Haaken 1835, Thomas, 1840
Johannes Eriksen Ytterlie Urland 1845 1829
Lars Gundersen Gjellum Urland 1845 1811 Gjertrud,
Knud, Marthe 1817
Thorbjorn Olsen Gjesme Urland 1846 1802 Inga
Ingeborg, Kari
Ole Olsen Gjesme Urland 1846 1805 Ingeborg
Ole
Jens Bottolsen Bergvam Urland 1845 1821
Tosten Bottolsen Bergvam Urland 1845
Ellend Thronsen Qvale Sogndal 1846 1802 Dordei
Synneva, Thron, Baar, Johannes, Ellend, Dorthe
Vetle Gundersen Felland Moe 1846 1819 Astrid 1821
Gunder, Else 1844
Ole Halvorsen Kirkeböe Laurdal 1841 1799
Kittil Torgersen Teigseth Flesberg 1846 1805 Berit
Kittil Kittilsen Teigseth Flesberg 1846 1829
Gullik Gislesen Hamre Flesberg 1846 1795
Hellik Gulliksen Hamre Flesberg 1846 1829
Ole Tollefsen Hulderöen Krageroe 1846 1813 Anne 1821
Jörgen Kittilsen Strömmen Hvidesöe 1843
Abraham Kittilsen Strömmen Hvidesöe 1843
Anders Helliksen Texle Flesberg 1846 1791 Gunhild
Lars Thorbjörnsen Gjesme Urland 1846 1829
Ole Ingebretsen Homstad Overhalden 1846 1794 Marie 1798
Knud Eriksen Aaretuen Leirdal 1846 1796 Christie 1796
Gullik Halvorsen Holtan Flesberg 1846 1791 Anne
Levor 1830, Berit 1836
Halvor Gulliksen Holtan Flesberg 1846 1823
Joseph Johannesen Gjellum Leirdal 1845 Anna
Amund Olsen Strömi Vos 1844 1828
Eigild Eigildsen Bredland Laurdal 1845
Johannes Andersen Leidal Vos 1845 1819
Tollef Olsen Hulderöen Krageröe 1843 1781 Helga 1777
Thösstol Tellefsen Hulderöen Krageröe 1843 1821
Anders Sjursen Hundere Sogndal 1846 1817
Iver Knudsen Seim Vos 1846 1806 Anna
Isak Jacobsen Nordboe Moland
Guri Pedersdatter Sogndal 1844 1831
Niels Olsen Selseng Sogndal 1846 1802 Ingeborg, 1802
Ole Christiansen Selseng Sogndal 1846 Martha
Britha, Gjertrud, Christian
Ole Rasmussen Reinen Moe 1846 1775 Ingeborg, 1794
Michel 1832, Rasmus 1837
Ole Olsen Reinen 1827
Knud Saammudsen Aae Laurdal 1843 1817 Aslaug
Anders Johannesen Tömmerstigen Vardal 1846 Ringsaker, 1807
Maria, 1807
Johannes, Olive 1836 (Vardal), Peder 1843 (Vardal), Karen Marie, 1845
Johannes Leiersen Svanejord Hvidesöe 1846 1818
Ole Björgosen Oftelie Laurdal 1846 1799 Thone, 1801
Knud Stephensen Tveit Vos 1845 1801
Johannes Johannesen Værlie Sogndal 1846 1816
Marthe Knudsen Brække Urland 1846 1813
Peder Larsen Lien Næs i Halld 1845
Ole Torjussen Flom Urland 1844 1794 Anna, 1798
Ole 1830, Anders 1823[358]
Niels Nielsen Giri Næs i Halld 1846 1793
Ole Gulliksen Barstad Sillejord 1842 1791 Ingeborg,
Vetle, Eivind, Halvor 1799
Halvor Olsen Gjerjord Vinge 1843 1822
Henrik Halvorsen Lien Næs, Halld 1846 1831
Ole Johnson Hölstad Viig 1845 1810 Gjertrud,
Britha 1831, Ragnald 1823, Johannes 1836, Olive 1843 1800
Nicolai Halvorsen Paus Hvidesöe 1846
Jens Sjursen Hundere Sogndal 1846 1824
Martha Olsd. Selseng Sogndal 1844
Ole Værnsen Skotter Laurdal 1845
Ole Olsen Huset Holden 1844 1821 Kirsten
Maria, 1825
Ole, Karen, Andrea Sugar Creek 1846 Sugar Creek
döbt
Ole Olsen Huset Holden 1846 1790 Anna
Gunder, Hans, Anders, Aslaug Maria, Karen Maria
Christen Tellefsen Hulderöen Krageröe 1846 Karen Maria
Tellef, Villam
Ole Olsen Laurvig 1844 Anne,
Christiania 1843,
fraflyttet
Anders Olsen Bærstad Drangedal 1846
Ole Andersen Bærstad Drangedal 1846
Kari Olsdatter Dale Viig 1845 1828
Ole Gundersen Felland Moe 1846 1826
Simon Monsen Halfrund Viig 1845 1774
Torbjörn Halvorsen Vinje 1845
Björgo Haraldsen Vinje 1845
Thomas Johnsen Drangedal 1846
Niels Knudsen Grovund Sogndal 1846 1822 er flyttet til
Spring Prairie,
Menighed
Aanund Monsen Njös Leganger 1846 1808 skal være död
i Milwaukee
Britha Samsonsdatter Leganger 1846 1810
Unni Lassesdatter Leganger 1846 1791
Ole Henriksen Fadness Vos 1846 Synneva
Knud Henriksen Brumborg Vos 1846 1813
Anders Sandersen Aal, Halld 1846 1807 Aagot, 1821
Anders Knudsen Holden 1846 1812
John Henrikson Fadness Voss 1846
Aale Thorsen Hagen Aal, Halld 1846 1802 Astrid
Anders H. Ödegaard Hafsloe 1845 1792 Martha
Tege (---- ?) Tind 1843 1821
Halvor Johnson Ödegaarden Laurdal 1846 1805
Gunder Gunderson Felland Moe 1846 1810 Thone
Lisbeth Olsdatter Huset Holden 1844 1796
Tollef Gunderson Fladland
Kittil Thoreson Svimbil
Juul Gislesen Hamre Flesberg 1842 1805 Anne
Gisle, Kjersti, Gunder
Johannes Ingebretsen Gjerde Sogndal 1846
Ole Gregoriussen Vestendahl Hvidesöe 1843 1798
Ole Johnson Bjon Bamble 1846
Claus Johnson Bamble 1846
Jörgen Johnson Bamble 1846
Erik Larsen Grov Hafsloe 1845
Anfind Hansen Biestöl Viig 1846 1796
Even Anderson Östbergreie Ringsaker 1847 1793
Tellef Aslaksen Kostvedt Vinje 1843 1820
Gunder Östensen Jordahl Kinservig 1847 Sigtrud
Halvor Ellefson Bradlos Krageröe 1846 1828
Anders Ellefsen Bradlos Krageröe 1846 1829
Hans Mikkelsen Lote Kinservig 1847 1817 Britha
Bottolf Johannesen Grinde Leganger 1846 1799 Marhi, 1806
Marhi, 1833, Peder, 1839, Johanne, 1834
Aslak Hansen Halferdalen Hvidesöe 1843 1820
Aslak Knudsen Midböe Vinje 1843
Knud Svordesen Rogndal Laurdal 1846 1822
Torstein Eriksen Rokne Vos 1845 1824
Iver Nielsen Vos 1845
Gunleg Torkilsen Oversaker Laurdal 1846 1816
Endre Rasmussen Ödegaard Lyster 1847 1826
Ole Olsen Loe Nordre 1847 1813 Ingeborg, 1808
Aurdal
Ole, 1842
Hermund Thomassen Aarebroe Leirdal 1846 1816
Ole Henriksen Hippe Nordre 1847 1812 Guri (Slidre)
Aurdal
Astrid, Marit, Ragnhild, Henrik
Hans Johnson Dahle vider ikke hvor han er
Hans Sjursen Urlandvangen
Osmund Osmundsen Kjerre
Knud Knudsen Gilderhus Vos 1845 1824
Mikkel Gulliksen Erdahl Hardanger 1847 1807 Thorbjör,
1809
Sigrid 1832, Ragne 1833, Augund 1838, Torbjör, Gullik, Mikkel, Christie
Erik Sjursen Fliseram Vos 1844 1811
Sylfest Sjursen Fliseram Vos 1846 1819
Anders Helleksen Lande Flesberg 1847 1786
Torger Brynildsen Mörkve Vos 1845 1817
Thor Thorbjörnsen Kingeland Vinje 1847 1807
Ole Hermansen Alne Hafsloe 1847 1808
Hans Pedersen Pladsen Hafsloe 1847 1819
Peder Sylfestsen Aaberge Hafsloe 1847 1819 (Sogndal)
Lars Osmundsen Juvet Laurdal 1846 1798 Inbegorg
Johannes Sjursen Hundere Sogndal 1846 1811
Pernille Johannesdatter Ringsaker 1848 1794
Peder Amund Egdetvedt Vos 1846 1798
Colbein Torkildsen Edgetvedt Vos 1846 1816
Ole Gundersen Moe 1846 1796
Nicolai Arneson Auland
Peder Olsen Brandstad Biri 1846 1799 Erika, 1847,
Agnethe, Eline, Pauline, Otto, Martinus 1806
Jens Skaksen Bahuus Sogndal 1847 1817
Tarje Halvorson Mörkve Moland 1843 1806
Erik Thorsen Svenderesde..t Rollaug 1846 1806
Anders Nielsen Lie Vos 1841 1814 Gunvor, 1805
Martha 1838, Niels 1841, Sjur, 1848, Anders 1848
Svend Larsen Lund Graven 1847 1813 Guri
Halvor Björgosen Huverstad Hvidesöe 1844
Ole Andersen Lande Flesberg 1847 1826
Gullik Andersen Lande Flesberg 1847 1823
Jacob Jacobsen Njos Leganger 1846 1818 Mette, 1821
Kari, 1844
Tollef Halvorsen Gvale Slidre 1847 1829
Sjur Johannesen Quam Sogndal 1847 1847
Ingebret Pedersen Erdahl Hardanger 1847 1809 Anne
Guttorm Johannesen Buo Hardanger 1847 1848 Ragnhilde
Johannes Larsen Erdahl Graven 1847 1809 Catarine
Hellik Helliksen Foslieiet Flesberg 1842 1812 Sigrid
Hellik 1833, Anders 1835, Marit 1838, Christoffer 1841, Christine,
Sigrid
Johannes Anderson Tömmerstigen Ringsaker
Kjöstolf Gunderson Næset Holden 1844 1808 Marie
Gunder, Halvor, Ole
Peder Halvorsen Moe Gjerpen 1843 1821 Mari (Holdon
kom, 1844)
Halvor Kittilsen Næstestug Sillejord 1847 1822
Ole Jörgensen Hustvedt Omlie 1846 1823
Ole Gundersen Brodalsgaard Aal 1847 1801
Ole Tollefsen Stölen Herröe 1847 Martine
Tollef
Gunhild Saamundsdatter Laurdal 1842 1798
Hermund Olsen Offerdal Leirdal 1846 1819 Kristi, 1814
Ole, Anders
Simon Atlesen Gjellum Urland 1845 1825 Britha
John Olson Herjedahl Haug 1847 1802
Ole Johnson Herjedahl Haug 1847
Svend Amundsen Sinnes Hvidesöe 1848 1803 Dagne, 1812
Tarald Nielsen Drangdal 1846 1825
Gunder Torgesen Lie Hvidesöe 1846 1808
Anders Sjursen Gilderhus Vos 1843 1798 Jaarand
Gregor Halvorsen Eddingsaas Sillejord 1847 1822
John Olsen Eide Evindsvig 1848 1814
Sjur Störksen Reque Vos 1845 1809
Zacharias Iversen Leganger 1848 1817 Kari
Johanne, Ivar
Magne Nielsen Næsted Vos 1848 1811
Tallef Gjermundsen Gulsteen Aal 1847 1816
Niels Olsen Selseng Sogndal 1848 1781 Ingborg, 1792
Thoe Levorsen Svartedal Vinje 1848 1818
Niels Larsen Skjærve Vos 1843 1813
Bottolf Olsen Livbroen Vos 1848 1797 Britha, 1797
Johannes Jacobsen Hoyden Vinje 1847 1795 Margit
Jarrand Olsdatter Skrae Moland 1846 1795
Hans Amundsen Helland Rennesöe 1848 1826
Helge Sjursen Sætre Vos 1848 1779
Halvor Halvorsen Strand Aurdal 1848 1779
Tarje Tollefsen Felland Moe 1846 1818
Amund Larsen Felland Moe 1846 1827
Niels Hermansen Næse Viig 1846 1825
Bernt Mathias Taamsen Herröe 1848 1821
Ole Olson Tveten Vinje 1845 1820
Anders Ellingsen Quale Sogndal 1848 1804 Christi
Ole Siversen Kilen Moe 1848 1812 Vinje 3
Niels Björnson Farastad Vinje 1845 1813 5
Ole Johannesen Skauhovd Vardal 1848 1817 4
Ole Torkildsen Lislerud 1842 2
Amund Amundsen Braata Flesberg 1847 1
Ole Nerisen Kjære Laurdal 1848 5 plus 2
Thron Olsen Lindevigen Laurdal 1848 3
Odd Sjursen Naatvedt Vos 1845 1817 6
Knud Olsen Unneland Vos 1845 1809 5
Olaf Laavesen Bergland Laurdal 1848 4
Inga Olsdatter Vos 1843 4
Mikkel Larsen Hole Vos 1846 2
Michael Johannesen Rollaug 1848 2
Kari Gulliksdatter Lande, Enke Flesberg 1847 1
Halvor Halvorsen Strand Valders 1849
Ole Larsen Quammen Hardanger 1847 1814 3
Aslak Olsen Sandager Hvidesöe 1848
Lars Johannesen Quammen Hardanger 1848 1823 2
John Engbretsen Londe Soldal 1848 1825 2
Berge Aadren Brumberg Vos 1848 1786 2
Syvert Olsen Berge Laurdal 1848 2
Aslak Endresen Quammen Hardanger 1847 1805 6
Gunder Halvorsen Björnstad Moland 1846 1807 3
Aurdal 2
Knud Knudsen Bjelde Urland 1847 1818 5
Bendik Andersen Haave Leganger 2
Anders Nicolaison Mastad Vos 1848 1801 6
Helge Olsen Botnen Soldal 1848 1786 2
Anand Björnson Biröen 1848
Jacob Ingebretsen Gjerdene Sogndal 1844 1803
Ole Torkildsen Krogen Lyster 1847 4
Rasmus Nielsen Soröv i
Danmark 1847 1805 5
...? Holden 1841 1
Knud Bendiksen Nordstrand Aurdal 1848 1824 3
Colbein Olsen Saue Vos 1837 1805 Anna, 1800
Hans Olsen Kjörn Rollaug 1848 1787 Jaarand, 1797
Christian Tarjesen Tnomoe 1849 2
Flesberg 1
Tarje Aslaksen Groven Moland 1846
Gunder Osmundsen Brudal Moland 1848 5 Kari
Turi, Margit, Osmund, Eivind
Kittil Olsen Solberg Hvidesöe 1849
Knud Olsen Hostvedt Hvidesöe 1846
Abraham Jacobsen Ongnevig Lyngdal 1849 1806 7
Böe 2
Stork Tarjesen Gjierum Vos 1848
Iver Gulbrandsen Ringsted Slidre 1849 1812 7
Hvidesöe 1
John Sjursen Björgan Vos 1849 1798 6
Sjur Johnson Björgan Vos 1849 3
Erik Mikkelsen Moland Vos 1845 5
Kirstine Andersdatter Sherping,
Enke Urland 1849 1824 3
Sondre Eivindsen Groven Sillejord 1848 1804 5
Ole Halvorson Ödegaard Hjerdal 1848 (Siljord)1823 3 Gunhild
Aamund Mikkelsen Sanden Hvidesöe 1848 3
Tollef Halvorsen Stornslie Moe 1849
Halvor Mathesen Præstholdt Moe 1846
Laurdal 1
Nicolai Mikkelsen Erdahl Graven 1847
Gunder Gundersen Hvideklev Hvidesöe 1845
Moe 1
Elling Andersen Qualen Sogndal
Ole Nielsen Selseng Sogndal 4
Jens Pedersen Tyvang Krageröe 1843 Audi
Peder Knudsen Rodningen Krageröe 1843
Osmund Nerisen Tveten Vinje 1845
Peder Povelsen Schogen Gran 1849
Slidre 1
Martha Svendad Legreid Hardanger 1849
Johannes Halvorsen Sandsværd 3
Peder Nielsen Steengjerde Leganger 1847 2
Torger Endresen Groe Vos 1846 1816 2
Lars Bergessen Tillung Vos 1847 1819 2
Thor Eriksen Valle Bamble 1849 1830
Christen Tellefsen Ulleröen Bamble
Christian Hermansen Hafslo 1837 1816
Ole Christiansen Teigen
Jacob Jacobsen Njos Leganger 2
Gjermund Aslaksen Dalen Moe 1849
Niels Torjusen Grötherud Flesberg 1849 3
Ole Eielsen Næset Winje 1843 47 Aar 2
Christen Olsen Saghougen Gusdal 1849 45 Aar Gertrud
Amund Anundsen Braata Flesberg 1850 53 Aar 4
Tolard Amundsen Vinje 1850
Ole Olsen Stuen
Andres Ellingsen Aasen Viig, Sogn 1845 Sigrid
Ole Monson Stop
Ole Farnæs 2
Anfind Anundsen Vos 1845 53 Aar 3
Knud Toresen Nore Rollaug 1842 26 Aar
Clemet Larsen Stalsbraaten har varet medlemmer
Atle Simonsen Gjellum Urland 1849 44 Aar 3 datter Kari
gift med
Johannes
E. Lie
Hans Knudsen Ramsöe Aadsland 1849 46 Aar
Tosten Eriksen Ramsöe Aadsland 1849 59 Aar
Ommund Asbjörnson Stengjen[359] Sogndal 1849 34 Aar 2
Knud Knudsen Rio Vos 1844 60 Aar 2
Halvor Brynildsen Lönne Vos 1849 62 Aar 3
Even Knudsen Raabeli Slidre 1848 27 Aar
Thorbjörn Guttomsen Viig Sillejord 1843 3
Ole Gundersen Moland 1850
Helge Andersen Kirkebye Hvidesöe 1849
Ole Olsen Haugan Sillejord 1842 30 Aar 2
Ommund Larsen Quammen Graven 1847 47 Aar 2
(Hard)
Johannes Johannsen Henjom Sogn 1850 43 Aar (Systrand) 2
John Thorsen Lie Hvidesöe 1850 42 Aar 2
Thor Rollefsen Hvidesöe 1850 69 Aar
Peder Ulrik Berntsen Aa 1849 49 Aar 10
Johannes Larsen Hedemarken Ringsager 1839 28 Aar 4
....? Ringsager 5
Anders Andersen Grimeland Omblie 1849 37 Aar
Isak Olsen Suftestad Nissedal 1850 28 Aar 4
Iver Nielsen Evanger Vos 1845 37 Aar 2
Niels Olsen Anskjær Vos 1850 32 Aar 7
Torgrein Knudsen Tvedtene Nissedal 1850 23 Aar
Vilhelm Jörgensen Hegland Krageröe 1850 3
Simon Atlesen Gjellum Urland 1845 26 Aar 2
Eigild Eigildsen Breiland Laurdal 1845 2
Lars Josephsen Lie Vos 1850 29 Aar 2
Even Halvorsen Leifstad Moe 1846 28 Aar
Vos 3
Anders Torgersen Liinaas Flesberg 1849 38½ Aar 6
Nicolay Nielsen Tvete Graven 1850 25 Aar 2
Erik Johannesen Yttrelie Urland 1845 49 Aar
Gullik Gislesen Hamre Flesberg 1846 55 Aar 3
Ole Thoresen Nore Nummdal 1842 25 Aar 3 plus 1
Niels Halvorsen Langemoe Sannikedal 1850 58 Aar 4
Peder Johansen Klungehelt Næs, Hedemarken 1849 58 Aar 5
....? Flaaberg 1849 2
Knud Arnesen Tvedt Kindservig 1850 25 Aar
Iver Pedersen Skaar Graven 1850 23 Aar Lysten
Anfind Stryksen Leidal
Enke. Karen Halvorsdatter Solum 1850 50 Aar 6
Jens Brottolfen Berggvam Urland 1845 30 Aar 4
....? Hvidesöe 1
Lars Hovelsen Bövre Bier 1850 43 Aar 7
Jens Johannesen Næse Wiig 1845 23 Aar 2
....?[A] Ringsaker 1
----
2012

J. W. C. DIETRICHSON.

Den 28nde Mai, 1850.

