Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Aurora County In the vicinity of Storla there are a number of Norwegians, mainly from Hallingdal and Kristians Amt. The aforementioned post office gets its name from O. H. Storla† who was elected to the State Legislature in 1895..

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Yellow Medicine County The first norwegian settlers in Yellow Medicine County were Hellek Glaim† from Nummedal and Ingebret Johnson† and Gerhard Garman, both from the Stavanger area. They came from Rushford, Fillmore Co. and settled in the vicinity of Hanley Falls in 1866. Right after them came the Sogning Jens Stevens† from Adams Co., Wis., who settled in the same area. Next after the aforementioned came Halvor Besteland, Even Besteland and Ed. Evensen all from Sætersdalen, S. L. Orwold from Sogn, Lars Kolhei, Ole L. Kolhei and Ingebrigt Kolhei from the Stavanger area, Henry Ellingboe from Vang, Valders and Ole Anderson from Lyse. The Telemarking Tobias Reishus† who as a soldier in the Indian Wars passed through this area, liked the land so well that he moved here fron Arendal, Minn. together with Ole and Andreas Lende. They were also among the first settlers. Sod houses, dugouts and log cabins served instead of palaces. They began growing wheat but they had to take it all the way to New Ulm (75 miles) to sell it and had, naturally, nothing but some slow oxen to drive with. People who worked for cash at that time earned 50 cents per day. About the trip to America etc, J. H. Jertsen has the following to tell, "I emigrated with my parents from Ulefos Iron Works in 1850. We travelled by sailship from Porsgrund, were 11 weeks at sea and then landed at New York. There was famine aboard so it was high time we reached land. From New York the journey continued in the usual way. It was certainly not fun with emigrant transport, whether by land or sea in those days. Through the Erie Canal the boats were drawn by horses. I remember that the men went ashore and when we passed one or another bridge, they (the men) were out of sight to the great concern of we children and for the womwn who remained on the boat. Several of the children cried at the thought that father had gone away. But it went better than we believed. From Milwaukee we drove with oxen to Pine Lake, Wis., where we lived for a year. There my father and his brother cut wood for 25 cents a cord and split rails for 25 cents per 100. The next spring we went ! to Fort Winnebago (now Portage City, Wis.), where in some way we got some poor land. My father and the others were actually foundrymen from Norway and had little understanding of land - at least not in America. However, there was many a skilled man duped in those days. We remained there for a few years. The men went by foot to Milwaukee or Chicago to find work in the foundries while remained home surrounded by Indians. I remember in the first winter we spent there, there were five Norwegian families living in one house, 14 feet square and ten feet high. But come to Yellow Medicine now and see how we are!" Yellow Medicine Congregation, that was established at Lilliard in 1868 by Pastor Johannes Bergh, belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first in the county. The first Norwegian church (in the county) was built by the aforementioned congregation in 1879. Now there are 16 Norwegian congregations and 14 churches, 10 of them belomg to The United Church, 3 to The Norwegian Synod, 1 to The Lutheran Free Church, 1 to Hauge's Synod and 1 to The Methodist Church. Ole O. Lende, Ole Dale Ole Joel who were elected, the first two as Commissioners and the last as Sheriiff in 1871 were the first Norwegians to hold public office in the county. The first Norwegian to represent Yellow Medicine Co. in the State Legislature was O. S. Reishus (1872). Dr. Falk (Norwegian) published the first newspaper in this county, part of it was in Norwegian and part in English. At first its name was 'Minnesota Falls Journal', later it became 'Granite Falls Rock'. 'Minnesota Folkeblad' (Norwegian) was published in Canby in the 90s, and 'Norge' in Granite Falls around 1900. Norwegian place names; Sandnes, Vinland, Norman, Normanna, Seljord, Hammer, Stavanger and Wergeland.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Wright County The first Norwegian settler in this county (at least, the first that is known of) was Michael Johnson (Moen) from Selbu, near Trondhjem. He settled at Smith Lake in 1858, but moved after a couple of years to Acton, Meeker Co. and later to Hennepin Co. where we find further information about him. In Wright County there is just one Norwegian congregation and one church. The congregation, which is Lutheran, stands outside any community connection. There is only one Norwegian place name, Lund.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Winona County The first Norwegians known to have settled in this county were the brothers Torbjørn and Tollef Gundersen Fladeland from Vraadal, Telemarken. They came from Dane County, Wis. and settled at Winona city in 1852. That town was usually regarded as the head of navigation in those days and consequently there was much traffic, which suited the Fladeland boys very well. Torbjørn went into wheat trading. However, he soon moved to the neighbouring county (Fillmore) where his saga continued. See the section, "Norwegians in public positions in America". Tollef died in McKee, Oregon, 1902. He was a merchant and postmaster there in recent years. One of the pioneers in Winona County writes as follws, "I emigrated to America in 1854. The trip to Quebec went well, but on the way inland and through the canals, it was sad. Our group was attacked by cholera. Children died from their parents and parents from their children - yes, we even witnessed infants suckle on a mother's breast after she was dead. On the canal boat's decks here was such a mass of corpses and helpless people that one had to step over them to get through. After having spent a couple of years in Dane Co., Wis. I came here. The first winter it was very far between neighbours but so much snow that it was higher than the rooftops. It was a good thing that I had learned to ski and use a rifle before I left Norway. Those who were not at home with those skills suffered much need before the winter was over. I recall one day when I was returning from a hunting trip with a deer and a pair of hares. I gave the hares to a man who was chopping wood. When he took them, he began to cry, which surprised me until he told me that in the past 4-5 days he and his family had not had anything to eat other than carrots." In Winona County there are 4 Norwegian congregations and 3 churches, 2 belong to The United Church and 2 to The Evangelical Free Church.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Wilkin County The large Norwegian settlement, that was founded in Otter Tail County in the 70s also stretched over the county line and into the vicinity of Rothsay, Wilkin County. This county has then no distinct history with regard to the foundation of first settlements. But later there were founded Norwegian settlements further in the county. John Ericksen from Værdalen was the first in the vicinity of Doran, he settled there in 1887. John Aune from Selbu was the first in the area of Everdell, it was 1890 he settled there. The settlement in the northern part of the county is connected to the settlememt in Clay County. Wilkin County's leading source of income were wheat growing, cattle raising and mixed farming. Mathias Halvorsen tells, "In the time I lived further south in Minnesota, I was sent one day to the nearest town with a load of wheat. But the way was long and the oxen, who became tired, finally got the idea of lying down. My vigorous efforts to get them up again were absolutely fruitless. Now it happened that a carpenter lived nearby and I complained to him about my problem. 'Take it easy,' he said, 'we will certainly get them up on their feet again!' Then we filled two sacks with wood shavings that we piled around the oxen and then the carpenter lit it with a match and in an instant they were surrounded by flames. They pondered what this meant, but were soon aware that under these conditions it was best to stand up and move on!" "In the first years I lived on my homestead here (near Elizabeth)," continues Halvorsen, "I had no other livestock than an ox. He had been with me since he was a calf. During the day he would go out on the prairie to the lovely pastures and in the evening he was always right by the house. A bit later I bought a cow but she just wandered where she wanted and now a solution was difficult. The only way I could think of was to tie the two together with a short rope and let them roam side by side out in the pastures. And the ox showed himself to be just as faithful in the new circumstances as the old. In the evening I saw him approaching home - dragging the completely unwilling cow with him!" "A few years later I was caught in a snow storm. I had a little wood lot on the west side of the house and I cut a few cords of wood now and then. One day, a man who lived a few miles away and asked me bring him a load, which I promptly did. When we had gotten a bit on the way we could see a storm was brewing, so my guide left, by Shank's Mare, to get home as fast as possible. But since I had a large load, I had to go slowly. The snow storm increased, darkness approached and since I was unfamiliar with these parts and there was nothing else to do but stay overnight where I was. I tied the oxen to the load and dug a hole in the snow but I found it impossible to fall asleep. I feared that it might be my last one. I had to keep moving all night in the cold and drifting snow. When I reached people the next day it showed that one foot was frostbitten - and later all the toes had to be removed as a consequence." Hamar Congregation, that was established at Rothsay in 1874 by Pastor T. Rosholdt of the Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Its church was built in 1876. Now there are 10 congregations and 8 churches, 4 belong to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to The United Church, 1 to The Lutheran free Church, 1 to Hauge's Synod and 1 to The Baptist Church. John Nilsen, who was elected County Treasurer in 1875, was the first Norwegian to hold public office here. In this county there is a Township with the name Tanberg and a post office named after Henrik Ibsen.