[341] To save space I have set the wife's name at the extreme right
of the page, instead of below the husband's name; children's
names are given in the second line. The English foot notes
are my own additions. Caption in fourth column added by me.

[342] Han bor paa Sun Prairie. Han arbeidede den förste Döbefont i
Vestre Kirke, 1844.

[343] Er flyttel til Norway Grove.

[344] Married the widow Anne Gurine Engebrektsdatter in 1846.

[345] Was married in 1845 to Sjur Colbeinsen Dröksvold.

[346] Lisbeth Evensdatter Tvebækken, from Vinje.

[347] Later married Tollef S. Aae; he was not in the congregation.

[348] "Hans hustru er endnu i Norge, men han venter hende i
Sommer." Added later: "han er död."

[349] She was Christie Monsdatter Melaas; is still living
(Stoughton, Wis.).

[350] Later married Stephen Olsen Dahle.

[351] She was born in Leganger.

[352] Martha Monsdatter Melaas, b. 1818.

[353] Same as Per Tredja.

[354] They were married in 1845.

[355] Came to America in 1843.

[356] Born 1819 in Lærdal.

[357] Er Justice of the Peace.

[358] This is an error; Anders Flom was born in 1834.

[359] Stenhjem?

[A] It will have been observed that it has been impossible to
make out some of the names, the last part of the Register
having been written in a very illegible hand.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

_The Founding of the Norwegian Settlements of Norway
Grove, Spring Prairie and Bonnet Prairie in Dane and Columbia
Counties, Wisconsin._

In the extreme northern part of Dane County in the Towns of Vienna,
Windsor and Bristol, a large number of Norwegian immigrants,
principally from Sogn, settled in 1846-1848, forming the nucleus of
what in a few years came to be one of the most prosperous settlements
in Southern Wisconsin. The first Norwegian in this section was Svennung
Nikkulson Dahle, who came from Flatdal in Telemarken in 1844 to
Koshkonong, and the next year purchased land and settled near Norway
Grove in the Town of Vienna. He was then only eighteen years old.[360]
Nearly all who came later were from Sogn, and Dahle was and remained
the only native of Telemarken in Vienna. In 1846 Erik Engesæter, from
Leikanger, Sogn, with family, including a son John, settled there. In
1847 Ole H. Farness (b. 1826) and wife Gertrude came from Sogn, Norway,
to Norway Grove. Erik C. Farness[361] (b. 1828) also came the same
year. These men both acquired large farms there in the course of time,
Ole Farness owning 530 acres. Arne Boyum and family, five in all, from
Outer Sogn, came in 1848 as did Knut K. Naas (b. 1810), with wife Alau
and family of four children from Kragerö.[362]

[360] About 1858 he married Maline Öien (b. in Aardal, Sogn, in
1835). Svennung Dahle died in 1872, the owner of 400 acres of
land.

[361] He was married to Ingeborg Grinde in 1851, Rev. A. C. Preus
performing the ceremony. Ingeborg was the daughter of Botolf
Grinde who came from Sogn in 1846 and settled on Liberty
Prairie.

[362] Two sons, Thomas and Isak, went to the War in 1860. Thomas
was killed in the Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862.
Knut Naas died in 1868; his wife in 1887.

The first Norwegian to buy land in Windsor Township was Ingebrigt
Larson Tygum, from Systrand, Sogn, who immigrated in 1844, lived one
year in Muskego, then came to Windsor in 1845. For two years he seems
to have been the only Norwegian in the Town.[363] In 1852 Tygum sold
his farm in Windsor and moved into Vienna Township, buying the farm
at present occupied by the son Lars (b. 1849). In 1847 the following
settled in Windsor Township: Stephen Holum and family, who had
immigrated in 1845 and lived two years at Rock Prairie, Sjur Grinde
and family, and Truls E. Farness and wife.[364] These families are
intimately connected with the history of the Village of De Forest. A
son of S. Holum, namely Ole S. Holum (b. 1847), lives on 204 acres
of land adjoining the village. Ole Holum is a prominent democrat and
has held various offices of trust, being e. g. Register of Deeds in
1877-78.[365] In 1848 several families moved in, among them Lars
Eggum, Ole Haukness and family (ten in all), and Sjur S. Vangness and
family. Vangness had immigrated in 1844, first settled in Rock County,
then came to De Forest in 1848. He died there in 1878. The family
included a son, Sjur S. Vangness (b. 1816 at Vangsness in Sogn), whom
we meet with later as a man of much influence in the township; he owned
264 acres of land near De Forest.[366]

[363] Larson married Brita (Dale) widow of Jon Eiken on Rock
Prairie in 1847; she died in 1902, aged 89.

[364] Farness came from Balestrand Parish.

[365] Farness died in 1885, his wife died in 1902 at the home of
her daughter, Mrs. H. T. Lerdall, Madison, Wisconsin.

[366] As I shall not have occasion elsewhere to speak of the
Township of Burke directly south of Windsor, I may here say
that the first Norwegian settlers were Torkel Gullikson
(b. 1815) and wife Margarete, whom he had married in 1843;
they came to Pleasant Spring in 1844 and moved up to Burke
the following year. For several years there came no more
Norwegians.

In Bristol Township three families settled as early as 1846; namely
that of Botolf E. Bergum (b. 1816), who came there in the fall of 1846,
and continued to reside there until his death in 1904 (his wife died
in 1903; after a wedded life of fifty-four years),[367] Sjur Johnson
and wife Ingeborg and one son, and Erik Larson and wife and several
children.

[367] They left five sons: Erik, Ellik, Peter, who live on Spring
Prairie, Marcus (Deerfield), and John, who lives in Cottage
Grove, and one daughter, Mrs. Peter Hagen, Spring Prairie.

In 1848 Hans H. Quamme came up to Bristol from Rock Prairie, where he
had settled in 1846, coming from Norway that year. During the next
three years so many immigrants came from Sogn and located in Norway
Grove that the settlement came to be called "Sogn." Among the many
families who located there at that time, John Ollis of Madison,
Wisconsin, writing in _Bygdejaevining_, page 341, names: "Engesæther,
Grinde, Farnes, Tygum, Eggum, Boyum, Huseböe, Hamre, Ohnstad, Slinde,
Sværen, Vangsness, Holum, Linde, Lidahl, Thorsnes, Fosse, Rendahl,
Ethun, Vigdahl, Ulvestad, Röisum, Svalem, Fjerstad, Henjum, Jerde,
Haukeness," besides all who were called Olson, Larson, Nilson,
Anderson, Peterson, Johnson, etc.

About ten miles northwest of Norway Grove, at Lodi in Columbia County,
a smaller settlement of immigrants from Hardanger takes its beginning
in 1847-48; although one family had settled there as early as 1844.
In that year Peder L. Ödvin (b. 1819) and wife Kathrine Spaanem, from
Ulvik in Hardanger, emigrated to America and went direct to Lodi. Ten
years later they moved to Springdale in Dane County.[368] In 1847 Peder
Fröland (see page 336) and Ole Jone, both from Hardanger, became the
founders of the Hardanger Settlement there. In 1846 Ammund Himle and
family from Voss immigrated and settled near Lodi, but below the Dane
County line.

[368] Peder Ödvin and wife returned to Norway in 1893 to spend
their declining days at Hardanger; Mrs. Ödvin died there
in 1895. In 1902 the son, L. P. Ödvin, visited his father
in Norway and brought him back to his home in Verona, Dane
County, where he died in 1903.

The origin of the Spring Prairie Settlement in Columbia County, the
northern extremity of which is more specifically called Bonnet Prairie,
dates back to 1845. In that year four men settled about the same time
on Spring Prairie, namely: Odd Himle and Sjur S. Reque from Voss,
Anders Langeteig from Vik in Sogn, and Knud Langeland from Racine
County. The three first of these had families. Reque moved away again
four years later, settling on Liberty Prairie, not far from Deerfield.
Langeland, as we have recited above, was already in 1848 back in Racine
County as one of the founders of _Nordlyset_, the first Norwegian
newspaper published in this country; but Himle and Langeteig became
permanent settlers.

In his book _Nordmaendene i Amerika_ Langeland gives a circumstantial
account of his coming to Spring Prairie. He says that in August of
1845 he and Niels Torstensen, equipping themselves with a cook stove,
provisions, bedding, and all the necessities for camping out, drove
with oxen and a wagon from Racine via Koshkonong, following the regular
road to Madison (presumably going by West Koshkonong Church). But
Madison did not attract them. He says: "Madison had nothing remarkable
about it except its natural beauty and the big Territorial Building,
which looked very imposing among the small frame houses." These sons
of the land of mountains "were scared away by the big hills" where the
University is now situated, and turned east, driving almost as far
as Fort Winnebago, where Amund Rosseland, a friend of Langeland's,
from Norway, had recently settled. Not finding the marshes here very
inviting, and failing to meet Rosseland at home, they decided to turn
back. Camping out over night, they drove back twenty miles the next
day; then upon the advice of an American by the name of Young, they
turned east, and driving on a few miles, came upon an American by the
name of Gilbert, who was just engaged in erecting his log hut. The
prairie here was to their liking and they selected a site and in due
time entered a claim on land.

Langeland says there came no other Norwegians there that fall, but as
we have seen, three others did locate in other parts of the prairie,
about the time Langeland came there. That same fall Langeland went to
Milwaukee to take out pre-emption papers and he stopped at Koshkonong,
and told his countrymen there of the beauties of the prairies to the
north, and a little later he wrote letters to friends in La Salle
County, Illinois. From Milwaukee he says he brought back to Spring
Prairie with him a plow, a harrow, and other farm tools.

In the spring of 1846 Peder Fröland[369] came up there from La Salle
County, bringing with him two ox-teams and a wagon and farm tools,
but he seems to have been the only one who came from La Salle County;
a number of settlers, however, came from Boone County and Jefferson
Prairie to Spring and Bonnet Prairie in 1847-1850. In June, 1846,
Norwegian immigrants began to come in hosts from or via Koshkonong,
says Langeland. He and Fröland plowed about one hundred acres of
prairie land for the newcomers that season. Two years later Langeland
sold his claim and moved back to Racine County.

[369] Who had come to America in 1837.

So it happened that also Spring Prairie became settled largely from
Koshkonong, and as this was the period in which immigration from Sogn
was taking place on a large scale, it was especially Sognings who
took possession also of this region; though a considerable number of
Vossings also gradually moved in. Reverend L. S. J. Reque writes me
that Spring Prairie is today almost exclusively a Sogning-Vossing
settlement, and the former predominate.

The Spring Prairie Settlement, whose beginnings have here been briefly
sketched, rapidly expanded north to Bonnet Prairie, this part of it
coming to be known as the Bonnet Prairie Settlement. The settlement
is located principally in Otsego Township, but partly in Hampdon and
surrounding towns. The first Norwegian settlers in this locality were
John Anderson and Kjel Anderson, who came in 1846, having immigrated
from Saude, Telemarken, that year.

The following is a list of the founders of the settlement as submitted
to me by Samuel Sampson of Rio, Wisconsin. Mr. Sampson (b. 1839) is the
only survivor of those who settled there at that time, being the son of
Thorbjörn Skutle. The year to the right of each name indicates the year
of immigration to America. All except the last two settled at Bonnet
Prairie in 1846; these two settled there in 1848.

_Name_ _Wife_ _Where from_

John Anderson Anne Saude 1844
Kjel Anderson Ingebor Saude 1844
Hans Jörgensen Kjösvik Kari Holden 1847
Peter Halvorson Valöen Kirsti Holden 1846
Augon Aarness Ingeborg Saude 1843
Leif Johnson Dahle Liv Marie Saude 1843
Tollef Olson Hawkos Ingebor Bö 1846
Iver Vangen Martha Aurland 1844
Gunleik Olson Svalestuen Ingebor Saude 1844
Knut Gunnelson Tveten Margit Numedal 1844
Even Tostenson Indlæggen Guro Saude 1844
Hans Hawkos Aase Anna Bö 1846
Hans Tollefson Helene Saude 1846
Johannes Frondal Ragnild Aurland 1845
Eilif Olson Johanne Sogn 1845
Mikkel Knutson Sogn 1845
Johannes Johanneson Gvaale Kari Saude 1845
Halvor Shelby Ingri Saude 1848
Thorbjörn Sampson Skutle Anna Voss 1848

Since the above was written I have received from Reverend L. S. J.
Reque of Morrisonville, Wisconsin, further facts relative to the
earliest settlers there. The earliest records of the Bonnet Prairie
Church kept by Reverend A. C. Preus show that the testimonial of
emigration was issued to "Eivind T. Indlæggen." April 5, 1843, to
"Johannes Johannesen" April 10th, 1843, to John Anderson and wife
May 3d and 6th, 1843, to "Hans Olsen Haukaas" May 7th, 1843. Also to
"Thorbjörn Samsonsen and wife Anna Ellingsdatter" May 13th, 1844.
As it is probable that these emigrated at the time of issue of the
testimonial of emigration the table should be corrected with reference
to these names. During the intervening three years most of the above
had lived in Boone County, Illinois, whither also some of the later
settlers came en route to Bonnet Prairie. Thorbjörn Skutle and family
who came from Voss, sailing on the ship _Hercules_, located first at
Jefferson Prairie. T. Skutle and his wife both died in 1897, age 88 and
91 respectively.

CHAPTER XXXIX

_Blue Mounds in Western Dane County, Wisconsin_

The extensive Norwegian settlement in Western Dane County, ordinarily
referred to as Blue Mounds from the "blue mounds" in the township of
that name, was founded in 1846. Three families had, however, located
there as early as 1844, namely those of Thor Aase, Peder Dusterud,
and Lars P. Dusterud. Thor Aase, with wife Martha, five sons and two
daughters,[370] settled on section ten in Springdale; they came from
Sogn in 1843 and had lived one year at Wiota. Peder Dusterud and wife
and family settled on section 33 in Blue Mounds and the son Lars
Dusterud and wife located on section 27, both in Blue Mounds Township.
These two came from Rock Run, Illinois, where they had located in 1842,
immigrating from Vægli, Numedal.[371] They had also worked for some
time in the Dodgeville, Wis., lead mines.

[370] The children were Ivar (b. 1818), Lasse, Hermund, Talak,
John, Synneva, and Britha.

[371] Lars Dusterud and wife are still living at Mt. Horeb.

In 1846 a company of eleven persons arrived from Racine County; they
were the following: Tore Toreson Spaanem, Halvor and Nils H. Grasdalen,
John I. Berge and wife Julia and one child, his sister Mrs. Knut
Sörenson Kvisterud, Tosten Thompson Rue, Ole T. Garden, Ole Kvisterud,
and Ole Sjutvett. Knut S. Kvisterud, who had just before this gone to
Mineral Point and secured work there, came to Blue Mounds in 1848. John
Thompson later was more generally called "Snow-shoe Thompson" from the
fact that he carried the U. S. mail over the Sierra Nevada Mountains
for twenty years (1856-1876), walking on _skis_.

All these came from Muskego, Wisconsin, whither they had immigrated
from Tin, Telemarken. Spaanem and Halvor Grasdalen had come there in
1841, Knut Kvisterud and wife in 1843, and Berge in 1845. The Rue
family had come from Norway, as we have seen, in 1839 (see above page
125). In 1846 the Town of Primrose, immediately south of Springdale,
also received its first Norwegian settlers, namely, Christian
Hendrickson, wife Maria and three children, Caroline, Henry, and
Charles. He had emigrated from Lier, Norway, in 1842, and worked four
years in the lead mines at Wiota to pay his passage from Norway. Mr.
Hendrickson drove from Wiota to Primrose with oxen, all his possessions
being then a wagon, a cow, and seventy-five cents. He lived eight years
in the log hut first erected and built a stone structure in 1855.

The next arrivals to Blue Mounds were Erik Solvi, who came from Sogn in
1847, and lived successively in Springdale, Vermont, and Blue Mounds,
and Gullik Svensrud and family from Vægli, Numedal, who had immigrated
in 1844,[372] and first located on Rock Prairie. It was also in 1847
that the first immigrant from Valders arrived in Blue Mounds; this was
Ragnild Fadnes who in 1851 married Ever Halsten. She was born in North
Aurdal in 1826; as near as I am able to determine she was the only
member of the family who came at the time.

[372] The party with which they came left Drammen April 20th and
landed at Quebec June 20th; they arrived at Rock Prairie on
July 4th. The family included several children; a daughter
Gunhild (b. 1837), married Halvor Halvorson of Mt. Horeb in
1856.

During 1846-1847 other localities, Wiota, Western Koshkonong, Spring
Prairie and Norway Grove had claimed a considerable portion of the
immigrants. But in 1848 they began to come in in large numbers in
the townships of western Dane County and neighboring parts of Iowa
County. To Primrose the following came in that year: Nils Skogen,
Salve Jörgenson, and Nils Einarson. To Perry: Ole O. Bakken and wife
Anne (Bergum) and two sons (Ole and Tideman) from Valders. This was
the first Norwegian family to locate permanently in Perry; Bakken
bought the claim of a "squatter" named Andreas Olson, who was therefore
the earliest Norwegian in the township. Later in the same year came
Lars Langemyr from Christiania, Norway, Torger T. Tvedt from Aamli
in Nedenæs, Reiar Aarhus from Telemarken, Halvor O. Milesten from
Hadeland, and Lars Halvorson and Hans Johnson from Drangedal.

The arrivals of 1848 were Ole Barton, wife Ingeborg and son Ole,
Gulbrand Elseberg,[373] wife Ingeborg and two daughters, Christian O.
Skogen, Ole O. Braaten and Nils O. Belgum; and in 1849: Knud Larson,
Anders Lundene, Iver Halstein, Iver Lund, Ole Jelle, Sr., and Tore
Maanem, all of whom were from Valders, mostly from North Aurdal.
Tollef S. Anmarksrud and wife Karen came to Koshkonong the latter
year, but he also removed to Blue Mounds in 1850. During the next few
years immigration to the various townships of western Dane County was
rapid. For the fall of 1849 and in 1850 are to be mentioned, e. g.
the following arrivals in Springdale Township: Harald and Arne Hoff,
Ole and Aslak Lee, Levor Lien, Ole Thompson Brenden, Anders, John and
Knut Lunde, Knut J. Lindelien, Harald Stugaard, Michel Kolskett and
Erik O. Skinrud; several of these had large families. To Blue Mounds
Township came: Erik Engen, Ole Boley, wife and four children, and Arne
Röste, with family of eleven children; all those named here came from
Valders.[374]

[373] Elseberg not long afterwards started for Manitowoc to visit
a brother, who had just come there, and was never heard from
again.

[374] Boley and Röste were from South Aurdal.

From Sogn came Ole A. Grinde and Ole Menes, the latter remaining,
however, two years in Norway Grove before coming to Blue Mounds.
Michael Johnson (b. 1832 in Leikanger, Norway) emigrated to America
in 1853, located first in Windsor, then removed to Vienna, finally
settled permanently in Springdale in 1856. His parents, Jon Michelson
Dahlbotten and wife Randi, and his sister Martha[375] and younger
brother Botolf came to America in 1854. Mr. Johnson became a
prosperous farmer and stock-raiser, his farm of 400 acres being one of
the finest in that part of the state. He took an active part in church
and school affairs and was for many years a member of the governing
body (Kirkeraad) of the Norwegian Lutheran Evangelical Synod of
America. He held many positions of trust in the town and the county,
was a member of the State Legislature for three consecutive terms,
1874-75-76, and for years a well-known figure in the politics of the
state. Mr. Johnson lived in Mt. Horeb since 1894; he died in 1908,
leaving a widow and seven children.

[375] Martha married Ole O. Flom in 1854. Botolf is B. J. Borlaug,
well-known capitalist and banker of Kenyon, Minnesota. The
family had moved from Aurland to Borlang in Feios, Leikanger
Parish, where the children were all born.

In Primrose and Perry the Norwegians also settled extensively in
1849-1850. Among those who arrived in the former year were Gunnuf and
Ole Tollefsen from Sæltersdalen, who as we have seen above, page 281,
had immigrated to Muskego in 1845. Others who came to Primrose that
year were G. and Ole Danielson[376] from Telemarken, Leif Olson, Kittil
Moland, Ole Anderson and Peter P. Haslerud. Tollefson relates how he
became the possessor of his quarter section in Primrose as follows:[377]

As I wished to own land of my own as soon as possible, I went to
Primrose in 1849. Here I met Niels Einarson. There was enough
of land, but how to get the number of what I selected, was the
question. After much search we found a large oak a short distance
east from where Norman Randal lives. On this tree was clearly to be
seen the following letters and numbers: N. W. ¼, S. 23, T. 5, N.
R. 6 E. There was neither pen nor paper to get without going many
miles, and something had to be done at once. I borrowed an axe of
Emerson, cut down a little poplar, and, after having cut it flat on
both sides, so that it became quite thin, I took my pocket knife
and cut into it the letters and numbers just as they were in the
tree. With this poplar stuck under my arm I went to the land-office
and laid the stick and the money on the table, to the official's
amusement. They understood the description and I got the land.[378]

[376] Ole Danielson had lived in Illinois since he came from Norway
in 1846.

[377] The citation is from Langeland, page 73.

[378] Tollefson says that at Clinton he worked for a Mr. Sherwood a
while; he cut 600 rails for the loan of the latter's oxen and
wagon with which to bring his parents from Muskego to Rock
County.

During 1850 came Mrs. Ole Baker with son P. O. Baker (b. 1838), Mons
Ness, Elling Stamn, Ole Skuldt and Lars Halvorson from Hallingdal,
Knut and Jens Olson from Stavanger, Lars L. Kolve and family from Voss
and Knut Baardson (Bowerson) and family from Sætersdalen. During 1853
to 1855 Norwegians came in still greater numbers, writes Reverend
Höverstad.

About twenty Norwegians settled in Perry in 1849; they were: Torger
Hastvedt, Hans J. Dahle, Ole Gangsei and Jacob Aanhus from Telemarken,
Andreas Stutelien and Jul Haavernd, wife and eight children from
Valders, and Anders Sanderson from Hallingdal. After 1849 Norwegians
came in in large numbers, settling up the town rapidly.[379] I shall
mention here only Onon Björnson Dahle (b. 1823) from Nissedal, who
settled in Perry in 1853, and Christian Evanson (b. 1819) from Valders,
and wife Ragnild from Numedal, who came there in 1854.[380] Dr. Evans
tells me that Ragnild Evanson (maiden name Ragnild Brekke) was born in
Numedal, Norway, in 1819, and after her marriage to Christian Evanson,
immigrated to America in company with her brother Lars N. Brekke (who
for many years resided and conducted a grocery store in Madison, Wis.)
in the year 1848, preceding her husband by about five years. They
came by sailing vessel, and were sixteen weeks on the voyage, having
been grounded on a rock off the coast of England and were obliged to
wait repairs. After landing in New York they came by Erie canal and
the lakes to Milwaukee, Wis., then to near Stoughton, Wis., and later
to Madison, where she met her husband five years later. From Madison
they moved to Perry, Dane County, and settled on section twenty-three
and remained there until their death.[381] O. B. Dahle, who had been
a school teacher in Nissedal, left Norway in company with a cousin,
Knut Dahl, in 1848. They first came to Koshkonong, where the former
taught parochial school for two years. They went to California in 1850
in search of gold as so many others. Having been unusually successful
in the gold mines, they returned in 1853, and Onon Dahle bought a farm
in Perry, on which he founded the village of Daleyville, beginning at
the same time there a mercantile business. Here he amassed a fortune,
retired and moved to Mt. Horeb in 1897. In 1854 Dahle married Betsey
Nelson, daughter of Hermo N. Tufte of Racine County, and sister of
the well-known lay evangelist, Elling Eielson. Mr. Dahle always took
an active interest in public affairs and in the work of the Lutheran
Church of which he is a member. He died in July, 1905, his wife having
died in February of the same year.[382]

[379] Among them were Knut Grimstvedt and Ole Hastvedt from
Telemarken.

[380] Jens P. Tyvand (b. 1817) who had emigrated from Sannikedal
in 1843 to Lisbon, Ill., and removed to Stoughton, Wis., in
1847, settling in Pleasant Spring, located in Perry in 1854.

[381] Mrs. Evanson died in 1894 and Mr. Evanson in 1897, survived
by two children, Anne and Niels (Dr. N. E. Evans of Mt.
Horeb). C. Evanson was a successful farmer, owning 279 acres
of land; he also conducted a store at Perry after 1874.

[382] They left four children: H. B. Dahle, one time member of
Congress, J. T. Dahle (who died in 1908), Henry L. Dahle, all
of Mt. Horeb, and Mrs. James A. Peterson, Minneapolis.

We shall close this chapter with a word about the first Norwegians
in Madison, Wisconsin. It is not until 1850 that Norwegians began to
locate in Madison in considerable numbers. However, there were a few
there before that. As near as I can find out, Ole Torgeson, Ole O.
Flom, Ole Lenvick, and Halvor N. Hauge, all of whom came to Madison in
1844, were the first Norwegians in Madison. All four of these worked
for a printer by the name of Daniel Holt. Ole Flom, as we have seen,
had come from Norway with his parents that summer in the first party
that left Aurland, Sogn. He remained in Madison till 1847 when he
returned to his father's farm at Door Creek.[383] Halvor Hauge had
come from Norway with his parents in the summer of 1844; the family
had located in the Town of Christiana. Halvor went to California in
1848 where he remained several years, returning then to Koshkonong.
Ole Torgerson had emigrated from Norway in 1844, coming directly
to Madison, where he continued to live till his death in 1900. He
published during 1850 there a Norwegian paper in the interests of the
Whig party, but as this was not a paying enterprise he sold his types
to Knut Langeland, who soon after began the issue of _Maanedstidende_
in Janesville, having previously published _Nordlyset_ and _Demokraten_
in Muskego. Among other Norwegians in Madison in the early days
were: Anne Vik, who worked for Dr. Collins during 1845;[384] in 1846
she married Halvor Bjoin, a Koshkonong pioneer. In July, 1846, Hans
Christianson from Lærdal, Sogn, came to Madison; he, however, soon
removed to Blooming Grove, where he located permanently.[385] Halvor
Gabriel immigrated from Haugesund in 1848, coming direct to Madison,
where he continued to live until 1877; he then moved to Sun Prairie and
in 1893 to Fort Atkinson, where he died in 1897. Among the subscribers
to _Nordlyset_ and _Demokraten_, 1848-1850, appear the names of three
residents of Madison, namely: Eric Anderson,[386] Lars Johnson, and
William Anderson. Finally, when the Bethel Congregation was organized
in 1855 the following appear as charter members: Ole Torgerson, Mrs.
Ole Torgerson, Hans Olsen, Mr. Erickson, Olaf Olson, Haakon Larson,
Nels Peterson, Lars Nelson, Ole Lawrence, Halle Steensland, Eline Hoel,
Anne Nilson, Ingeborg Olson and Anne Olson. Lars Nelson (Brekke) had
come there in 1848 from Numedal,[387] coming direct to Madison. Mr.
Nelson was well and favorably known as the owner of a grocery store on
West Main Street for many years. Of the other persons mentioned above
only Haakon Larson and Halle Steensland are now living. The latter has
always held a prominent place in the financial history of the capital
and in general in the upbuilding of the city. He has always been a
staunch member of the Bethel Church, and was one of the leaders in the
organization of the Norwegian-American Pioneer Association, of which he
was president in 1903-05.

[383] Flom was with Dr. Collins during 1846.

[384] As we have seen, Knud Langeland and Niels Torstenson passed
through Madison in 1845.

[385] He died there a few years ago.

[386] Erik Anderson had come to America with his parents in 1839
and lived in Chicago till 1845 (see p. 232). Then they moved
to McHenry County, Illinois. In 1847 Erik went to Muskego,
where he engaged as compositor in the office of _Nordlyset_,
setting the type for the first number. In 1848 he went to
Madison and began clerking in a general store. He settled as
a farmer in Winneshiek County, Iowa, in 1850.

[387] See page 346 above.

CHAPTER XL

_The Hardanger Settlement in Lee and De Kalb
Counties, Illinois. Big Grove in Kendall
County and Nettle Creek in
Grundy County, Illinois._

Although Hardanger has contributed a relatively small proportion of
the American immigrant population from Norway, several of the earliest
arrivals were from that province and its sons occupy today a prominent
place in Norwegian American history. It has been shown above, chapters
IX and X, that several members of the party who came in 1836, as
also of that of 1837, were natives of Hardanger; and in the Chicago
colony in 1839 we met with several natives of that province. In 1839
a considerable number left Hardanger, especially from Ulvik Parish,
as we learn from _Nordmandsforbundet_, 1909, page 175. Among these
were the brothers Anders and Johan Vik from Eidfjord in Hardanger. The
two brothers first went to Wiota, where they secured work in the lead
mines. In 1844 John Vik (Week) went to Dodgeville, where he established
himself as a shoemaker, entering into partnership with Johan Lee from
Numedal. Later he went to Portage County, Wisconsin, where he prospered
and was for over a decade a dominant power in the lumber trade of
northern Wisconsin.[388]

[388] These facts gathered from an article by L. J. Erdall in
_Amerika_ for September 18, 1901. The brother, Anders Vik
(Andrew Week), went to California in 1849.

Among the immigrants who had come from Hardanger, Parish of Ullensvang,
in 1836, we mentioned Ammund Helgeson Maakestad above, page 95.
Maakestad dropped the family name in this country and called himself
Ommon Hilleson. For a little over a year he was a coast sailor; then he
decided to go west and secure land where his countrymen had settled.
This he did, but not in the usual way, for Hilleson walked the whole
distance from New York to Chicago. This was in 1837.[389]

[389] As Reverend J. Nordby, Lee, Illinois, informs me.

From Chicago he directed his steps farther west; he did not, however,
go to the settlement founded several years before, but pushed on as far
as Lee Center in the County of Lee.[390] Here he secured work, saved
some money, and bought a homestead in Bradford Township, and erected
thereon a sod house. Soon after he married Catherine Reinhart, daughter
of a German pioneer, recently moved in.

[390] Strand relates an experience which Hilleson had between Chicago
and Lee Center and which would seem to indicate that he had
intended to go to La Salle County.

For ten years Hilleson was the only Norwegian settler in the county,
but in 1847 there arrived in response to letters from Hilleson, a
considerable party from Hardanger. These left Sörfjorden in Hardanger,
and embarked in May at Bergen in the sailing vessel _Juno_, which
brought them to New York in a little over four weeks, a remarkable
record for that time.[391] Mr. T. M. Newton (Torgels Knutson) says,
when we came to Buffalo we met an old man who was returning to Norway.
He advised us to go back at once, saying America was not a fit place
for respectable people to live in, it was a place for thieves and
robbers. The party consisted of the following persons: Lars Larsen
Röisetter (Risetter), Lars Olson Espe, Lars Helgeson Maakestad,
Gjertrud H. Lönning, Helge H. Maaketad (who died in 1854), Ingeborg
H. Maakestad, Torgels Knudson Maakestad, Sjur Sjurson Bleie (Bly) and
Lars Larson Bly. They were met at Chicago by Ommon Hilleson; Lars Bly
remained in Chicago, the rest started for Lee County, stopping a short
time at Norway, La Salle County, thereupon all but Ingeborg Maakestad
drove to Hilleson's home in Lee County.[392] Most of them settled in
Bradford Township, but Lars Risetter (born 1827 in Ullensvang) bought
eighty acres of land in Sublette Township, whither other subsequent
immigrants from Hardanger also soon moved. Soon after arriving,
Risetter and Gjertrud Lönning were married in the first house built by
a Norwegian in Lee County, at the home of Ommon Hilleson. Lars Espe and
Lars Risetter were the first two of the party to build a log cabin.

[391] T. M. Newton says the journey took only three weeks; others
say, four. Newton was from Kinservig.

[392] The journey was made with oxen and lumber wagon. Inger Maakestad
remained at Norway for a time; she married Lars Espe soon after.

Mr. Newton tells that two young men came from La Salle County about the
same time and bought a piece of land in Franklin Grove about two miles
and a half from where he lived. "They lived in a log cabin on their
place," he says. "One night about two months after we arrived, they
were both murdered. The same day I had tried to persuade one of them to
stay with me, but he felt it necessary to be at home. Their heads had
been split open with an ax. I then thought of what the old gentleman
had tried to tell us and heartily wished myself back in Norway."

During the years 1848 no immigrants left Hardanger for America, and Lee
County received no settlers directly from Norway. In 1849, however,
thirty-two emigrated from Ulvik, but none of these seem to have come
to the settlement. In 1850 there was one accession, namely, Amund
Lönning, who came directly to his brother-in-law, Lars Risetter, in
Sublette Township. He worked in the harvest the first season for Thomas
Fessenden for $11.00 a month, bought a quarter section in Willow Creek
Township in 1852, being the first Norwegian to settle there. In 1857
Lars Risetter also moved into Willow Creek Township, where he has since
lived.[393]

[393] Mrs. Risetter died in 1897; Mr. Risetter is still living. His
two sons, Lewis and Holden, occupy the homestead with him.

Of the rest Torgels Maakestad, who adopted the name T. M. Newton
(Knutson), is still living, his home being at Grinnell, Iowa. Sjur
Bleien lives at the Old People's Home, Stoughton, Wisconsin.

In 1851 the following arrived from Ullensvang, Hardanger, and located
in the settlement: Jacob O. Rogde (b. 1828), Haaken L. Risetter and
wife Maria (Hildal), Haldor Nilsen Hovland, and Agatha Espe, a sister
of Lars Espe. Rogde purchased eighty acres of land in Bradford Township
in 1854 and in 1855 he married Else Bly from Hardanger, who had come
to America in 1854.[394] Haakon Risetter settled in Ogle County
immediately north of Lee County. Of those who arrived in subsequent
years many settled across the county line in De Kalb County, and in a
few years there had sprung up a thriving and prosperous community. At
present the Bradford Norwegian Evangelical Congregation of Lee numbers
300 adult members. The center of the settlement is about four miles
south of Franklin Grove.

[394] C. Christopher of Gruver, Iowa, who has kindly given me many
of the facts relative to the immigration from Hardanger,
names the following as arriving in Lee County in 1854; Lars
N. Rogde and wife Angar W. Sandvæn, Wigleik W. Risetter,
Helle P. Bly and wife Torbjör (Skare), Samson S. Sandvæn and
wife Bægga H. Maakestad. The last three and Lars Rogde died
the same year.

Immediately east of De Kalb and the northern part of La Salle County
lies Kendall County, into which extends a northeastern branch of the
original Fox River Settlement, located chiefly in Big Grove Township;
the village of Newark lies within its boundaries. The first Norwegian
to settle in the village of Newark was Ole Olson Hetletvedt, as we have
observed above. Ole Hetletvedt, or Medlepeint as he was called, was
born in August, 1797, and was, as we know, one of the members of the
sloop party. Of his first years in this country we have already spoken.
He came to Newark in 1839; there he lived till his death in 1854. The
next settlers in Newark were Herman Osmonson and Knut W. Tysland, both
of whom also located there in 1838.

The first Norwegian settler at Lisbon was John Hill (Hidle) from
Fjeldberg in Söndhordland, Norway. He came to America in 1836,[395]
going direct to La Salle County. Among the immigrants of that year
were also Anders Anderson Aasen and wife Olena and family from Tysvær
Parish, a little south of Haugesund. The family included a daughter
Susanna, (born 1822), who was married to John Hill in 1844. The Aasen
family lived in Kendall, New York, for two years, then in 1838 moved
to La Salle County, Illinois. In 1839 John Hill located at Lisbon, and
he was thus the first Norwegian to settle here, whither a considerable
number later moved.[396] About 1846 Sjur Larson came there from
Skaanevik, Norway; Lars Chelley (Kjelle) came in 1847.

[395] Lars Bö and Michael Bö came at the same time.

[396] John Hill died in 1892, but Mrs. Susanne Hill is still living
with her daughter, Mrs. Austin Osmond (b. 1845), in Morris,
Grundy County, Illinois.

The Norwegians did not begin to come in extensively to Lisbon before
1850. Mrs. Austin Osmond, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hill,
who is now living in Morris, Grundy County, tells me that she was
the only Norwegian child in school at Lisbon when she first began
to attend, but later there gradually came more. At Newark several
Norwegians had already begun to move on. Goodman Halvorson (b. 1821)
and wife Martha Grindheim from Etne Parish in Söndhordland, came to
America in 1847 and purchased land in Fox Township, Kendall County; he
erected his log cabin there in the spring of 1848. Halvorson is still
living on the old homestead which, however, he leases to other parties.
Osmund Tutland from Hjelmeland in Ryfylke, and wife Malinda from Aardal
in Ryfylle and two children had come to Mission Township, La Salle
County, in 1836; a daughter, Mrs. Anna Hegglund (b. 1842) is at present
living in Newark. Tutland became, in 1854, the founder of the Norwegian
colony at Norway, Benton County, Iowa.[397]

[397] Lars Fruland of Newark is a son of Nils Fröland, who emigrated
from Samnanger, near Bergen, in 1837, settling in La Salle
County.

Among the old pioneers of Lisbon was also Henry Munson from Voss, but
I am not able to give the year of his arrival. Munson died in 1907,
being over ninety years old. Wier Sjurson Weeks (born in Skaanevik in
1812), and wife Synneva and two children emigrated in 1846; after much
hardship, and sickness in the family, through which they lost the two
daughters, they arrived at Lisbon late in 1846. Here Weeks worked at
first at the trade of a carpenter. In 1848 he bought eighty acres of
land on North Prairie, five miles north of Lisbon.[398] Here he settled
permanently, prospered, and became an influential citizen and active
member of the Lutheran Church of North Prairie. Mr. Weeks died in
February, 1900, at the age of eighty-seven; his wife lived till 1904,
reaching the age of ninety-four. A name most closely associated with
the early annals of Newark is that of Torris Johnson (b. in Skaanevik
1837), who came to America with his grandfather Torris Torison in
1848.[399] Having arrived at Chicago, they went to Calumet, twenty
miles south of Chicago, to Halstein Torison, who was an uncle of Torris
Johnson. There Johnson remained till 1851, when he located in Kendall
County. Mr. Johnson served in the war, being promoted to sergeant;
after the war he returned to Newark. In 1865 he married Elizabeth
Ryerson, born in Stavanger, Norway; they have had six children. Mr.
Johnson is still living, his home being in Newark.

[398] Mr. Strand has given a very complete sketch of W. S. Weeks to
which I am indebted for these facts.

[399] His parents died in Norway when he was a child; a brother and
sister also came to America at the same time.

Although E. S. Holland (b. 1834) of Big Grove Township, did not settle
in Kendall County before 1866, he belongs to the earlier pioneers now
resident there, having come to this country with his parents in 1846.
In 1854 he settled in York Township, Green County, Wisconsin, where he
married Johanne Chantland the following year. In 1866 they removed
to Kendall County, Illinois.[400] Mr. Holland has been especially
active in the work of the church, and has been trustee and treasurer of
Pleasant View Luther College since its organization.