Hi all, The great state of Minnesota translations will soon be done, then it is on to the great state of South Dakota as North Dakota is next after Minnesota and is all finished. Over half the volume of the Ulvestad Volume II has been translated now by Olaf of the State and County histories. It is all online in order of the book for free viewing here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~maggiebakke/ulvestad.html The order left: North Dakota is done Washington Alabama Alaska California Colorado Connecticut is done District of Columbia Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana is done Indian Territory Kansas Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan is done Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island is done South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia West Virginia Some are very very short and only have a statement for the whole state as that is all anyone sent in when sent a questionaire from Ulvestad. Margit & Olaf

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Watonwan County John H Berdell (Berdahl), who was the first white child born in Watonwan County, says that his father Hans Johnson from Sogndal in Sogn and John Anderson† from the Bergen area were the county's first settlers. They came from Dane Co., Wis. and settled at Odin in 1856. There were only Indians in these parts at that time and the new settlers' children learned the Indian language rather well.* They bagan with wheat and cattle raising. Mankato and St. Paul were their nearest marketplaces. To the latter city it was 122 miles, a road that the oxen had to cover many a time. Day labour was paid at 50 cents a day. The first Norwegians to settle in the vicinity of Madelia were Ole Jørgensen†, the brothers Nils, Jens and Thos. Thoresen† and Lars Orvik†, all from Kragerø and Lars Halvorsen† whose birthplace is unknown to the author, they came from Waukesha Co., Wis. Later in the year came Salve Torgersen† from Telemarken, Helge Plamer† from Hønefos as well as Mads Boxrud†, S. O. Fjeldstad† and Mads Olsen†, the last three from Toten. (Old O. H. Howe in Echols says that there were more that came at the same time but he cannot remember more names) Dugouts and log cabins were the new settlers' first residences. About the pioneer's life, Ole Reinert of Butterfield writes, "As old and as forgetful as I am, I can never forget what we went through in the first years we were on these prairies. One can guess at the long trips we had with oxen - with no roads or bridges - in rain and snow storms. If there had not remained a bit of viking blood in our veins, the hardships would have been unendurable" In Watonwan County we find 11 Norwegian congregations and 9 churches, 6 of them belong to The United Church, 3 to The Lutheran Free Church, 1 to The Norwegian Synod and 1 to The Methodist Church. The first Norwegian to hold a county office was Jens Torsen†, he was elected Treasurer in 1871. Ole H. Howe was the first who represented the county in the State Legislature. (1873). Norwegian place names; Godahl, Norwegian, Odin and Nelson. *The redskins in this district were somewhat peaceful until 1862 but then they became unruly. The whites had to flee from their homes and everything they had built up and saved. Otherwise they could have lost their lives. The Berdahl family, for example, were away from their home for 4 years.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Washington County The Norwegians in this county are comparatively few. However, there are 2 congregations (each with its own church), both belonging to The Norwegian Synod. There are also some Norwegian Methodists here.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Waseca County The first Norwegians in this county were Sjur O. Bagne† from Hardanger, Peder Nilsen† from Sogn, Aslak H. Kvitne from Voss as well as Torbjørn Johnson and Tarald Amundsen† from Vinje, Telemarken. They settled north of Waseca in 1855, they had come here from Dane C., Wis. Next after them came Sigurd Johnson†, Ole Engelsen Neset†, Gregor Kjøstofsen, Halvor Johnson†, all from Vinje, Telemarken as well as Oval Olson† from Sætersdalen, Ole Christophersen† from Eidsvold and Peder Thoresen from Hadeland. Sigurd Johnson, one of those named above, and his wife were married in Skien in 1845, just before they were to board the sailship that was to take them to the promised land. They had their honeymoon then, on the journey to America. This was not as pleasant as could have been wished but it was certainly long. The trip from Skien to Dane Co., Wis. took 26 - twenty six - weeks. In 1856, the New Richland Settlement was founded. The first there were: Anthony Sampson (Sørensen) Kongsgaarden†, Hans H. Sunde†, Halvor T. Vakstevold† and Even O. Strenge, all from Sandsvær, Knut O. Rukke† and