[400] Mrs. Holland died in 1884 and Mr. Holland married Christina
Peterson of Skien, Norway, in 1885.

The name of Nels O. Cassem occupies a prominent place in the history of
the settlement as of that of Kendall County in general. Born in 1829
about seven miles east of the city of Stavanger, Norway, he emigrated
in 1849. Coming to Illinois he settled in Fox Township, Kendall County,
in July of that year. Here he purchased land and began farming, an
occupation which he prospered in to an unusual degree, his estate
being estimated at a little over one million dollars upon his death in
1904.[401] "When he came to Illinois," writes his son, "he found work
on the tow-path of the old Illinois and Michigan Canal, at fifty cents
per day. During this time he formed the habit of saving, that was the
unerring guide of all his future life." Randall Cassem defines the
principal causes of his father's success as:

"Health; industrious habits formed in youth; the fact that money
came hard earned at first, thus teaching him the value of the
dollar; courage and self-reliance; knowing the value of little
things; the practice of self-denial and rigid economy; never
striving after extravagant profits in any of his undertakings. To
all of this we may add, his high sense of honor, his unimpeachable
integrity that, as those who knew him testify, never permitted him
to be other than absolutely fair and just in all his dealings and
financial transactions with others."[402]

Among those who immigrated in 1844 and located in Chicago was also
Anders K. Vetti from Vettigjæld, Norway. He lived in Chicago until
about 1849,[403] when he bought a farm at Yorkville Prairie in Kendall
County. He married Anna Martha Ortzland in 1850 and lived there till
his death in 1875. Mr. Vetti was a man of strong character and unusual
intellectual endowments. He wielded much influence politically in his
community, and enjoyed in a high degree the confidence of those who
knew him. An obituary notice says of him: his truest and most enduring
monument will be the good resulting from his labor in the cause of
universal education, in untiring opposition to the superstitious
observance of ceremonies incompatible with the spirit and the progress
of the age, and in his hatred of all forms of political oppression.[404]

[401] Cassem married Margaret Fritz in 1851; she died in 1872.
There are five children: Randall Cassem, attorney at Aurora,
Ill.; Mrs. Olive J. Osmondson of Seward Township, Kendall
County; Oscar E. Cassem, Mitchell, South Dakota; Mrs.
Margaret Olson, Aurora, Illinois; and Mrs. Anna O. Rood,
Chicago, Illinois.

[402] Kari Melhus of Newark, Illinois, who came to America about
1852, is said to be the oldest Norwegian woman in America.
She was born in Hjelmeland Parish, Ryfylke, in 1804.

[403] A. K. Vetti's oldest daughter, Mrs. Samuel Mather (b. 1853)
of Springdale, Linn County, Iowa, says that it was in 1849,
or 1850 perhaps, but she is not certain which.

[404] The words "universal education" contain a reference to his
fight for the common schools.

A few miles south of Lisbon, across the Grundy County line, a
settlement was founded in 1846. The county had been completely settled
by Americans already, but Norwegians bought these out and gradually
supplanted them, exactly as they began doing a decade later at Saratoga
in Grundy County, and have done still later in the city of Morris in
the same county. The settlement is located in Nettle Creek Township.
The first arrivals were Rasmus Scheldal, Ole Torstal, Paul Thompson,
Michael Erickson, Simon Frye, John Wing, Lars Scheldal, Ben Hall, Ben
Thornton, John Peterson, G. E. Grundstad, William and Samuel Hage.
Several of these men had families; they came mostly from Skaanevik; all
came between 1846 and 1848. In 1849 Halvord Rygh, Sr., and family of
seven, and Sjur Nelson, wife, Jennie, and family, came from Norway and
located there. Several of these men later moved away, as Paul Thompson,
Michael Erickson, Rasmus Scheldal, and Ole Tvistal, who went to Story
County, Iowa, while some members of the Rygh and Wing families went to
Goodhue County, Minnesota, 1856. Sjur Haugen and family moved up to
Helmar, Kendall County, in 1855.[405]

[405] The latter family included a son Nels (b. 1840), who is Nels
S. Nelson of Helmar, well known as a successful farmer and a
Republican leader in Kendall County.

With this brief survey of the founding of these eastern extensions of
the Fox River Settlement, we shall leave Kendall and Grundy Counties.
The history of these settlements takes its beginnings at the very close
of the period we are here considering. Their fuller discussion belongs
to the history of the immigration of the following decade.[406]

[406] Individual settlers and single families had located in
various towns in northern Illinois during the later thirties
and forties. I shall name here Severt S. Helland and wife
Ingeborg who immigrated in 1836 and settled at Woodstock,
Illinois. Helland (b. 1828) came from Gjerdevig in Fjeldbjerg
Parish; his wife was born 1825 at Helland in Etne Parish.
They moved to Chicago in 1855 and in 1857 settled near
Slater, Iowa.

CHAPTER XLI

_The First Norwegian Pioneers in Northeastern Iowa_

In this chapter I shall give a brief account of the coming of
Norwegians into northeastern Iowa and their founding of settlements
there between 1846 and 1851. We are near the close of the period which
this volume deals with. The founding of settlements in Iowa in 1849-50
is but a part of a larger movement now beginning, which, in the course
of a few years, resulted in the establishment of numerous settlements
in Wisconsin, Iowa, and southeastern Minnesota.[407] These settlements
were founded in general through internal migration away from the older
settlements in Racine, Rock, and Dane Counties. The latter were now
becoming overcrowded and they furnished hundreds upon hundreds of
recruits to the new settlements that were fast springing up. It is with
the years 1848-49 that we associate this new trend in the movement,
and which inaugurates this new period in the whole movement. Only its
beginnings will here briefly be sketched as related to the counties of
northeastern Iowa. Of the mass of material which has been placed at my
disposal, I can only select what appears most essential to the purpose.

[407] And Texas.

The first county settled by Norwegians in northeastern Iowa was
Clayton. The first settlers were Ole H. Valle and wife and Ole T.
Kittelsland who located in Read Township in the summer of 1846. Both
these men had, however, entered Iowa three years before. In 1843
they had come to the old Fort Atkinson in Winneshiek County, and had
remained there for three years in the service of the government.[408]
Valle and Kittelsland were both from Rollaug, Numedal; they had
immigrated in 1841 to Rock Prairie, and had from 1841-1843 worked in
the Dodgeville mines. In 1846 Sören O. Sörum from Land Parish, Norway,
came to Fort Atkinson and in 1847 Ingeborg Nilsen, a cousin of Ole
Valle, came there.

[408] Their duties being to show the Indians how to farm and in
general to teach them the white man's ways.

In the summer of 1846 then, Valle and Kittelsland located in Clayton
County,[409] buying a farm together, about three miles southeast of
the present village of St. Olaf.[410] Through letters from Valle the
locality was soon brought to the attention of Norwegian settlers in
Rock Prairie and Koshkonong. In the spring of 1849 Ole Herbrandson
and family came out there from Koshkonong; he was an immigrant from
Mörkvold, Rollaug, in 1842 and had, it seems, visited Valle in Clayton
County in 1848 and found the locality to his liking. In June[411]
Halvor Nilsen Espeseth, Knut Hustad, Ole Sonde, and Ingbret Skarshaug,
came from Rock Prairie;[412] going to the western part of the county,
Nilsen selected land in Grand Meadow Township, becoming the founder
of the Clermont extension of the settlement, which, as Norwegians
began to come in gradually, expanded north into Fayette and Winneshiek
Counties. Other arrivals of the same summer were Abraham Rustad
and family, Bredo A. Holt, Jens A. Holt, all from Hadeland, Bertle
Osuldson, Tallak Gunderson and family from Arendal, and Ole Hanson and
family. These located in the Clermont region; Jens Holt on section
17, Marion Township, and Hanson on section 6 in the same township.
About simultaneous with these, Fingar Johnson, Helge Ramstad and wife,
Thorkel Eiteklep[413] Ole E. Sanden, with wife Guro and family, located
in the eastern settlement.[414]

[409] The first white child born of Norwegian parents in the county
was Jorund Valle (Mrs. Lars Thovson, St. Olaf), daughter of
Ole Valle.

[410] See article by Rev. Jacob Tanner, entitled: "En kort
Beretning 50 Aars kirkelight Arbeide; Clayton County, Iowa,"
in _Lutheraneren_, 45 (1901). My facts here are gathered in
large part from this article.

[411] The date was June 11th according to _History of Clayton
County_, 1882, p. 831.

[412] The last three were from Hallingdal.

[413] According to others these two did not arrive till 1850.

[414] Tanner's article. Sanden and Fingar Johnson settled in Wagner
Township.

The founders of these settlements nearly all came from Rock Prairie,
where they had lived the first few years after immigrating. During
the years 1850-1851 a large number of immigrants joined the colony.
The first of these were Lars Valle, Hellik Glaim,[415] and Austen
Blækkestad, all from Numedal, Ole Engbrigtsen and Peter Helgeson from
Sigdal in Numedal, and Ole Gunbjörnson and Knut Jæger from Hallingdal,
while Halstein Gröth and family from Næs in Hallingdal and Kittil Rue
located in the western part of the settlement. The Gröth family located
in Marion Township, where also James and Jacob Paulson Broby, who came
from Hadeland the next year, settled. Mrs. Holger Peterson and son
(Peter Holgerson) came in 1851 and settled in Wagner Township. Sören O.
Sörum and wife[416] settled in Farmersburg Township in 1850, being the
first Norwegians there.[417]

[415] See above page 143.

[416] See note, on p. 213.

[417] In 1867 he moved to Wagner Township.

But in the very beginning of this period the movement was directed to
the counties to the North, Allamakee and Winneshiek. The immigration
of Norwegians into Clayton County had practically ceased by 1855,
the chief reason for this probably being that the Germans came in
very large numbers, particularly to Clayton County, during the early
fifties and soon occupied all the best land.[418] Northeastern Iowa
was but little settled, and the development of the wilderness had
only begun. Clayton County had in 1850 a population of three thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three, while Fayette had only eight hundred
and twenty-five, and Allamakee seven hundred and seventy-seven. The
population of Winneshiek County had reached four thousand nine hundred
and fifty-seven.

[418] Rev. Tanner writes: "When we look at this Norwegian
settlement as it was then and is to-day largely, it
immediately strikes us that it was wood and water the
colonists looked for, and therefore they let the prairie lie
and chose the hills along the Turkey River. Not until later
did they learn to understand the value of the prairie, but
then the Germans had taken most of it."

Allamakee was the next county in order of settlement.[419] This county
was opened to settlement in 1848, but land was not put upon the market
before 1850.[420] In 1849 Ole L. Rothnem, Ole O. Storlag, Ole K.
Grimsgaard and Erik K. Barsgrind came from Rock County to Allamakee
County and selected land. In 1850 they moved out with their families
and in company with them came: Ole K. Stake, Arne K. Stake, Syver Wold
and Thomas A. Grönna. Others who came about the same time were: Thomas
Anderson[421] and wife Emilie, Sven E. Hesla,[421] Björn Hermundson,
Nils T. Rue, Östen Peterson, Lars Jeglum, Halvor E. Turkop, Ole S.
Lekvold, all from Hallingdal, and Nils N. Arnesgaard, who was from
Numedal. Among others who followed the next year I shall mention: Knut
Knutson,[422] G. H. Fagre and wife Katherine, and Ole Smeby (b. 1804),
wife and sons Hans, Ole, and John. They settled on the prairie north
of Paint Creek, living in their canvas-covered wagons until houses
were built. Those here named formed the nucleus of the Paint Creek
Settlement, which already the next year received large accessions.

[419] The Fayette County settlement about Clermont is a western
extension of the second settlement in Clayton County; its
beginnings have been referred to above.

[420] The first entry of purchase appears under the date of October
7, 1850. The earliest settler in the county was Henry
Johnson, after whom Johnsonsport was named, but I do not know
of what nationality he was.

[421] Hesla had came to America in 1845, Anderson in 1846.

[422] Settled in Makee Township; he had came from Norway in 1849.

The early settlers of Allamakee and neighboring counties experienced
all the trials and hardships of pioneer life in an unsettled country.
There was no railroad nearer than Milwaukee. At McGregor there were
a few stores where the necessaries of life could be had.[423] The
process of home building and the clearing of the forests was slow and
often attended with many difficulties. The pioneers generally brought
with them no other wealth than stout hearts and strong hands, and it
was only by industry and severe economy that they were able to make a
living for themselves and their families. Those who hired out to others
received very small wages, and as there was little money among the
pioneer farmers this was paid in large part in food or other articles.
It may serve as an illustration that in the winter of 1850-51 a pioneer
in Clayton County[424] split seven thousand rails of wood for fifty
cents a hundred; for this he was paid $3.50 in cash and the remainder
in food.[425]

[423] In the Clermont Settlement there was a log-cabin store at the
village of Clermont.

[424] This pioneer is still living.--See Tanner's article.

[425] A barrel of flour at that time cost twelve dollars in Iowa, and
a bushel of corn seventy five cents. The usual wages was 25c a
day, sometimes a little more.

Most of the Norwegians who first settled in Allamakee County came from
Rock County, Wisconsin; later, some came from Dane County, Wisconsin,
and also from Winneshiek County, where a settlement was formed in June,
1850. Several, however, came from Norway by way of New Orleans and the
Mississippi, as did Gilbert C. Lyse in 1851.

In 1856 there were in the whole county five hundred and five
Norwegians; one hundred and eighty-one of these had settled in Paint
Creek (then Water-ville) Township, the rest being located mostly in
the neighboring towns of Center, La Fayette, Taylor, Jefferson and
Makee. In the meantime a new settlement had been established in the
northwestern part of the county, in Hanover and Waterloo, which soon
extended into Winneshiek County. But the earliest Norwegian settlement
in Winneshiek was formed on Washington Prairie in June, 1850,[426] when
a number of families moved in from Racine and Dane Counties, Wisconsin.
Eastern Winneshiek County received in the following year a large
Norwegian population.

[426] The county was organized in 1850, and the first term of court
convened on October 5th, 1851.

Those who came in the latter part of June, 1850, and settled on
Washington Prairie were: Eric Anderson (Rudi),[427] the brothers Ole
and Staale T. Haugen from Flekkefjord, Ole G. Jevne, Ole and Andrew
A. Lomen, Knut A. Bakken, Anders Hauge, John J. Quale, and Halvor H.
Groven, all from Valders, and Mikkel Omli from Telemarken. On July
third another party headed by Nels Johnson[428] arrived, including
Tollef Simonson Aae, Knud Opdahl, Jacob Abrahamson,[429] Iver P. Quale,
Gjermund Johnson (Kaasa),[430] and John Thun.

[427] See above page 232.

[428] The father of Martin N. Johnson, member of Congress from
North Dakota. Nelson Johnson was one of the founders of the
Muskego Settlement in Wisconsin in 1839. He later entered
the Methodist ministry and was for two years, 1855-1857,
pastor of the Norwegian M. E. Church in Cambridge, Wisconsin.
With the exception of these two years he lived in Winneshiek
County until his death in 1882.

[429] Father of Rev. Abraham Jacobson, to whom I am in part
indebted for facts on the early settlement of Washington
Prairie. Rev. Jacobson has also printed a pamphlet: _The
Pioneer Norwegians_, Decorah, 1905, 16 pages, which is a most
valuable contribution to the pioneer history of Winneshiek
County. A very brief chapter on the "Pioneer Norwegians" may
also be found in Alexander's _History of Winneshiek County_,
1882, pages 185-186.

[430] A brother of Nels Johnson. Thun was from Valders.

Of the coming of this party Reverend Jacobson has given the following
account: In the spring of 1850 his parents and a number of other
families left Muskego to move out west. The leader of the party
was Nels Johnson; he had a large military wagon drawn by six oxen.
"This had a big box on, filled with household goods and covered with
white canvas. On the outside was placed, lengthwise, the wagon box,
several joints of stove pipe, so the outfit, with a little stretch
of imagination," says Rev. Jacobson, "looked like a man-of-war; this
was the so-called 'prairie-schooner.' Then there were other vehicles
of all sizes and shapes, from truck wagons, the wheels of which were
made of solid sections of oak logs, down to the two-wheel carts." At
Koshkonong, Dane County, so many more joined them that they were in
all over one hundred individuals; the caravan included furthermore
now two hundred head of cattle, a few hogs and sheep, a mare and a
colt. They drove on via Madison, then a little village, to Prairie du
Chien, where the party divided one-half going to Vernon County,[431]
Wisconsin, the other half to Iowa. Reverend Jacobson says of the
journey at this point:

The Wisconsin river had to be crossed on a small ferry boat, the
propelling power was furnished by a horse placed on a tread-power
which worked the paddle-wheels. Only one wagon and a team at a
time could be taken aboard. The herd of loose cattle had to swim
over the river, all of which was accomplished without any accident
worthy of note. The ferry boat at Prairie du Chien was larger
and propelled by four mule power, but the water being high, the
Mississippi River was nearly two miles wide, and much time was
taken to get all to the western bank. Thirteen miles northwest from
McGregor at Poverty Point, since called Monona, another halt of a
creek was made. The scouting party before alluded to had visited
several localities, and opinions were divided as to which was the
best point to settle down. The company was now divided into three
divisions, we going with the original leader to the vicinity of
Decorah, landing on our claims on the third of July. The journey
had taken five weeks, counting from the time of starting. Those who
had room enough slept under the wagon covers, the others slept on
the bare ground under the wagons.[432]

[431] The Norwegian settlement at and about Westby, Vernon Co.,
dates from this time, 1850.

[432] Speaking of the Indians Rev. Jacobson says, "They had their
homes in the Territory of Minnesota, and did not molest the
settlers in the least." On the banks of the Upper Iowa river
many Indian graves were found. The bodies were buried in a
sitting position, with the head sometimes above the ground. A
forked stick put up like a post at each end of the grave held
a ridge pole on which leaned thin boards, placed slanting
to each side of the grave. Thus each grave presented the
appearance of the gable of a small house.

Of this party Simonson, Opdahl, Abrahamson, and Quale settled in
Springfield, the rest in Decorah and Glenwood Townships.[433] Most of
the members of these parties had come to America several years before,
as Opdahl in 1848 and Tostenson in 1847; three of them, as we know,
Rudi and the two Johnsons, had immigrated in 1839.

[433] The eastern two-thirds of Winneshiek County clear to the
Minnesota line in a few years became extensively settled by
Norwegians.

A small party from Jefferson Prairie, Wisconsin, including Tore P.
Skotland and his brother Endre P. Sandanger, Ellef and Lars Land,
natives of Ringerike, also came the same summer; these secured claims
around Calmar. The first list of landed assessments in Winneshiek
County[434] records the names of Jacob Abrahamson, Knud Guldbrandson
(Opdahl), Ole Gullikson (Jevne), Egbert Guldbrandson (Saland), Erik
Clement (Skaali), Halvor Halvorson (Groven), O. A. Lomen, Ole Larsen
Bergan, Mikkel Omli, Tollef Simonson (Aae), T. Hulverson, and Ole
Tostenson.

[434] According to Reverend Jacobson, _The Pioneer Norwegian_ p. 5;
the list is for 1852.

Among other settlers of 1850, not named above, I may name: Nils
Thronson, who had come from Valders in 1848, settling in Dane County,
Wisconsin he located in Glenwood Township in the summer of 1850;
Christopher A. Estrem from Vang Parish, who had immigrated to Chicago
in 1848; he came to Winneshiek County and located in Frankville
Township as one of the very first Norwegians there; Engebret Haugen,
who had immigrated in 1842, locating near Beloit, Wisconsin; the family
settled near Decorah in 1850, purchasing the old Indian Trading Post
then owned by J. G. Rice.

In the fall of 1850 Johannes Evenson, Ole L. Bergan, Knud L. Bergan,
and Jörgen Lommen came. Of these Evenson located west of Decorah, in
Madison Township, becoming the first Norwegian to settle there.[435]
As near as I can tell, Lars Iverson Medaas and family were the first
Norwegians to settle in Canoe Township. Iverson who was born at
Tillung, Voss (in 1802), but had married Sigrid Vikingsdatter in
Graven, Hardanger (1835) and settled on the farm Medaas, emigrated to
America in 1850. They spent the first winter on Liberty Prairie, Dane
County, Wisconsin, and moved to Winneshiek County early in the spring
of 1851, locating in Canoe Township, on section two, where they lived
till their death.[436]

[435] Helge N. Myrand and his widowed mother, who had immigrated in
1841 and settled in Muskego County, came west and located in
Madison in 1851.

[436] Iverson died in 1887, his wife in 1890. Iver Larson, well
known merchant and for many years treasurer of the United
Norwegian Lutheran Church, who died in 1907, was a son of
Iverson.

The first Norwegians to enter Hesper Township were a party of
immigrants who came by the ship _Valhalla_ from Tönsberg in the summer
of 1852. They were from Tolgen, in northern Österdalen, and from Röraas
and Guldalen,[437] hence from a much more northerly region than their
countrymen in southern Winneshiek County. The party consisted of the
following: Trond Laugen, John Losen, Sr., Bendt Pederson, Ingbrigt
Bergh, Mons Monsen, all of whom were married, and John Vold and Jocum
Nelson. These were followed in the next year by John S. Losen, Jr., and
Ole B. Anderson Borren. Among the earliest settlers from other regions
were Paul Thorsen, Salve Olson and Torjus Gunderson from Sætersdalen,
Knut Herbrandson and Christian Lien from Hallingdal, Aadne Glaamene and
family from Voss, Lars Bakka and Bendik Larson from Sogn, and Peder
Wennes from Vardalen.[438]

[437] They were the first emigrants to America from this district.

[438] For the facts on Hesper Township I am indebted to Mr. J. A.
Nelson of Prosper, Minnesota, a student in the State University
of Iowa.

From the towns of Springfield, Decorah, and Glenwood, the settlement
thus soon spread into the neighboring townships--north into Canoe,
Hesper, and Highland, where it united with the settlement in
northwestern Allamakee County, and south through the towns of Calmar
and Military, uniting with the settlement in north central Fayette
County in Door Township. This last settlement extends through Pleasant
Valley southward into Clayton County. Together these settlements form
the eastern part of Clayton County, west through Fayette, and north
through Winneshiek to northern Allamakee. In Allamakee it extends as
far as Harper's Ferry and Lansing. The bulk of the population, however,
is found in Winneshiek County. The principal Norwegian townships are:
Glenwood, Decorah, Springfield, Madison, and Highland. About half of
the population of the county is of Norwegian birth, or of that descent.

CHAPTER XLII

_Survey of Immigration from Norway to America. Conclusion._

We are then at the end of our task. We discussed at first early
individual immigration from Norway down to the year 1825. Then tracing
briefly the fortunes of the party of immigrants who came from Norway
that year we followed the subsequent immigration, year by year,
down to 1848, and the founding of settlements in this country from
Orleans County, New York, in 1825, to Winneshiek County, Iowa, in
1850. The growth of the emigration movement in Norway and the course
of settlements here have been indicated. The names of the promoters
of emigration in each district and province and of the founders of
settlements have in all cases been given. In most cases we have
succeeded in giving a fairly complete list of names of the settlers
in any community during the first four to eight years of its history,
that is its period of growth, the years during which it assumed the
character of a Norwegian settlement. The varied causes of emigration
were also discussed at some length as also other questions as the
cost of passage and duration and course of the journey; and in the
discussion of the individual settlements we have now and then given
a glimpse of the general conditions of life in early pioneer days.
I desire now by way of conclusion to summarize briefly the course of
emigration in Norway and the distribution of the representatives of
each district in this country.

The first emigrants from Norway were from Stavanger, Haugesund and
Ryfylke. Before 1836 the movement did not reach out beyond these
districts although a few individuals had come from Söndhordland and
Hardanger. The emigration from Hardanger begins properly in 1836;
that year also records the first arrivals from Voss.[439] However
most of the immigrants of that year, as the following two years, were
from the districts that had furnished the emigrants of the decade
1825-1835. The year 1837 is especially noteworthy for the sailing of
the first emigrant ship from Bergen and that the immediate vicinity
of Bergen for the first time furnished its quota of the emigration.
It is further significant in that Voss now enters definitely into the
movement, and that Upper Telemarken and the neighboring region of West
Numedal contributed the first recruits to the American settlements.
The emigrants of 1839 came in considerable part from Upper Telemarken,
from Numedal, from Voss and Hardanger, but not a few also from the
older districts. This continued in 1840 and 1841, except that there
were no emigrants from Hardanger during these two years and very few
for the next four years also. In 1842 the first party left Sogn and in
1844 and 1845 considerable numbers came to America from this district.
The year 1843 is especially noteworthy for the very large emigration
of that year from Upper Telemarken and the growth of the movement in
new parishes in Numedal. In this year also the America-fever enters
Lower Telemarken, a number of families going to America from Holden
Parish and Kragerö, which in 1844-1845 expands to include Sande and Bö
and the region of Skien. During 1843 the first emigrants also leave
Sætersdalen, and from now on it is to be observed that there is a
steady out-going of emigrants from Ryfylke and Söndhordland for the
period of nearly a decade. The movement is also beginning to expand
in two other directions; north from Numedal into Hallingdal and soon
after northeast from the region of the Sognefjord up to northern and
the extreme Inner Sogn. The influx of immigrants from Telemarken and
Numedal continues, and in increased numbers from Voss and the movement
begins anew in Hardanger in 1846. Hallingdal sent forth a large number
of families and single persons in 1846-47, most of whom as we know
settled in Rock and La Fayette Counties, Wisconsin, many later moving
into Iowa. In 1847-48 these two movements meet in Valders, the one from
Hallingdal entering first in South and North Aurdal, the other from
Lærdal and Aardal in Sogn, entering about 1850 into Vang, Hurum and
West Slidre in Valders. In the meantime the movement has traveled also
from Lower Telemarken, Drammen and Eastern Numedal (Sigdal) up through
Ringerike, Hadeland and Land. Especially large was the emigration
from North and South Land clear to Torpen in 1847-1850. The region
east of Land, i. e., Toten, Hedemarken and Solör furnish occasional
immigrants from now on but not in considerable numbers until many years
later. From Land and from Valders the movement grows northward into
Gudbrandsdalen and northwestward into Österdalen and Trondhjem, from
which provinces, however, relatively very few emigrated to America
until after 1850, and the emigration was not heavy from this region or
from the northern coast districts,--Söndfjord, Nordfjord, Söndmöre,
Nordmöre--until after the Civil War.[440]

[439] At least eighteen persons from Hardanger and two from Voss.

[440] And from Nordland not until after 1875. It is to be observed
also that the emigration from the older inland districts was
very heavy clear down to 1890.

As to the number of immigrants that each of the districts had
contributed to the American population before 1850, or have down to the
present time, it would be difficult to say. The emigration from such
vast districts as Telemarken and Sogn, as later from Gudbrandsdalen,
Hedemarken and Österdalen, has been heaviest, while from Ryfylke and
Voss the incoming settlers have been very numerous, as also from the
small but very populous Söndhordland, Hadeland and Land. Valdris and
Hallingdal[441] each about half as large as Sogn have contributed
perhaps each about one-third as many immigrants as Sogn, each
contributing about equally to the American emigration. Relatively
small has been the immigration from Hardanger, Sætersdalen and the
vicinity of Stavanger. The extensive districts of Telemarken and Sogn
entered early into the movement and have continued down to the present
time to furnish large numbers of recruits to the Norwegian immigrant
population. Representatives of these two regions, the immigrated and
their descendants, are, I believe, most numerous among the various
groups of Norwegian settlers in America.

[441] In 1891 Hallingdal had a population of 12,900, Valdris 17,000,
Sogn 37,050, Söndhordland 34,750, Hardanger 25,900, Ryfylke
46,000, Telemarken 44,000, Sætersdalen 8,380. The population
of each is much larger now.

In this country the relative position of the representatives of each
is about that which they occupied in the old; this finds its reason
chiefly in the time at which the different states were opened up to
settlers. Natives from Stavanger, Ryfylke and Söndhordland are found
chiefly in Illinois and in the settlements of Central Iowa (Benton
and Story Counties). In Illinois are located also in large numbers
natives of Hardanger (Lee County), and Voss (Chicago), but only to a
very limited extent those of other districts. In Southern Wisconsin
and to a slight extent in the adjacent parts of Illinois have located
especially the natives of Numedal, and to some extent those of Land
and Sogn. Natives of Sogn have, however, found homes most extensively
in the various settlements of Wisconsin and Minnesota and Northern
Iowa.[442] Here they are present in all parts of the states but in
largest numbers in the oldest settlements in Southern and Western
Wisconsin and in Southeastern Minnesota. Natives of Telemarken are
found well scattered, from their original center in Racine County,
through Walworth and Dane Counties, thence to Central Wisconsin and
Minnesota. The representatives of Valders are found in largest numbers
in Western Dane County, in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, and in Goodhue
County, Minnesota.

[442] In Winneshiek and Worth Counties, where also natives of
Hallingdal have settled in large numbers.

It will not be possible to discuss here the later development of the
various settlements that have been treated above or the increase of the
Norwegian factor in the counties where these settlements were formed.
Space forbids this, and these facts have, furthermore, been briefly
indicated elsewhere in this volume. Thus in Chapter II we have outlined
the extent of immigration from Norway and the geographical distribution
of settlements, while the subsequent history of the special settlements
has often been briefly indicated. It may here be added that the
counties in Southern Wisconsin as a whole enjoyed a much more rapid
development during the years 1840-1850 than those of Northern Illinois,
and that this was due in a very large measure to the incoming of such
a large number of settlers from Norway[443] in the best years of their
life.

[443] Similarly the "Norwegian" county of La Salle in Illinois
was the leading county in that part of Illinois in the same
period, its population in 1850 being 17,815, that of Grundy
3,023, and De Kalb, 7,540.

In the year 1900 the principal Norwegian counties among those that fall
within the scope of the discussion in this volume were in order: Cook
County, Illinois; Dane County, Wisconsin; Winneshiek County, Iowa;
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; Rock County, Wisconsin; and La Salle
County, Illinois.

It has elsewhere in this volume been shown that Wisconsin early became
the objective point of immigrants from Norway. This significant
position in Norwegian-American history Wisconsin continued to hold
throughout the whole period we have discussed and for a long time
afterwards. In 1850, fifty per cent of all Norwegians in the United
States were domiciled within the borders of the State of Wisconsin. It
was with Wisconsin that the chief events in early Norwegian-American
history are associated. The principal scenes in the great pioneer drama
were enacted here. As all the paths of the Norwegian immigrant in that
early day led to Wisconsin so the threads of all subsequent Norwegian
history in America lead back to Wisconsin.[444] Whether in material
welfare, in church, in politics or in education it was in Wisconsin
that the Norwegian first made a place for himself in America and laid
the foundation for all his later progress.[445]

[444] Barring the relatively very small Norwegian factor in the
cities of the East, which stands practically isolated from
Norwegian American life.

[445] At the same time we must not forget that the era of
settlement began in Illinois, and Illinois has always
continued to hold a prominent place in Norwegian-American
history.

Appendices

APPENDIX I

TABLE I

Showing the growth and distribution of the foreign Scandinavian factor
by decades in the Northwestern states and in sections elsewhere

1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900
Michigan 139 898 5,276 16,445 41,496 40,928
Wisconsin 8,885 23,265 48,057 66,284 99,738 103,942
Illinois 3,631 12,073 44,570 65,414 128,897 144,812
Iowa 611 7,814 31,177 46,046 72,873 72,611
Minnesota 12 11,773 58,837 107,768 215,215 236,670
Nebraska 323 3,987 16,685 46,341 40,107
North Dakota } {34,216 42,578
} 129 1,674 17,868 {
South Dakota } {31,372 33,473
Total in Northwest 13,278 56,275 193,578 336,511 670,148 715,121
New England 749 1,507 3,113 11,243 43,606 70,632
New York }
New Jersey } 1,897 4,506 12,291 28,492 75,331 105,641
Pennsylvania }
The South[A1] 1,084 1,531 3,189 4,081 5,936 7,646
All other states 1,067 8,763 29,497 59,935 138,328 166,525
Total outside
Northwest 4,797 16,307 48,090 103,741 263,201 350,444
Total 18,075 72,582 241,668 440,252 933,349 1,065,565

[A1] Not including Missouri.

TABLE II

Showing the growth of the Norwegian foreign-born population in each
state by decades in 1850

1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900
Maine 12 27 58 99 311 509
New Hampshire 2 5 55 79 251 295
Vermont 8 34 10 38 54
Massachusetts 69 171 302 639 2,519 3,335
Rhode Island 25 38 22 56 285 342
Connecticut 1 22 72 168 529 709
New York 392 539 975 2,185 8,602 12,601
New Jersey 4 65 90 229 1,317 2,296
Maryland 10 7 17 108 164 246
Delaware 6 14 49
District of Columbia 1 5 19 70 101
Pennsylvania 27 83 115 381 2,238 1,393
Virginia 5 8 17 29 102 123
West Virginia 1 3 7 19
North Carolina 4 5 10 13 21
South Carolina 4 5 23 49
Florida 17 11 16 79 179 235
Georgia 6 13 14 23 88 155
Alabama 3 51 21 24 47 159
Tennessee 14 37 25 41 141
Kentucky 18 10 16 21 120 34
Mississippi 8 15 78 56 54 74
Louisiana 64 63 76 7 136 189
Arkansas 1 5 19 33 60 123
Missouri 155 146 297 373 526 530
Ohio 18 19 64 178 511 639
Indiana 18 38 123 182 285 384
Illinois 2,415 4,891 11,880 16,970 30,339 29,979
Michigan 110 440 1,516 3,520 7,795 7,582
Wisconsin 8,651 21,442 40,046 49,349 65,696 61,575
Iowa 361 5,688 17,554 21,583 27,078 25,634
Minnesota 7 8,425 35,940 62,521 101,169 104,895
Kansas 223 588 1,358 1,786 1,477
Nebraska 506 2,010 3,632 2,833
South Dakota } 129 1,179 13,245 {19,257 19,788
North Dakota } {25,773 30,206
Wyoming 28 74 345 378
Colorado 12 40 354 893 1,149
Oklahoma 36 118
Texas 326 403 880 1,313 1,356
Arizona 7 45 59 123
Utah 613 1,214 1,854 2,128
Nevada 80 119 69 50
Idaho 61 276 741 1,173
New Mexico 2 5 17 42 33
California 715 1,000 1,765 3,702 5,060
Oregon 43 76 574 2,271 2,789
Washington 104 580 8,324 9,891
Montana 88 174 1,957 3,354
Total 12,407 43,695 114,246 181,696 302,721 335,726

TABLE III

Showing the Norwegian foreign parentage population in the United States
according to the U. S. Census for 1900.

1. Minnesota 257,959
2. Wisconsin 155,125
3. North Dakota 72,012
4. Iowa 71,170
5. Illinois 59,954
6. South Dakota 51,199
7. New York 18,928
8. Washington 18,824
9. Michigan 14,091
10. California 8,536
11. Nebraska 7,228
12. Montana 5,688
13. Oregon 5,567
14. Massachusetts 5,069
15. Utah 4,557
16. Kansas 3,731
17. New Jersey 3,518
18. Texas 3,406
19. Idaho 2,767
20. Pennsylvania 2,254
21. Colorado 2,096
22. Alaska 1,454
23. Missouri 1,301
24. Ohio 1,174
25. Connecticut 1,083
26. Indiana 852
27. Maine 833
28. Wyoming 727
29. Florida 558
30. New Hampshire 504
31. Rhode Island 502
32. Maryland 442
33. Louisiana 441
34. Tennessee 383
35. Alabama 375
36. Hawaii 370
37. Oklahoma 350
38. Virginia 282
39. Georgia 277
40. Arizona 228
41. Mississippi 211
42. District of Columbia 195
43. Arkansas 133
44. Indian Territory 115
45. Nevada 95
46. Vermont 93
47. Kentucky 88
48. South Carolina 86
49. Delaware 59
50. West Virginia 46
51. North Carolina 44

APPENDIX II

Names of Parishes and Settlements in Norway (see page 131).

1. Skjold.
2. Kopervik.
3. Tananger.
4. Aardal.
5. Vikedal.
6. Hjelmeland.
7. Skaanevik.
8. Vinje.
9. Mo.
10. Flatdal.
11. Siljord.
12. Hviteseid.
13. Laurdal.
14. Nissedal.
15. Moland.
16. Drangedal.
17. Sandökedal.
18. Bamle.
19. Gjerpen.
20. Porsgrund.
21. Hiterdal.
22. Rollaug.
23. Nore.
24. Sigdal.
25. Flesberg.
26. Lyngdal.
27. Eggedal.
28. Hovin.
29. Tin.
30. Bö.
31. Holden.
32. Slemdal.
33. Sandsværd.
34. Eker.
35. Modum.
36. Lier.
37. Skauger.
38. Sande.
39. Kvindherred.
40. Odde.
41. Jondal.
42. Vikör.
44. Ulvik.
45. Vossevangen.
46. Vossestranden.
47. Evanger.
48. Graven.
49. Samnanger.
50. Vik.
51. Aurland.
52. Lærdal.
53. Lekanger.
54. Sogndal.
55. Aardal.
56. Lyster.
57. Jostedal.
58. Fjerland.
59. Balestrand.
60. Borgund.
61. Hemsedal.
62. Gol.
63. Næs.
64. Flaa.
65. Söndre Aurdal.
66. Nordre Aurdal.
67. Vestre Slidre.
68. Östre Slidre.
69. Hurum.
70. Vang.
71. Nordre Land.
72. Söndre Land.
73. Vardal.
74. Biri.
75. Ringsaker.
76. Ullensaker.
77. Faaberg.
78. Rendalen.
79. Vaage.
80. Froen.
81. Lesje.
82. Eid.
83. Selbu.
84. Soknedalen.
85. Rindalen.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The brief bibliography here given is not intended to be complete. The
books and articles spoken of in the "Foreword" of this volume, pages
7-9, are not re-listed here.

Anderson, Rasmus B. _Bygdejaevning._ Madison, Wis., 1903. Pp. VI
+ 215. Has very little historical value; a series of uncritical
contributions.

Flom, George T. _Chapters on Scandinavian Immigration to Iowa._
Iowa City, 1905. Pp. IV + 150. A brief survey.

Hatlestad, O. J. _Historiske Meddelelser om den norske Augustana
Synode._ Decorah, Iowa, 1887. Pp. 254.

Holand, Hjalmar R. _De norske Settlementers Historie._ Ephraim,
Wis., 1908. Pp. 603. A series of brief surveys (on pages 100-565)
of most of the settlements down to 1865, unfortunately in part
uncritical.

Keyes, Judge E. W. _History of Dane County._ Madison, Wisconsin,
1906. Volumes I-III. Scandinavian matter very incomplete and often
erroneous. Names frequently misspelled.

_Kvartalskrift._ Udgivet of Det norske Selskab i Amerika. Waldemar
Ager, Redaktör I-V, 1905-1909. Various articles, usually very good.

Langeland, Knud. _Nordmaendene i Amerika._ Chicago, 1889. Pp. 224.
Fragmentary.

Nelson, O. N. _History of the Scandinavians and Successful
Scandinavians in the United States._ Minneapolis, Minn., 1901.
Volumes I-II. A series of articles by various contributors and a
large number of biographies. In general very reliable.

_Normandsforbundet_, I-II, 1907-1909. A number of excellent
articles of real permanent value.

Peck, Geo. W., ed. _Cyclopedia of Wisconsin._ Madison, Wisconsin,
1906. Volumes I-II. Scandinavian biographies, etc., often full of
errors.

Ulvestad, Martin. _Normaendene i Amerika, deres Historie og
Record._ Minneapolis, 1907. Pp. 871.

INDEX

[The Church Register and the footnotes are not indexed.]