Christen K. Syvertsen†, from Hallingdal, Webjørn Anderson†, Ole K. Hagen†, Halvor T. Haugerud† and August Møller from Skien, and Nels C. Kopstad from Eker. Next after them came John Thompson†, Hans Olsen Sunde†, Paul H. Sunde, Ole Halvorsen, Bernt Johnson†, Anders A. Berg†, Ole H. Sunde†, Erick Christensen Saga†, Torkel T. Lund†, Hans Jørgen H. Steg† and the brothers Christopher†, John† and Johannes† Sørensen Kongsgaarden, all these from Sandsvær, Ole J. Høgaas† from Sigdal, H. F. Gulbrandsen† and Nels O. Lysholm from Kristiania, Helleck Andersen from Nummedal and hans Bjørnsen from Hemsedal. Nearly all of these had lived for a time at Spring Valley, Rock Co., Wis. and came up here by ox team. All of this area was wilderness at that time. There were only Indians and wild animals to be seen. The first 4 years were times of need here. They began by growing wheat but the harvest was so small that people could not live off it and there was nothing to be earned. Therefore, the had to sell livestock at spot price. A good ox team that the farmers had bought for up to $150 they had to sell for $40, a good cow for $10 each etc. Also they had to drive all the way to Freeport, near Decorah, Iowa to buy corn meal, which was almost all they had to live on for a long time* The nearest city was Winona, a distance of 85 miles. There was no railroad west of the Mississippi at that time. One had to use oxen instead. The Winnebago Indians had their reservation nearby, their Agency was on the line between Waseca and Blue Earth Coiunties. And the Sioux Indians sent riders to them every day to urge them to break out and kill the whites. The consequence then was that they did break out - in 1862 - and caused much destruction. But in 1863 the soldiers came and drove them away. And many of the families that had fled eastward came back. After that time the conditions have been good, writes one of the oldest settlers. While we speak here of the first Norwegians - in every county - it is appropriate to mention old Elling Johnson in Waseca since he was the first in several counties, i.e. he 'visited' several of them before any other Norwegian. In the 60s, when he was young he crossed almost the whole of Wisconsin from south to north and finally ended up in the copper mines of Otonogan Co., Mich. on Lake Superior's shores. It was at that time they began to build roads through north Wisconsin's forests and build bridges across the rivers. Johnson was occasionally involved with this. He was on the way northward anyway. Many a night he and his comrades slept out in the snow on the so-called 'Indian Trails'. He came from Arnefjord, Norway. Nordre Waseca Congregation that was established in 1858 by Pastor V. J. Muus, then belonging to The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in Waseca County. The first Norwegian church in the county was built in 1863 by the Le Sueur Congregation at New Richland. Now there are 6 congregations and 5 churches, 3 belonging to The United Church, 2 to The Methodist Church and 1 to The Lutheran Free Church. The first Norwegian to hold public office was Anthony Sampson, who has already been mentioned among the first settlers. He was elected Assessor in 1858 and a member of the State Legislature in 1877. *As an example, it was told that large family lived through the winter on 200 pounds of corn meal and a few other necessities, the whole cost would now be $20.00.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Wadena County Who were the first Norwegian settlers in Wadena County is not known. It is however certain that the oldest settlement is in the vicinity of Wadena City. The first to settle at Aldrich was Peter Thurstensen from Namsos, it was in 1887 when he settled here. Wadena Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation is the oldest in the county. It was established in 1878 by Pastor K. Bjørgo, belonging to The Norwegian Synod. Its church was built in 1883. Now there are 8 Norwegian congregations and 4 churches, 4 belong to The Lutheran Free Church, 2 to The Norwegian Synod and 2 to The United Church.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Wabasha County The Norwegian population here is thin. There are only two small congregations, both belonging to The Methodist Church. But in the neighbouring counties, we have many Norwegians.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Traverse County Norwegians are comparativelty few in this county. However, there are 2 congregations, both belonging to The Norwegian Synod. There is also a Norwegian church. Andrew Petersen, who was elected to the State Legislature in 1892 was clearly the first Norwegian to be honoured with a public position. Monson Township gets its name from Norwegians.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Todd County The first Norwegians in this county were Knut Larsen from Helgeland and a Civil War veteran by the name of Andrew Johnson. They settled in the Town of Kandota in 1866. Next after them came Per Eriksen, Steffen Pedersen and Peder O. Jemtvold. Mikal Klukken and Baard Anderson from Værdalen were the first in the Town of West Union, it was '68 or '69 when they settled there. Martin Olson, also from Værdalen, came a little later. The first in the Town of Little Sauk was Sergeant Knut O. Bjerkness from Hevne, Søndre Trondhjems Amt, Nils A. Berg from the same place, Nikolai Nilsen Schotten† from Namsos and Julius Olsen from Kristiania, they settled there in 1869. Next after them came Jens J. Stjørdalsvold and Emanuel Johnson from Meraker and Ole Pedersen†, Lars Jensen, John Olsen and Ole Sørensen. Tosten Nelson, Lars Pedersen, Lars J. Stenmoe and John Pedersen, all from Meraker were the first in Gordon Township, they came there in 1870. Next after them came Ole Kleppen. The first in the vicinity of Eagle Bend was Ole J. Pedersen who settled there a short time after he had been 'beating up the Indians'. These were expensive times for the first settlers in Todd County. A barrel of salt cost $6, a barrel of flour $5, a cow from $40 to $50 and an ox team $200. Luckily for the newcomers here, an American built a saw mill at Little Sauk, where one could get an allocation of forest, and thus they had something to live off. One of the old settlers adds, "Had it not been for the saw mill at the Little Sauk River, we would have starved to death." The following is an extract of an article that Prof. J. Stjørdalsvold wrote for 'Minneapolis Tribune' and 'Decorah-Posten' under the title,'A Tenacious Trønder': "In the deep forest between Osakis and Long Prairie in the middle of Minnesota lives a man, who at various times and in various ways has been, so to say, right in the jaws of death, but today he is in the most excellent physical and mental condition, even though he has begun his sixtieth year. After ten years consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the public is entitled to hear a little about this man's remarkable experiences, and here it comes.- - - - In 1867, Minnesota had a famous flood. At this time Thorsten Nelson (from Stordalsvolden, Øvre Meraker) lived with his wife and two children in a small house, that stood in a narrow valley a little west of the current parish in Goodhue County. It is not my intention to write of this flood here. But it must however, be noted that it came at night and that the onrush of water poured down in a few minutes, so that many a stalwart man and women paled with fear. Thorsten Nelson's house stood on a small height. It was not pleasant to see the torrent split so that the farm became an island. Soon the water reached walls on every side. And it rose, inch by inch, until it began to flow in through the window. The water rose high above the floor and when it reached them, lying in bed, both Mama and Papa understood that this threatened the lives of all four of them. So they each took a child on their shoulders to try to find land where they knew the water was shallowest. The lightning was almost incessant, at times it looked like they were wading through a torrent of flame. In some moments it was so dark that eyes were useless. But it rained without stop, as if it boiled around them. The flow was dangerous. The water reached their hips. It reached their chest. Even deeper! But when the water reached the little ones who sat on Mama's and Papa's shoulders, they agreed that with the mercy of God, they would go back to the house and live or die there. It was not pleasant in there. The water flowed in the door so it was impossible to close it. Everything that lay loose had been swept away by the current - furnishings, clothes, shoes and food. Even though the water reached up to the bed, they had to stay there for, naturally, the water was even deeper on the floor! When it stopped raining, the water fell even faster that it had risen and all four had escaped with their lives. But even now Mama and Papa shudder when they think of that night. The next morning Thorsten Nelson went barefoot to a neighbour, for whom he worked until he got a pair of new boots. They cost 7 dollars, but they were stout and heavy. ON THE ICE Thorsten Nelson and his family have lived in their present home since 1870. In the first newcomer years, Sauk Center was the town where he and his neighbours generally went to, when there was something to be bought or sold. On a return from Sauk Center, he and a group of his comrades decided to save a few steps by crossing over a bay in Sault Lake that was right on their way. It was late fall and the ice was fairly firm along the shore. But they agreed that it was not safe further out. Since Thorsten Nelson had