Aaberge, Peder S., 312

Aadland, Knud, 162

Aadland, Mons, 100, 103, 112, 158, 161, 162, 222, 283

Aadland, Thomas, 162, 280

Aaen, Halvor N., 211

Aamodt, Anders, 220

Aamodt, Christopher, 298

Aaretuen, Anna, 287

Aaretuen, Knut, 266, 269, 270

Aaretuen, Knut K., 285, 287

Aarhus, Rasmus J., 37

Aarhus, Reiar, 342

Aarness, Angon, 338

Aas, Aslak, 286

Aas, Halvor N., 143, 144

Aas, Lars, see Skavlem, Lars

Aase, Anders E., 276

Aase, Hans H., 338

Aase, Lasse E., 276, 310

Aase, Thor, 340

Aasen, Halvor, 148

Aasen, Halvor, 261

Aasen, Nils, 302

Aasland, Ole, 118, 119, 222

Aasnes, Ole T., 188

Aavri, Anders O., 273

Aavri, Johans O., 273

Aavri, Ole J., 273

Abrahamson, Jacob, 369, 371

Aga, Jon J., 95

Allen, Mrs. Margaret, 45, 60

Allen, William, 49, 76

Anderson, Arnold A., 178

Anderson (Aasen), Andrew, 93, 355

Anderson, Andrew, 238

Anderson, A. S., 59

Anderson, Anderson G., 58

Anderson, Arle, 232

Anderson (Kvelve), Björn, 93, 110, 175, 176, 178, 179, 180, 256

Anderson, Dan K., 8, 304

Anderson, Eric, 232, 348

Anderson, Erik A.

Anderson, Halvor, 291

Anderson, John, 337, 338

Anderson, J. C., 235

Anderson, John A., 238, 284

Anderson, Kjel, 337, 338

Anderson, Lars O., 149

Anderson, Martha, 235

Anderson, Ole, 13

Anderson, Ole, 147, 159, 202

Anderson, Ole, 344

Anderson, Ole O., 312

Anderson, Peter S., 304

Anderson, R. B., 9, 37, 47, 56, 66, 103, 173, 191

Anderson, Susanna, 93

Anderson, William, 348

Andrewson, Rev. O., 209

Andsion, Peter M., 286

Anmarksrud, Tollef S., 343

Arnesgaard, Nils, 366

Arveson, Hans, 290, 293

Arveson, Harvey, 8, 290, 293, 294

Arveson, Isak, 290

Arveson, John, 292

Arveson, Ole, 290

Asdöhldalen, Knut, 260

Askeland, Andrew, 125

Atwater, John, 60

Baarson (Bowerson), Knut, 345

Baarson, Lars, 208

Backe, Sören, 156, 158, 159, 160

Backe, Tollef O., 156

Baker (Bager), John, 251

Baker, Mrs. Ole, 345

Baker, P. O., 345

Bakka, Lars, 373

Bakke, Hans H., 285

Bakke, Ole J., 218

Bakken, Ole O., 342

Bakken, Tideman, 342

Bakketun, Anna, 150, 233

Bakketun, Nils, 235

Bakketun, Ole, 236

Bakli, Kittil, 261

Bakli, Knut K., 261

Bakli, Mrs. Ole, 186

Barlien, Hans, 108, 110, 123, 192, 193, 197

Barstad, Ole G., 188

Barton, Ole, 342

Bauge, Thomas, 100

Baura, Mathias, 295

Behrens, Captain, 78, 100

Beigo, A. T., 217

Bekkjorden, Synnöve K., 261

Belgum, Nils O., 343

Bendixen, Capt., 267

Benson, John, 276

Benson, Ole, 277

Berdahl, Eli I., 311

Berdahl, Ole, 273

Bere, Peder, 208

Berg, Ellef A., 260

Berg, Erik K., 218

Berg, Ingebrigt

Berg, Truls, 218

Bergan, Ole L., 371

Berge, Herbrand H., 212

Berge, John I., 285, 340, 341

Berge, Kari, 283

Bergen, Augun, 281

Bergen, Hans, 36

Bergkvam, Jens B., 307

Bergland, Gunhild, 254

Bergrud, Levor, 186

Bergrud, Torstein L., 186

Bergum, Botolf E., 333

Berry, B. K., 168

Bilden, Nils, 90

Bjaaland, Thorsten O., 47, 55, 56, 62, 101, 175, 177, 178, 181, 256

Bjelde, Johans K. See Melaas, J. K.

Bjelde, Torsten O., 307

Bjerva, Anders G., 292

Bjoin (Bjaan), Aanund H., 163, 278

Bjoin, Halvor, 279, 343, 348

Bjöno, Goe, 138, 139

Björgaas, George J., 287

Björgo, John H., 62, 101, 113, 182

Björndokken, Anders J., 292

Björnson, Björn, 50, 239

Björnson, Ellef, 298

Björnson, Gabriel, 260, 263

Björtuft, Ragnild

Björtuft, Thorgrim O.

Blakestad (Skavlem), G. H., 207

Blegeberg, Gunder H.

Bleie, Sjur S., 352

Bloom, Captain, 301

Bogstrandiet, Ole P., 206

Boley, Ole, 343

Bolstad, Nils L., 62, 101, 113, 168-171, 174, 175, 181

Borlang, B. J., 344

Borren, Ole B. Anderson, 373

Boyum, Arne, 332

Braaten, Ole O., 343

Brekketo, Björn, 272

Brenden, Ole T., 343

Brendingen, Marthea, 214

Brenna, Hans H., 302

Brimsöe, Lars L., 93

Bringa, Ole, 269

Bringa, Tostein G., 245

Broby, Jacob P., 365

Brock, Captain, 310

Brown, Lewis, 40

Bruavolden, Ole, 203

Bruavolden, Sjur T., 202, 203

Brudvig, Ingebrigt, 100, 102

Brunkow, Mrs. Martha, 304

Brunsvold, Ola, 217

Brunsvold, Asle, 217

Brække, Anders N., 150

Brække, Hellik N., 143, 145

Brække, Knud, 150, 185

Brække-Eiet, Halstein, 109, 110

Buind, Ole A., 186

Bukaasa, Hans, 294

Buo, Guttorm, 312

Burtness, John, 217

Burtness, Timan, 217

Busness, Kjittil, 278

Bystölen, Magne B., 150, 168-171

Bækhus, Alexander O., 252

Bækhus, John, 257

Bækhus, Tollef, 257

Bö, Baard Lawson, 200

Bö, Christen M., 292

Bö, Knut L., 182, 235

Bö, Lars, 93

Bö, Michael, 93

Calberlane, Dr. John M., 38, 39

Campbell, Mitchel, 167

Cannteson, Oliver, 57

Carstensen, Clæs, 36, 57

Cassem, Nels O., 358

Cassem, Randall, 358

Chelley, Lars, 355

Christensen, Christian, 39

Christianson, Hans, 348

Clement, Erik, 371

Cleven, Egil O., 283

Clousen, Rev. C. F., 145

Colley, S. G., 137

Dahl, Endre (Andrew), 47, 55, 59

Dahl, Halvor E., 260

Dahl, Knut, 346

Dahlbotten, Botolf, 343

Dahlbotten, Jon Michelson, 343

Dahlbotten, Martha, 343

Dahlbotten, Randi Botolfsdatter, 343

Dahle, Johans, 276

Dahle, Hans J., 345

Dahle, Leif J., 338

Dahle, O. B., 280, 346, 347

Dahle, Svennung N., 331

Dahlen, Anders, 278

Dalen, Lars, 129

Dale, John J., 163, 283

Dale, Paul, 95

Dale, Sjur, 95

Dalos, Anon, 295

Dalstiel, Halvor H., 188

Danielson, Christopher, 96, 114

Danielson, Gitle, 120, 222, 224, 227

Danielson, Knud, 96

Danielson, Ole, 344

Darnell, Sarah, 113

Dean, Erastus, 136

Dejean, Joseph, 167

Dietrichson, Rev. J. W. C., 87, 94, 144, 185, 210, 313

Djönne, Torbjörn, 95

Doksrud, Halvor H., 281

Doksrud, Halvor I., 281

Doksrud, Ingebret H., 281

Donstad, Halvor, 254

Downer, Stephen, 137

Doyle, Simon, 231

Droksvold, Niels, 271

Droksvold, Ole, 271

Droksvold, Sjur C., 260, 271

Drotning, Aamund O., 248, 283

Dugstad, Brynhild, 207

Dugstad, Lars, 150, 175, 177, 179, 180

Dugstad, Erik K., 207

Dusterud, Lars B., 340

Dusterud, Peder, 340

Dykesten, Lars K., 236

Dyrland, Ole K., 81, 85, 246

Dyvik, Ole, 101, 113

Egery, Daniel D., 137, 205

Eggum, Anna L., 260

Eggum, Lars, 333

Eide, Knud Olson, 44, 46, 49

Eide, Knud Olson, 96

Eide, Ole Thompson, 96

Eielson, Elling, 75, 156, 158, 161, 278, 280, 347

Einarson, Nils, 342, 344

Eiteklep, Thorkel, 364

Ellingsdatter, Anna, 338

Ellingson, Elim, 8, 275, 276, 277

Ellingson, Elling, 207

Ellingson, Endre, 276

Ellingson, Magela, 207

Ellingson, Nils, 276

Elseberg, Gulbrand, 342

Enerson, Enert, 39

Engebretson, M. J., 8, 203

Engbrigtsen, Ole, 365

Engen, Aadne, 217, 218

Engen, Anders, 213, 267

Engen, Erik, 343

Engen, Hans, 213, 217

Engen, Marie, 213

Engesæter, Erik, 331

Engesæter, Michel J., 267, 269, 270

Engesæter, John, 331

Erdahl, Ingebrigt, 312

Erdahl, Johannes, 312

Erdahl, Nicolai, 312

Erickson, Mrs. Martha, 239, 240

Erickson, Michael, 360

Erickson, Nils, 45, 47, 54

Espe, Lars O., 352, 354

Espeland, Östen, 101, 114

Espeseth, Halvor N., 364

Esterly, George, 292

Estrem, Chr. A., 372

Evans, Dr. N. C., 8, 9

Evanson, Christian, 346

Evanson, Ragnild, 346

Evanson, Christen, 218

Evenson, Hadle, 295

Evenson, Knut, 52

Fadnes, Ragnild, 342

Fagre, G. H., 366

Falk, O. N., 9

Farness, Erik C., 331

Farness, Ole H., 331, 332

Farness, Truls E., 332

Felland, Gunder, 243

Fellows, Joseph, 48

Fenne, David L., 201, 202

Fenne, Ivar, 203

Fenne, Martha, 203

Fenne, Nils, 201, 202

Fenne, Per, 203

Ferson, Baron Axel, 41

Fingalpladsen, Gunder, 129

Finno, Anders, 149, 150, 171

Finseth, A. K., 218

Finseth, Herbrand, 218

Finseth, Knut K., 218

Fischer, Captain, 310

Fjeld, Nils H., 87

Fjöse, see Kittilson

Fjösne, Anne, 295

Flaam, Anders J., 306, 309

Flage, Anders, 150, 231

Flatland, Elling O., 268

Flattre, Thormod S., 285

Fliseram, Erik S.

Flittre, Sjur, 295

Flom, Anders O., 266, 306

Flom (Flaam), Ole Torjussen, 265, 266, 269, 270, 306, 309

Flom, Gulleik T., 266

Flom, Hans T., 309

Flom, Knut T., 266

Flom, Margrethe A., 219

Flom, M. O., 9

Flom, Ole O., 71, 266, 306

Flom, Torjus, 266

Follmer, George, 135

Foslieiet, Hellik, 187

Foslien, Even F., 208

Fosseim, Halvor L., 245

Fosseim, Ole L., 246

Fossum, Hovel, 215

Fossum, Ingebrigt, 214

Frankrige, Johan, 214

Frankrige, Sjugal, 215

Friis, Captain Hans, 287

Frondal, John J., 307, 338

Fruland, Lars, 112

Frye, Simon, 360

Fröland, Nils, 100, 112

Fröland, Peder, 334, 336

Fröslie, Bertha, 214

Fröslie, Helene, 215

Fröslie, Marit, 214

Fröslieit, Hans Engen, 214

Fuglegjordet, Ingebrigt, 203, 274, 303

Fuglestad, Mrs. Bertha, 239, 240

Funkelien, Halvor, 185

Fölie, Ivar, 274

Fölie, Joe, 274

Fölie, Lars O., 274

Gaarden, Forstein T., 188

Gaarder, Gudbrand, 213

Gaarder, Helene, 213

Gaarder, Ole, 214

Gaarder, Peter H., 213, 220, 222

Gaarder, Syver, 214, 220

Gabriel, Halvor, 348

Gangsei, Ole, 345

Garden, Ole T., 340

Gasman, Capt. Hans, 297

Gasman, Capt. Johan, 291, 297, 298

Gilbertson, Ole, 233

Gilbertson, Rachel, 134

Gilderhus, Anna, 150

Gilderhus, Nils S., 149, 168-170, 174, 183, 185

Gilderhus, Ole K., 150, 181, 182, 185, 233, 271

Gilderhus, Ole S., 152, 200

Gilderhus, Steffen K., 117, 233, 271

Gjeirsme, Peder J., 309

Gjeirsme, Torbjörn O., 309

Gjellum, Joseph J., 305

Gjellum, Lars G., 307

Gjellum, Simon A., 307, 308

Gjerde, Johannes L., 312

Gjerde, Pe(de)r L., 184, 267, 270

Gjerdene, Jakob I., 268

Gjerdet, Jonas, 214

Gjergjord, Aslak O., 253

Gjergjord, Halvor O., 253

Gjerstad, Lars, 117, 126

Gjilje, Peter O., 192, 197

Gjöstein, Knud, 150

Glaim, Hellik, 143, 144, 364

Glenna, Halvor, 295

Glimme, Knut I., 236

Goeranson, Rev. Andrew, 42

Grane, Lars, 207

Grane, Ole, 182

Grane, Rasmus, 182

Grane, Sjur, 207

Grane, Tollef, 295

Grasdalen, Halvor H., 340, 341

Grasdalen, Nels H., 340

Gravdal, Gilbert, 145

Gravdal, Gullik O., 138, 139, 140, 144, 222

Gravdal, Ole, 144, 145

Gravdal, Tolee, 144, 145

Gravdal, Sarah, 145

Grave, Gro, 281

Grellet, Stephen, 76

Grimestad, Klaus, 152, 200, 233

Grimsgaard, Lars, 217

Grimsgaard, Ole K., 366

Grimsrud, Helge S., 249, 250

Grimsrud, Sigurd, 249

Grinde, Botolf J., 305

Grinde, Ole A., 343

Grinde, Sjur, 332

Grindemelum, 301

Gromstu, Torgus T., 41

Gromstulen, Peter J., 301

Grov, Erik L., 305

Groven, Aslak E., 246

Groven, H. H., 368, 371

Grundstad, G. E., 360

Grönna, Thomas A., 366

Grönsteen, Asberg, 292

Grönsteen, Johans, 292

Grönsteen, John, 292, 294

Grönsteen, Ole T., 291

Gröth, Halstein, 365

Grötrud, Gunhild, 263

Grötrud, Nils T., 262

Gudbrandson, Erik, 206

Gulack, Tolee, see Gravdal

Gulberg, Arne

Gulbrandson, Gulbrand, 206

Guldbrandson, Kristi, 263

Guldbrandson, Mari, 186

Gullikson, Ole, 371

Gulliksrud, Torsten Ingebrigtson, 111

Gulseth, Even, 295

Gulvsdatter, Martha, 307

Gunale, Mrs., 139, see Ödegaarden

Gunderson, Anders, 292

Gunderson, Ashley, 203

Gunderson, Tallak, 364

Gunnulson, Ole, 173

Guttormson, Guul, 220

Guul, Gultorm, 220

Gvaale, Johannes J., 338

Gvale, Tollef H., 312

Haaheim, Sjur, 95

Haaland, Syver O., 295, 296

Haatvedt, Christoffer S., 293

Haatvedt, Even, 208

Haatvedt, Ole, 292

Haatvedt, Ole A., 208, 252

Haave, Erik I., 303

Haave, Elling, 273

Haave, Ingebriet, 273

Haave, Ivar I., 273

Haave, John L., 273

Haave, Lars Jensen, 274

Haave, Lars J., 273, 274

Haave, Ole L., 273

Haaverud, Jul, 345

Hadland, Steinar E., 208

Hadley, Peter, 296

Hage, Samuel, 360

Hall, Ben, 360

Hallan, see Ove C. Johnson

Halland, Gisle, 137, 138, 143

Halringa, Mons, 270

Halsten, Ever, 342, 343

Halvorson, Goodman, 356

Halvorson, Gunder O., 149

Halvorson, Halvor, 145, 298

Halvorson, Mrs. John, 263

Halvorson, Kleofas, see Hansemoen

Halvorson, Lars, 342, 345

Halvorson, Tallev

Hamre, Juul G., 187, 261

Hansemoen, Erik, 216

Hansemoen, Halvor K., see Kleofas

Hansemoen, Hans, see Husemoen

Hansemoen, Kleofas H., 216, 217, 220

Hansen, Hans, 36

Hanson, Alex H., 154

Hanson, C. F., 154

Hanson, Claus, 293

Hanson, Hans, 292

Hanson, Ole, 364

Hanson, Ole H., 154

Hanson, Mrs. W. O., 145

Harald, Fairhair, 83

Harlow, John, 167

Harrison, General, 201

Harrisville, Knud K., 237

Harrisville, Maren K., 238

Harstad, Kjögei, 281

Harvig, Henry C., 47, 54, 57

Hasle, Ovre, 302

Haslerud, Peter P., 344

Hastvedt, Peter K., 293

Hastvedt, Torger, 345

Hatlestad, Anna, 284

Hatlestad, Jens O., 284, 286

Hatlestad, O. J., 286

Haugaas, Gudmund, 47, 55, 57

Haugan, Knut, 283

Hauge, Anders, 368

Hauge, Halvor N., 347, 348

Hauge, Hans Nielsen, 75, 279

Haugen, Andreas, 129

Haugen, Baard, 101, 113

Haugen, Engebret, 372

Haugen, Gjermund, 133

Haugen, Gunnul, 133

Haugen, Halvor P., 127, 128, 129, 130

Haugen, Hans G., 127, 133

Haugen, Kjittil, 281

Haugen, Knut, 283

Haugen, Nils, 217, 222

Haugen, Ole, 43, 44

Haugen, Ole O., 188

Haugen, Ole T., 368

Haugen, Peder, 129

Haugen, Staale T., 368

Haugerud, Anfin A., 271

Haugerud, Lars, 129

Haugholt, Halvor P., 281, 282

Haukaas, Hans O., 338

Haukelien, Lars P., 260

Haukness, Ole, 332

Haukom, Ole O., 281, 283

Havey, see Hæve, Ole

Havredalen, Torbjörn, 188

Hawkos, Tollef O., 338

Hayer, A., 115

Hedejord, Edward, 283

Hedejord, Liv, 283

Hedejord, Ole O., 283

Hedle, Knut K., 286

Hedle, Mathias, 286

Hedle, Peter, 286

Hefte, Björn, 295

Hefte, John A., 236

Heg, Even H., 159, 160, 161, 183, 187, 201, 222, 246, 284

Heg, Hans C., 161, 284

Heg, Ole E., 284

Hegglund, Mrs. Anna, 356

Hei, Ole, 217

Heier, Ole, 115

Helgeson, Erik, 297

Helgeson, Gjermund, 192

Helgeson, Peter, 365

Helgeson, Tore, 206

Helle, Ingebrigt J., 81, 227, 251

Helle, Metta, 45

Helle, Thomas, 45

Hemsing, Ole H., 312

Hemsing, Ole O., 312

Henderson, Bryngel, 236

Hendricks, Annecken, 37

Hendricks, Helletje, 36, 37

Hendrickson, Charles, 341

Hendrickson, Christian, 202, 341

Hendrickson, Henry, 341

Herbrandson, Ole, 363

Herre, Nils, 295

Hersdal, Cornelius N., 46, 54, 55

Hersdal, Nels N., 47, 56, 59

Hesgard, Halvor, 217, 218

Hesla, Asle, 217

Hesla, Svend E., 217

Hetletvedt, Jacob O., 192, 197

Hetletvedt, K. O., 92

Hetletvedt, Ole Olson, 47, 56, 57, 59, 62, 89, 355

Hidle, see John Hill

Hilbeitson, Erik, 206

Hilbeitson, Jas., 206

Hill, John, 93, 355, 356

Himle, Ammund, 334

Himle, Odd J., 101, 113, 168-171, 310, 334

Hippe, Ole H., 312

Hiser, Lena, 132

Hoff, Arne, 343

Hoff, Harald, 343

Hogenson, Ole, 159

Holgerson, Gunnel, 206

Holland, Björn, 295

Holland, E. S., 357

Holmes, Joshua, 135

Holmes, Thomas, 135

Holmes, William, 135

Holo, Lars J., 153, 262

Holo, Martin, 262

Holt, Bredo, 364

Holt, Daniel, 347

Holt, Jens, 364

Holtan, Gudbrand G., 261

Holtan, Hellek O., 212

Holtan, Levor, 259, 260

Holtan, Nils T., 263

Holtan, Ole, 248

Holtan, Ole G., 261, 262

Holton, Levi, see Levor Holtan

Holum, Ole S., 332

Holum, Stephen, 332

Holven, Aslak, 96

Homme, Rev. G., 284

Homme, John, 284

Homstad, Mathias, 286

Homstad, Ole, 286

Hornefjeld, Amund Anderson, 92, 175, 176, 179, 256

Hougen, John O., 251

Hovdelien, Ole, 215

Hove, Erik E., 201, 203

Hove, Iver, 69

Hovland, Gjert, 52, 56, 61, 62, 80, 83, 222

Hovland, Halvor N., 354

Hoyme, Christoffer T.