crampons on his boots, it was seen that it was safest to let him go ahead so the others could see how the ice was. When they got about half way out on the bay, it began to creak very ominously under their feet, and just then Thorsten's heel went through the ice. The others leapt back just in time to save themselves. But around Thorsten it was actually so thin that it billowed around him just like water. In a flash it struck him that if he stopped to turn back, he would certainly go through the ice. Therefore he hunched forward and ran as fast as the swift man was able. The others could see clearly a hollow in the ice where he ran. But he got across and his life was saved. IN THE THRESHING MACHINE Some years later he had a thick scarf around his neck while he threshed in the cold fall. He knew that this sort of clothing was dangerous around threshing machines and therefore he kept it tucked well inside his tightly buttoned coat. But while he was cleaning out some loose material that had piled up in the front of the machine, the scarf fell out. This was one of the old-fashioned machines, that was driven by round iron rods that went from the horses to the machine itself. The scarf began to coil around the drive shaft but Nelson was not aware of it until he was pulled down toward the shaft. He had the presence of mind to shout that the others should cast the rods aside. This was not done. However, the horses were stopped faster than usual in such accidents. In the meantime, however, Nelson was swung around the shaft at such a speed that his feet hit a man, who was feeding the machine, and threw him far out in the field. The board that the man stood on, was struck by Nelson's body so it rang as if he was a mallet. When everything was stopped, Nelson was wrapped around the drive shaft and everyone believed he was dead. Some resolute men stepped up and cut him loose. Then they carried him in as though he was dead. His neck looked awful and distorted. But, they well knew the man's toughness, so they pulled his neck straight and put his body in a natural position. He was extraordinarily heavy clothed. Even so, the skin was torn off across his chest, where the drive shaft had laid. Yes, there is life in him! He is coming to! When he regained his consciousness, he said that he became unconscious as soon as he started to go around the drive shaft. But he felt no pain, neither when he lost nor regained consciousness. He was a 'straggler' for a few days, but in two weeks he began to work. And the involuntary dance around the threshing machine's drive shaft is just a memory among many others. CLUB ON THE HEAD Once Thorsten Nelson and one of his neighbours were setting up fence posts. One held the post and the other hammered it into the ground. They used a wooden mallet with a large iron ring on each end, and the whole thing weighed all of twenty to twenty-five pounds. Just as the neighbour swung the hammer, the head flew off and hit Nelson in the middle of the forehead. 'I dropped like a stone,' tells Nelson, himself. In a few seconds he regained consciousness and then rested for barelt five minutes. But he admits that he had a bad headache for several days after. BLEW THE RIFLE UP Here I will add a little sample of how ingenious Thorsten Nelson was in getting things to work. Once he bought a gun for hunting larger game. It was a real beast of a rifle. It was loaded from the back and the bore was much narrower at the mouth than where the ball was loaded. The ball was ground or compressed quite significantly when it was driven by the powder. When he was hunting some smaller game, Nelson had put in a rather small charge. The consequence was quite comical. There was not enough power to drive the ball out of the rifle and it sat stuck about six inches from the muzzle. Now Nelson attempted to push the ball back from where it had come. But no, that would not work! Instead of taking the rifle to a gunsmith, Nelson put in a new load, and this time he was not sparing of powder. Now Nelson was very careful, he held the rifle over his head when he shot. What a bang that time! But what was it that echoed so strangely in the woods in the direction the rifle pointed? After looking, he noticed that the end of rifle was blown off where the other ball had sat. It was the blown-off piece of the muzzle that had echoed in the forest. IN THE SAWMILL When Thorsten Nelson got a steam-operated saw, he was not one to let others take the most dangerous jobs. When everything was ready to start, he stepped up to the first log that was to be sawn into planks, in the new mill. The saw cut its way through the log such that it was lovely to watch. But on the return, the log had such a speed that Nelson lost his balance. Just as he tottered over, he grasped the log with his right hand, close