Hulderöen, see Tellefson

Hundere, Anders S., 312

Hundkjiölen, Jens, 281

Husebö, Ole I., 267, 269, 270

Husebö, Synneva, 247

Husemoen, Hans, 216, 217

Husemoen, Kari, 217

Huset, Halvor, 291

Huset, Ole, 291

Huset, Tollef Gunnufson, 281

Husevold, John, 281

Hustad, Knut, 364

Hustvedt, Björn O., 254

Hustvedt, Björn S., 254

Husværet, Torkild, 302

Hvasshovd, Gunder G., 186

Hvasshovd, Hellik G., 186

Hydle, Sjur, 295

Hylle, Knud J., 152, 200, 201

Hæve, Henrik O., 248, 271

Hæve, Ole, 248

Högstul, Osmond O., 295

Högstul, Tostein H., 295

Höverstad, Rev. Helge, 8

Indlæggen, Even T., 338

Ingebretson, Erik, 39

Ingebretson, Gaute, 81, 250

Ingebretson, Lucas, 292

Ingusland, Östen, 281

Inman, Mrs. C. E., 145

Inman, John, 135

Isakson, Guru, 208

Isham, Chauncey, 167

Iverson, Captain, 41

Iverson, Cathrine, 58

Iverson, Halvor, 47

Iverson, Lars (Medaas), 372

Iverson, Lewis, 248

Iverson, Ole, 248

Iverson (of Georgia), Senator, 41

Jacobsen, Rev. A., 8, 70, 369, 370

Jacobson, Anders, 205

Jacobson, Henry, Mrs., 207

Jacobson, Ole, 8, 300, 301

Jacobson, John, 163

Jacobson, Peter, 285

Jansen, Eric, 74

Jeglum, Lars, 366

Jellarviken, Halvor, 120

Jensen, Captain, 96

Jensvold, Hovel, 214

Jermo, Marie L., 113

Jevne, Ole G., 368

Johanneson, Johannes, 156, 158, 160

Johnson, Andrew, 231

Johnson, Aufin, 231

Johnson, Baard, 95, 231

Johnson, Baruld, 261

Johnson, David, 232

Johnson, Ellef, 303

Johnson, Fingar, 364

Johnson, George, 47, 56

Johnson, Gjermund, see Kaasa

Johnson, Ingeborg, 179

Johnson, Isak, 202

Johnson, John, 231

Johnson, John A., 227

Johnson, John E., 308

Johnson, J. W., 8, 282

Johnson, Lars, 348

Johnson, Michael, 343, 344

Johnson, Nels, 369, see Kaasa

Johnson, Ole, 47, 54

Johnson, Ove C.

Johnson, Sjur

Johnson, Syver, 203, 302

Johnson, Thomas, 40

Johnson, Torris, 357

Jone, Ole, 334

Jones, John Paul, 40

Jones, Milo, 135

Jordgrev, Kittil, 294

Juul, Rev. E. P., 306

Juve, Knut A., 83, 244, 245, 246

Jæger, Knut, 365

Jörandlien, Tarald, 213

Jörlien, see Jörandlien

Jördre, Nils L., 100

Kaasa, Gjermund O., 222

Kaasa, Gjermund Johnson, 120, 121, 158, 369

Kaasa, Jens O., see Olson

Kaasa, Jörgen, 272

Kaasa, Kittil O., 272

Kaasa, Nils Johnson, 120, 158, 285

Kaasa, Ole, 235, 272

Kaasa, Thor O., 186, 235, 272, 274

Kaasne, Jacob, 295

Kalberlahn, Catharine, 39

Kallerud, Bergit N., 130

Kasberg, Rev. K. A., 8, 187, 261, 263

Kearney, Philip, 167

Keen, Andrew, 42

Kirkejord, Thore H., 128, 134, 137

Kirkejord, Torsten H., 128, 130

Kittilson, Levi, 259, 262

Kittelson, Ole, 300

Kittilsland, Ole T., 363

Kjonaas, Ole, 120

Kjylaa, Sven, 197

Kjölen, Halvor, 260

Kjösvik, Hans J., 338

Kleiva, Johannes, 273

Kleofas, Halvor, 217

Kleofas, Knud, 217

Klevmoen, Helene, 213

Klomset, Sven S., 281

Klove, Lars, 295

Knit, Rognald J., 307

Knudson, Gullik, 141, 142

Knudson, Tollef, 282

Knutson (Springen), Gunder, 146

Knutson, Mikkel, 338

Knutson, Oliver, 57

Kolskett, Michel, 343

Kolsrud, Erik, 217

Kosa, Anne, 291

Kossin, John, 281

Kostvedt, Aslak, 243

Kostvedt, Halvor, 252, 253

Kravik, Halvor, 187, 261, 263

Kravik, Lars C., 263

Kristensen, Knut, 143

Kristian IV, King of Denmark, 35

Kroken, Mathias H., 281

Kroken, Ole H., 120

Krostu, Rev. G. G., 8

Kvale, Rev. O. J., 8

Kvamodden, Nils, 9, 300

Kvarma, Sjur K., 207, 209

Kvarma, Kolbein, 209

Kvarve, Levor, 218

Kvarve, Tideman, 218

Kvelve, see Anderson

Kvendalen, Lars, 179, 180

Kvendalen, Nils, 181

Kvisterud, Knud S., 283, 340, 341

Kvisterud, Ole, 340

Laflin, Mathew, 157

Land, Ellef, 371

Land, Lars, 371

Landeman, Thomas J., 188

Landsverk, Johan, 278, 279

Landsverk, Ole, 279

Landsverk, Peder J., 278

Langeland, Knud, 48, 93, 97, 112, 157, 284, 335, 336, 348

Langeland, Malina, 112

Langeland, Nils P., 97, 99, 101, 110, 112

Langeland, Dr. Peter, 285

Langemyr, Lars, 342

Langeteig, Anders, 335

Larsen, Bendik, 373

Larson, Erik

Larson, Rev. G. A., 8

Larson, Georgiana, 46

Larson, Gunder, 134

Larson, Haakon, 349

Larson, Ivar, 372

Larson, Johan, 95, 231

Larson, John, 285

Larson, Knud

Larson i Jeilane, Lars, 45, 46, 49, 50, 60, 76, 91

Larson, Mrs. Louis O., 132

Larson, Mary, 148, 303

Larson, Ole, 309

Larson, Sara, 47

Larson, Svend, 204

Laugen, G., see Springen

Laugen, Trond, 373

Lawrence, Ole, 349

Lawson (Larson) Canute, 232

Lawson, Iver, 112, 232, 237

Lawson, Victor F., 113

Lee, Andrew E., 185

Lee, Christian, 238

Lee, Erik, 185

Lee, Johan, 350

Lee, Lars J., 295

Lee, Ole Aslak

Leidal, Anfin, 149

Lekvold, Ole S., 366

Leland, Brynjulf, 310

Lenaas, O. O., 259

Lenvick, Ole, 347

Lia, John, 298

Lia, Ole, 294, 298

Lia, Mathias, 295

Lie, Anders N., 182, 183, 184

Lie, Brynild L., 207

Lie, Haaken, 308, 310

Lie, Johannes, 276

Lie, Lars O., 207, 208

Lie, N. A., 8, 150, 183

Lien, Björn, 294

Lien, Henrik, 309

Lien, Lars, 173

Lien, Levor, 343

Lien, Tone, 244

Lier, Knut O., 260, 261

Lier, Lars, 173

Lier, Ole, 174

Lillebæk, Hans, 303

Lillebæk, Kari, 302

Lima, Simon, 47

Lindelien, Knut J., 343

Loe, Ole, 312

Lofthus, Olav Ö., 95

Lohner, Halvor N., 120

Lommen, Andrew A., 368

Lommen, O. A., 368, 371

Losen, John S., Sr., 373

Losen, John S., Jr., 373

Lothe, Svein K., 95, 231

Loven, Johanne M., 307

Loven, Peder M., 307

Lund, Iver, 343

Lund, Paul, 261

Lund, Svend L., 312

Lunde, Christian, 149

Lunde, Gulleik, 292

Lunde, Gunder H., 291

Lunde, Halvor A., 292

Lunde, Osmund, 243, 252

Lundene, Anders, 343

Lundsæter, Anders, 213

Lundsæteren, Östen, 215

Luraas, Halvor O., 120, 158, 311

Luraas, John N., 68, 70, 120, 158, 167, 222, 241, 242, 249

Luraas, Knut N., 120, 158

Luraas, Nils J., 249

Luraas, Torger Ö., 120, 158

Lybæk, Bertha, 214

Lybæk, Johans, 214

Lydvo, Knud, 117, 126, 149

Lydvo, Nils, 126, 149

Lydvo, Ole, 117, 126, 149

Lydvo, Randver, 235, 236

Lyse, Gilbert C., 368

Lysenstöen, Halvor L., 163

Lökken, Hans, 286

Lökken, Ole, 286

Lökken, Peter, 286

Lökken, Tyke H., 286

Lönflok, Halvor T., 120

Lönning, Amund, 353

Lönning, Gertrud, 352

Maakestad, Helge H., 352

Maakestad, Omund Helgeson (Hilleson), 95, 351, 352

Maakestad, Torgels, see Newton

Maanem, Tore, 343

Maaren, Gunuld K., 281

Maaren, Sondre N., 278

Madland, Thomas, 46, 54, 56, 57, 58

Mandt, Gunnar T., 82, 246, 247

Mans, Martha, 39

Markoe, Abraham, 41, 42

Marsett, Peter C., 58

Mason, C. M., 295

Mastre, Nils E., 251

Mathieson, Halvor, 295

Mathieson, Helge, 120

Maurset, Peder J., 100

Mayhew, Wm. M., 166

Medaas, see Iverson

Megaarden, Kristen, 217

Melaas, Kristen L., 267

Melaas, Kristi, 227, 268

Melaas, Johans K., 269

Melaas, Mons L., 267

Melaas, Ole A., 269, 270

Melaas, Mrs. Ole, 312

Meland, Helge, 203

Meland, Östen G., 278

Melland, Harald, 303

Menes, Ole O., 69, 70, 81, 310

Midböe, Tarald E., 260

Midböen, Anders, 213

Midböen, Erick G., 110, 111

Midböen, Gunder G., 111

Midthus, Svein L., 100

Milebon, Hans A., 290

Milesten, Halvor O.

Mills, Dennis, 137

Mitchell, Franklin, 137

Mitchell, John S., 58

Mo, Olav L., 234

Modum, Halvor, 287

Modum, Thov, 208

Moe, Peder H., 260

Mogen, Kari G., 228

Moland, Kittil

Molee, John E., 120, 163

Monsdatter, Ragnhilde, 307

Monson, Mons, 373

Munk, Jens, 35, 36

Munson, Henry, 356

Murray, William S.

Mygstue, Gullik O., 211, 212

Mygstue, Ole, 212

Myhra, Gudbrand, 128, 130

Myhra, Jens G., 128, 130, 132

Myhre, Ole, 278

Myren, Ole, 284

Myrkeskog, Edlend, 277

Myrkeskog, Ole, 277

Mön, Lars J., 182

Mörkvold, Björn G., 186

Mörkvold, Ole H., 186

Naas, Knut K., 332

Narum, Nels H., 281, 282

Narverud, Syvert I., 159

Narvig, Ingebrigt Larson, 52, 53, 114

Natesta(d), Henry, 8, 132

Nattestad, Ansten, 84, 108, 110, 116, 118, 127, 132, 133, 138, 205,
224, 227

Nattestad, Charles, 132

Nattestad, Eliza, 131

Nattestad, James, 132

Nattestad, Knud, 132

Nattestad, Ole, 67, 84, 102, 108, 109, 110, 116, 127, 132, 133, 135,
137, 205

Nederhaugen, Erik, 213

Nederhaugen, Johans, 214

Nelson, Aad, 197

Nelson, Carrie, 55, 56, 58

Nelson, Christ, 193

Nelson, Groe, 144, 145

Nelson, Mrs. Gustav, 134

Nelson, Mrs. Ingeborg, 296

Nelson, Inger, 58, 151

Nelson, Ira, 59

Nelson, Jocum, 373

Nelson, Mrs. Julia, 235

Nelson, Knute, 297

Nelson (Brekke), Lars, 346, 349

Nelson, Martha, 58

Nelson, Nels, 58

Nelson, Nils, 193

Nelson, Peter, 59

Nelson, Peter, 235

Nelson, Peter C., 58

Nelson, T., 128, 134

Nelson, T. T., 134

Ness, Halvor, 217

Ness, Mons, 345

Newhouse, see Nyhus

Newton, T. M., 8, 352, 353

Nicholson, Henry, 233

Nicholson, John G., 233

Nilsen, Ole, 292

Nilson, F. O., 76

Nilson, Halvor, 92

Nilson, Hermo, 162, 278, 279, 280, 347

Nilson, Nels, 279

Nilson, Prof. Svein, 67, 256

Nilson, Thorstein, 205

Nirison, Kittil, 237

Nisson, Halvor, 281

Noorman, Claes, 63

Noorman, Hans, 36

Nordboe, Johan, 52, 122, 153

Nordbö, Harald, 294

Nordbö, Hans, 294

Nordby, Rev. J. S.

Nord-Fossum, Lars, 213

Nordgaarden, Gjermon T.

Nordvig, Anders, 100, 112

Nordvig, Ingebrigt, 101

Nore, Gjertrud, 256

Nore, Gro, 256

Nore, Lars, 185

Nore, Knud, 185

Nore, Ole, 185

Nore, Sæbjörn, 185

Nore, Tore K, 185, 255

Norman, see Bækhus

Nubbru, Even, 109

Numedal, Anders H., 273

Numedal, Endre H., 273

Nummeland, Ole, 282, 298

Nyhus, Kittil, 128, 130, 206, 208

Nyhus, Kristoffer, 128, 130, 134, 137, 208

Nyhus, Ole C., 206, 208

Nyre, Baard, 152, 233

Næs, Peter, 298

Næset, Aadne E., 246

Næset, Ingebrigt, 309

Næset, Jens J., 309, 311, 312

Næset, Johannes J., 309, 311

Næset, John J., 309

Næset, Ole E., 246

Næseth, Gunder K., 300

Næshaug, see Wilson, 207

Næstestu, Asmund A., 253

Nörstelien, Christine, 214

Nörstelien, Ole, 214

Nörstelien, Svend, 302

Nösterud, Margit, 140

Offerdal, Hermund O., 305

Olmstead, Benson C., 59

Olmstead, Charles B., 59

Olmstead, George, 58

Ollis, John, 333

Olsdatter, Bergit, 163

Olsdatter, Guro, 188

Olson, Aase, 284

Olson, Ambjör, 130

Olson, Borre

Olson, Christian, 52, 57

Olson, Christie, 148

Olson, Christoffer, 287

Olson, Eilif, 338

Olson, Ellen, 113

Olson, Gudbrand, 206

Olson, Ingeborg, 284

Olson, James W., 59

Olson, Jens, 235, 272

Olson, John T., 287

Olson, Lars, 45, 46, 54, 109

Olson, Leif, 344

Olson, Nils, 192

Olson, Olaf, 349

Olson, Ole T., 92

Olson, Ole Vendelbo, 269, 270

Olson, Ommund, 192

Olson, Porter C., 59

Olson, Salve, 373

Olson, Sören L., 59

Olson, Thorsten, see Bjaaland

Olson, Tosten, 291

Omli, Mikkel, 368, 371

Ommelstad, Harald, 213

Ommedstarsækeren, Johannes, 214

Onsgaard, Ole, 218

Opdahl, Knut, 369, 371

Opsal, Gunder C., 292

Opsal, John C., 291

Opsal, Nils, 292

Orsland, Canute, 118

Orsland, Hallock, 118

Orsland, Harry B., 118

Ortzland, Anna M., 359

Orvedal, Ole J., 274

Osmond, Mrs. Austin, 93, 355

Osmond, Merman A., 94

Osmonson, Herman, 355

Osmundson, Isabella, 154

Osuldson, Bertle, 364

Overholt, Nils J., 301

Overson, Frank, 283

Overson, Ole, see Haukom

Overvind, Captain, 260

Ovestrud, Erik, 218

Paaske, Alexander, 43

Patterson, Torgen, 147

Paulson, Hovel, 148

Paulson, Sakarias, 42

Pederson, Gunild, 282

Pederson, Guro, 312

Peerson, Kleng, 44, 46, 48, 49, 53, 55, 62, 101, 117, 125, 190, 191,
192, 239

Peerson, Samuel, 92

Person, C., 193

Person, Georgiana, 46

Peterson, Frank, 43

Peterson, Mrs. Holger, 365

Peterson, John, 360

Peterson, Nels, 349

Peterson, O. P., 78

Pond, Daniel, 167

Pratt, Oscar H., 137

Prentice, John, 167

Prestegaard, Nils, 143

Preus, Rev. A. C., 338

Puttekaasa, Christen, 297

Quala, Johannes J., 285

Quale, Ellend T., 312

Quale, Iver P., 369

Quale, John J., 368

Quamme, Hans H., 333

Quammen, Aslak E., 312

Quammen, Ole L., 312

Ramlo, Tarald

Ramstad, Helge, 364

Rasdall, Abel, 166

Reierson, Johan R., 86, 87

Reierson, Ole, 192

Reinke, Abraham, 39

Rekve, Lars D., 149, 150, 181, 199, 271

Reque, Reverend L. S. J., 337, 338

Reque, Sjur S., 335

Rice, J. G., 372

Richey, Will F., 59

Richey, William W., 59

Richolson, Lars, 115

Rime, Henrik, 217

Rime, Tollef, 217

Rinden, Kittil, 243, 244

Rio, Erik V., 271

Rio, Knut T., 295

Rio, Torstein, 296, 297

Risetter, Haakon, 354

Risetter, Lars, 352, 353

Robertson, David, 167

Roe, Anne, 242, 248

Roe, Hans, 297

Roe, Helleik, 248

Roe, Knut H., 154, 162, 167, 241, 242, 243, 248

Roe, Nils, 217

Roen, Guttorm, 217

Roen, Ole, 217

Rogde, Jacob O., 354

Rokne, Knut E., 152, 200, 271

Rom, Björn O., 260

Romören, Sjur I., 305

Ronve, Brynjulf, 152, 200, 233

Rosholt, Halvor, 297

Rosholt, Jacob, 297

Ross, Mrs. Eric, 240

Rossadal, Daniel S., 46, 56, 59, 90

Rossadal, Johan S., 90

Rossadal, Ove S., 90

Rosseland, Amund, 100, 177

Rosseland, Sjur E., 100

Rostad, Kristopher, 147

Rostad, Lars, 148

Roswall, Ingebret, 286

Rosöino, Peder, 120

Rothnem, Ole L., 366

Rotkjön, Aslak B., 187

Rotkjön, Richard B., 187

Rue, John, 192

Rue, John N., 110

Rue, Kittil, 365

Rue, Thorstein, 192, 197

Rue, Thorstein T., 125

Rue, Mrs. Thorstein T., 192, 197

Rue, Tosten Thompson, 340--Thorstein Thorson Rue, see above

Rustad, Abraham, 364

Rustad, Aslak, 217

Rust, Mikkel, 217

Rund, Halvor, 214

Rund, Kittil O., 219

Rund, Margit, 219

Rygh, Halvor, Sr., 360

Rynning, Rev. Jens, 107

Rynning, Ole, 85, 100, 102, 103, 107, 118, 122, 199, 283

Röisland, Talleef, 282, 298

Rölje, Donant, 264

Rönningen, Abraham K., 260

Rönningen, Anders Jacobson, 281

Rönningen, Erick K., 260

Rönningen, Torbjörn K., 260

Röste, Arne, 343

Röste, Lars, 139, 213

Röthe, Lars T., 152, 200, 233

Röthe, Nils, 62, 95, 231, 236

Röthe, Torbjör, 231

Saamandsdatter, Gunhild, 188

Sagdalen, 218

St. John, Samuel, 136

Sakrison, Simon, 295

Salveson, Engelbret, 297

Salveson, Halvor, 297

Sampson, Samuel, 8, 337

Sandanger, Endre P., 371

Sande, Joe, 276

Sanden, Embrigt

Sanden, Ole, 364

Sanderson, Erik, 219

Sanderson, Ole, 280

Sando, Ole, 217

Sandsberg, Andreas, 69

Sandsberg, Gudmund, 51, 57, 69, 70

Sandsberg, Marie, 51

Saue, Gulleik T., 171, 200, 233, 264

Saue, Kolbein O., 101, 113

Saue, Lars, 200

Saue, Styrk O., 101, 113, 264

Saue, Torstein, 200, 233

Savig, Erick J., 92

Savig, Ingeborg, 92

Savik, Anne B., 178

Savik, Erik, 177, 178, 179

Savik, John, 178

Scheldal, Lars, 360

Scheldal, Rasmus, 360

Schærdalen, Ole, 265

Scofftedt, Mrs. Martin, 132

Sebbe, Henrik E., 78, 92

Seim, Anfin J., 266, 267, 270

Seim, Nils T., 267, 270

Selseng, Nils O., 312

Selseng, Ole, 268

Selseng, O. P., 252

Selseng, Thorstein T., 268, 311

Severts, Lewis, 207

Severtson, Ellef G., 236

Severtson, Ole, 207

Shelby, Halvor, 338

Sherburne, John Henry, 40, 41

Sherping, Kristen, 312

Sherping, Per, 312

Shipley, Ole, 207

Sigurdson, Helge, 163

Simerson, Simon, 70

Simon, Knut, 219

Simons, William G., 167

Simonson, Andrew, 125, 191, 192

Simonson, Tollef, 369, 371

Sjurson, Ole, 295

Sjutvett, Ole, 341

Skaalen, Ole, 217

Skare, Halvor O., 285

Skarie, J. H., 287

Skarshaug, Ingbret, 364

Skavlem, Bessie, 145

Skavlem, Erik, 128

Skavlem, Gullik, 143, 144

Skavlem, Halvor L., 9, 143, 145, 146, 205

Skavlem, Kari, 143

Skavlem, Lars H., 141, 143, 144, 145, 206

Skavlem, Ole, 143

Skavlem, Paul H., 143, 145, 206

Skeie, Lars G., 100, 175

Skinrud, Erik O., 343

Skipnes, Anders J., 290

Skjerve, Knut S., 285, 287

Skjerveim, Peder Davidson, 152, 199, 200, 201, 202, 232

Skofstad, Johannes E., 159

Skogen, Christian O., 342

Skogen, Nils, 342

Skotland, Tore P., 371

Skuldt, Ole, 345

Skutle, Ole, 208

Skutle, Thorbjörn, 337, 338

Slettene, Aslak R., 301

Slinde, Ole A., see Melaas, O. A.

Slogvig, Jacob A., 47, 55, 57, 84, 128, 193, 196, 197

Slogvig, Knud A., 47, 55, 56, 61, 62, 63, 84, 91, 97, 111, 125, 192, 197

Slæen, Erik E., 208

Smeby, Hovel, 214

Smeby, Ole, 215

Smed, see Syver Johnson

Smedsrud, Engebret, 302

Smedsrud, Johannes E., 302

Smedsrud, Mathias, 302

Smehögen, Johannes, 302

Smekaasa, Anders, 281

Smetbok, Niels O., 186

Smith, John G., 181

Smithbak, Tore E., 259

Solem, John E., 216

Solem, Knud E., 216

Solheim, Anna, 182

Solvi, Erik, 341

Sondal, Lena, 207

Sonde, Ole, 364

Sonve, Mads, 152, 200, 233

Soppeland, Ole, 193

Spaanem, Kathrine

Spaanem, Tore T., 340

Spears, Robert, 168

Spilde, Lars, 234

Spillom, Elling, 286

Spillom, Hendrik, 286

Spillom, Mikkel, 286

Spillom, Ole, 286

Springen, Gullik, 141, 142, 206

Stabæk, Clemet T., 147, 209, 222

Stabæk, Helen, 209

Stabæk, Narve, 149

Stabæk, Torsten K. O., 147

Stadhem, Andrew O., 273

Stadhem, Johanna, 276

Stadhem, Ole, 273

Stake, Arne K., 366

Stalsbraaten, Klemet L., 261

Stalsbraaten, Halvor, 261

Stamm, Elling, 345

Stangeland, Andrew, 47, 54, 118

Steen, Severine Catherine, 107

Steenhjerde, Ole N., 305

Steensland, Halle, 349

Stene, Ivar J., 307

Stene, Johannes, 47

Stewart, Samuel T., 166

Stille, John, 42, 43

Stokkeberg, Susanna, 39

Stondal, Björn A., 254, 283

Stordok, Gunnul, 141, 142, 146, 148, 211

Stordok, Halvor, 129, 211

Stordok, Inge, 211

Stordok, Knud, 211

Stordok, Ole, 211

Storlag, Ole O., 366

Storlie, Ole O., 281

Strandskongen, Baruld J., 260

Stub, Hans A., 287

Stubberud, Halvor J., 260

Stundal, Sjur O., 307

Sube, Hæege O., 263

Sundbö, Gunleik T., 245

Sunde, Gjermund K., 172, 173

Sunve, Maline, 203

Sunve, Nils, 203

Svalestuen, Gunleik O., 338

Svalestuen, Knud, 85, 159

Svartskuren, Carl, 257

Svartskuren, Peder L., 256, 261

Svensrud, Gullik, 341

Svimbil, Thore K., 110, 111

Svinalie, Erik, 120

Swerge, Peder H., 291

Sælabakka, Gjertrud O., 186

Sære, Sjur M., 236

Sæter, Ingebrigt, 129

Sögal, Andrea, 289

Sögal, Anne, 289

Sögal, Johanne, 289

Sögal, Karen, 289

Sögal, Kari, 289

Sögal, Ole A., 289

Sörum, Andreas, 214

Sörum, Bertha, 215

Sörum, Sören, 213, 363, 365

Sötholt, Amund S., 281

Sötholt, Sören S., 281

Taasinge, Andreasen, 42

Tallakson, Lars, 94, 192, 193, 197

Tamnes, Christen

Tangen, Mary, 134

Tangen, Peder A., 224

Tasker, Daniel, 137

Tastad, Elias, 45, 76

Teigen, Dr. K. M., 228

Teigen, Lars J., 301

Teigen, Ole C., 312

Teisberg, Knut H., 248, 254

Tellefson, Charlie C., 263

Tellefson (Tollefson) Kjöstolf, 260, 263

Tenold, Ole O., 273

Tenold, Ole P., 274

Tesman, Hans, 192

Tesman, Peter, 192

Tesman, William, 192

Thomasson, Osmond, 92

Thompson, Gulleik, see Saue

Thompson, Hans, 290

Thompson, Helge, 159

Thompson, John, 341

Thompson, K.

Thompson, Nels, 296

Thompson, Paul, 360

Thompson, Sara, 58

Thompson, Thomas, 290

Thompson, Thomas A., 96, 114

Thompson, T. G., 234

Thompson, Tore, 203

Thompson, Oien, 47, 54

Thorgrimson, Jacob

Thornton, Ben, 360

Thorson (Thompson), Nels, 45, 55, 56, 59, 62

Thorson, Paul, 373

Thorstad, Anne, 260

Thronson, Nils, 371

Thun, John, 369

Tistele, Ole, 273

Tollefsjord, John, 120

Tollefsjord, Ole, 120

Tollefson, Anna, 208

Tollefson, Gunnuf, 344

Tollefson, Hans, 338

Tollefson, Ole, 344

Tollefson, Syvert, 147

Tollefson, Tönnes, 204, 208

Tollefsrude, Christian H., 70

Tollefsrude, Christopher H., 302

Tollefsrude, Halgrim L.

Tollefsrude, Hans C., 70, 213, 215

Tollefsrude, Hans H., 302

Tollefsrude, Hovel, 302

Tollefsrude, Johannes H., 302

Tollefsrude, Ole Monson, 302, 303

Tollefsrude-Ballandby, Tollef, 217

Torblaa, Lars, 234

Torgerson, Ole, 347, 348, 349

Torgerson, Peder, 286

Torison, Halstein, 94, 231, 234, 357

Torison, Torris, 357

Torstenson, Jacob, 301

Torstensen, Niels, 335

Torstenson, Ole, 301

Torstenson, Torsten, 301

Tostenson, Ole, 371

Torvold, Anders O., 276

Traim, Kjetil, 272

Traim, Knut, 272

Traim, Ole, 272

Traim, Thov K., 272

Train, Ole O., 208

Trovatten, Ole K., 81, 82, 83, 85, 243, 252, 269

Tröstem, Henrik H., 217

Tröstem, Ingeborg, 217

Tröstem, Knud, 217

Tufte, Hermund N., see Hermo Nilson

Tufte, Nels, see Nilson

Tufte, Sven, 129

Turkop, Halvor E., 366

Tutland, Osmond, 356

Tuttle, Albert, 137

Tuttle, Charles, 137

Tuttle, Henry, 137

Tvedt, Torger T., 342

Tveit, Christen J., 293

Tveito, Gunnar, 234

Tveito, Hans, 281, 282

Tverberg, Hans P., 249, 250

Tverberg, John P., 249

Tveten, Knut G., 338

Tygum, Ingebrigt L., 332

Tyrebakken, Knut G., 218

Tysland, Knut K., 355

Tyvang, Glus P., 260

Tærum, Jens T., 307

Tærum, Torger J., 307

Tömmerstigen, Anders J., 224

Tömmerstigen, Johannes, 312

Tömmerstigen, Olive, 312

Tömmerstigen, Peter, 312

Uhlen, Hans, 220, 298

Ullebær, Tostein, 261

Ullensager, Askild, 213

Ulsak, Aslak, 217

Ulven, Sjur, 199, 200, 201, 233

Unde, Britha, 202

Unde, Erik, 202

Unde, Ole, 154, 202, 265

Unde, Peder J., 153, 199, 200, 201, 222, 233, 265

Unonius, Gustav, 297

Urland, Arne, 152

Vala, Gunder H., 293

Valder, Hans, 96, 114

Vale, Anders, 300

Vale, Arve G., 293

Vale, Hans A., see Hans Arveson

Vale, John, 291, 300

Vale, Ole J., 291, 300

Valkaasa, Halvor, 294

Valle, Lars, 364

Valle, Ole, 363

Valle, Ole H., 143, 363

Valle, Sigrid P., 133

Valöen, Peder H., 338

Vambheim, Nils, 234

Van der Bilt, Jan A., 37

Vanderbilt, Commodore, 37

Van der Weir, Jacob, 42

Vange, Ingebrigt N., 273

Vange, Ole, 273

Vangen, Anna Marie H., 307

Vangen, Ivar H., 266, 306, 338

Vangsness, Sjur S., 333

Van Sant, Claes, 36

Vasberg, Björn T., 251

Vatuame, Helge, 92

Ve, Ole T., 218

Vedfald, Gunder, 207, 209

Vedfald, Olav, 209

Vee, Herman T., 305

Vegli, Nils O., 206

Vehus, Jens P., 185

Venaas, Gisle, 271

Veste, Thorbjörn, 100

Vestreim, Kolbein, 182

Vestremo, Christian L., 300

Vetlahuso, Anna, 44

Vetti, Anders K., 359

Vibito, Jörgen A. Nilson, 293

Vik, Anders, see Week

Vik, Anne, 348

Vik, Guttorm T., 246

Vik, Johan, see Week

Vik, Torbjörn G., 246, 283

Vikje, Nils, 182

Vindedal, Josef J., 307

Vindeig, Gunnul O., 172, 174, 177, 180, 185, 189, 256

Vindeig, Helleik, 180, 181

Vindeig, Knud O., 179, 180

Vinje, Arne Anderson, 151, 199, 200, 201, 203, 233, 304

Vinje, Martha, 151

Vold, John, 373

Vægli, Nils O., 143

Værhaug, Hans, 215

Værken, Ole A., 267

Væte, Eli K., 264

Væte, Halle, 100

Væterud, Knud R., 208

Wagley, see Vegli

Wait, Guro, 287

Wait, Reuben, 287

Waller, Iver, 90

Waller, Tollef, 298

Warner, H. L., 137

Warner, Milton S., 137

Washington, George, 42

Weaver, Griswold, 137

Week, Andrew, 198, 199, 234, 350

Week, John O., 198, 199, 234, 350

Weeks, Wier S., 356, 357

Wennes, Peder, 373

Wheeler, John, 167, 249

Wigeland, Andrew, 281

Wigeland, Arentz, 281, 282

Wigeland, G. A., 235

Wikko, Nils O., 218

Willerup, C. B., 78

William, Hans, 193

Williams, Mrs. Julia K., 151

Wilson, Edwin O., 207

Wing, John, 360

Wittenberg, Jens, 39

Wold, Syvver, 366

Wright, John, 151

Ygre, Lars, 150

Ytreböe, Ole H., 188

Ytreli, Erik J., 307, 308

Ytreli, Iver I., 307, 308

Ödegaard, Anders S., 305

Ödegaarden, Gunhild, 139, 146, 206

Ödegaarden, Jöri, 144

Ödvin, Peter L., 334

Öie, Erik, 192

Öien, Tollef O., 287

Öiesöen, Ole, 192

Ölman, Sjur S., 268, 270

Österbro, Mikkel K., 307

Övrebö, Anders S., 305

Transcriber's Note

In footnote 201 on p. 218, the sentence "He was born in 1823, in 1905."
was corrupted. The subject died in 1905.

There are several footnotes which are referred to more than once (47
and 85). These may be errors, but are retained.

On p. 313, the words "at the homestead near West Koshkonong" are
repeated and have been removed.

On p. 269, the reference to footnote 277 was misprinted as "227", and
has been corrected.

On p. 319, the references to notes 347-349 appear out of order,
following, rather than preceding, notes 350 and 351 on p. 318. The
numbering has been retained, though the footnotes, all moved to the end
of the Registry covered by these pages, appear in numerical order.

On p. 322, the reference to footnote 356 is missing from the text, but
perhaps belongs to the entry for "Ole (Leirdal)".

The index has a number of editorial issues. Minor inconsistencies of
punctuation are corrected without mention here. There are number of
entries which lack page references. Some can be found in the text, and
are provided in the list below. The index itself is given as printed.

Berg, Ingebrigt p. 373 as "Ingbrigt Bergh".
Johnson, Sjur p. 333.
Thompson, K. p. 291 as "Karen Thompson".
Johnson, Sjur p. 333.
Larson, Erik p. 333.
Larson, Knud p. 343.
Milesten, Halvor O. p. 342.
Moland, Kittil p. 344.
Murray, William S. p. 348 as "William S. Murrey".
Nordgaarden, Gjerman T. p. 281.
Nordby, Rev. J. S. p. 8.
Spaanem, Kathrine p. 334.

There are a number of other index entries which have no page reference,
and which do not appear in the text with these spellings: Anderson,
Erik A.; Björtuft, Ragnild; Björtuft, Thorgrim O.; Blegeberg, Gunder H.;
Gulberg, Arne; Halvorson, Tallev; Hoyme, Christoffer T.; Lee, Ole Aslak;
Olson, Borre; Thorgrimson, Jacob; Tollefsrude, Halgrim L.; Ramlo,
Tarald; Sanden, Embrigt; Tamnes, Christen.

The entry for "Hallan" refers us to "Ove C. Johnson", for which there
is no page number, and no obvious mention in the text under either name.

The surname "Sane" in the index is an error and refers to the name
"Saue". It has been corrected.

Proper names are sometimes inconsistent, especially between the text
and footnotes. The ae ligature is variously spelled 'ae' or 'ei'.
Unless there are many instances of a given spelling, both are retained
(e.g., "Spelleman" vs. "Spellemand"). The letter ö sometimes is printed
without the diaeresis as 'o'. Where the preponderance of instances
of a given name are correct, the offender has been corrected. In the
Registry in Chapter XXXVII, the surnames for Peder Amund Egdetvedt and
Colbein Torkildsen Edgetvedt differ. The spelling of the former, based
on other texts, would seem to be correct, but both are retained.

Inconsistencies in punctuation, especially in chapter titles, have been
resolved without further mention.

The following table describes additional issues, and the resolution of
each.

n. 25 P. S. Vig[.] Removed.

n. 93 had completed a log cabin["] Added.

n. 115 _Billed-Magazin[e]_ Removed.

n. 127 A[bl/lb]ion Prairie Transposed.

n. 157 Koshkon[i/o]ng Corrected.

n. 317 Scand[a/i]navian Immigration Corrected.

p. 25 Meteriological _sic._

p. 29 [con-]considerable Line break repetition removed.

p. 35 but it [it ]is possible Line break repetition removed.

p. 36 Norwegen _sic._

p. 38 Ecclesia[s]tically Added.

p. 60 immigra[gra]tion Line break repetition removed.

p. 117 group o[r/f] emigrants Corrected.

p. 142 sir name _sic._ Appears once
elsewhere as 'surname'.

p. 150 in the same county[,/.] Corrected.

p. 170 on the [the ]marshes Line break repetition removed.

p. 183 who needed their help.["] Added.

p. 212 (born in Rollaug in 1821[)] Added.

p. 223 bed[d]ing Line break ommission added.

p. 231 [c/s]outh of Haugesund Corrected.

p. 239 F[a/u]glestad Corrected.

p. 241 Il[l]inois Added.

p. 242 on their hunts[,/.] Corrected.

p. 250 He came in a [a ]party Line break repetition removed.

p. 254 Björn A. Stondal[l] Removed.

p. 255 later was name[r/d] Corrected.

p. 283 Koshkon[o]ng Added.

p. 296 suffer distress.["] Added.

p. 306 certif[i]cate Added.

p. 309 to [b/g]ive here Corrected.

p. 326 Ha[l/f]sloe Corrected.

p. 370 Rev[.]erend Removed.

p. 371 Wiscons[o/i]n Corrected.

p. 397 Ind[b/l]æggen Corrected.

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States : From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848" ***

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