to the circular saw. The reader will understand that the log now moved backwards while the saw continued its path as before. Therefore, Nelson's hand was carried toward the saw where the teeth were spinning upward. The instant the saw's teeth hit his hand, it was so terribly torn apart that it 'did not show a sign of fingers on it', only a bloody, formless mass. The doctor who took care of the hand must have been skilled in his profession. It was true that no bone was hacked through. But tendons and muscles were torn apart and twisted together and the outer knuckle of the thumb was stripped of flesh and muscles, so that the bone remained, naked and glistening. It was a tough piece of work for the doctor to patch the fingers and hand together, but he did it so well that the hand became quite natural, and as strong as before. This time it was several weeks before the injured hand could be used for work. SHEEP SHEARS IN THE CHEST Such an innocent thing as sheep shears can also be dangerous, that Thorsten Nelson learned when he was trimming the mane on a horse. This happened in the stable. Just as Thorsten Nelson was clipping, the horse bolted out the door. He tumbled down flat and at the same time he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He fell with a significant speed onto the blade of the sheep shears. One point which was extremely sharp struck a rib just over his heart. The point drilled into the bone, so that his chest was sore for a long time. Had the point struck just a little higher or lower, it would clearly have pierced his heart. WAGON POLE IN THE THIGH It is only a few years since Thorsten Nelson experienced his last serious misadventure. He was on his way home from Long Prairie and drove a buggy with a pair of spirited horses. The horses became frightened when the traces fell out. When the horses had reached a good speed, the wagon pole also fell down. Now they became ten times wilder. In the next moment, the front of the pole stuck into the ground and broke off about three feet in front of the buggy. This event is so strange and difficult to understand that I need to get into some detail and length, although that hardly suits an event that only lasted a few seconds. The wagon pole broke at an angle so the broken ends were thin and sharp.That part of the shaft fastened to the buggy fell down. The front of the broken piece stood at an angle in the ground and the other end stood up in the air in front of the buggy. Just when the pole broke off, in some way or another unexplained manner, the horses broke loose from the buggy. Nelson held firmly to the reins and when the buggy stopped, the horses pulled him out of it. But he did not get far. His right thigh struck the projecting end of the pole. He was literally gored, while the horses ran away. Just now did Nelson and his comrade realize what had happened. The pole had gone through his thigh, a bit closer to his hip than his knee. It had slid past the bone and the end stuck out at least six inches on the other side. His comrade now grabbed Nelson and pulled him off the pole. As soon as Nelson was free from the spear, he helped his comrade pull the bloodied pole out of the ground. It was stuck so hard that it was only with great effort that they got it out. The horses were nowhere to be seen. But the tracks showed where they could be found. And it was Nelson himself who recovered the horses, even though they had run a good distance. Then he borrowed a wagon and drove back to his buggy, which he tied to the wagon and drove home as if nothing had happened to him personally. But now his sons took him to a doctor in Osakis. The first thing he did was pull out four to five inch long piece of wood that was still in the wound. Next he washed the wound thoroughly. And this he did in a very practical manner. There is a saying 'nothing is so bad that it is not good for something'. Here the pole had gone right through his thigh. The doctor stuck an clean wash cloth in one side and out the other and by pulling it back and forth a number of times, it was an easy matter to get the wound clean. On the one side the wound was so large that the doctor could get his hand a good distance into it. The doctor said, 'You must stay overnight'. But the next day, Nelson got up and bought himself a new wagon. He was even prepared to walk the five miles home, but his son came and rented transport for him. Then he stayed in bed for barely a week and in three weeks he went back to his usual work. Now there are only a couple of scars to remind him of this event. THE FAMILY At the age of nineteen, Thorsten Nelson was married to Anne Mikkelsdatter Tjernmo and she has truly been a splendid wife ever since the day she was a bride. They have had four sons and four daughters and five of the children are alive. When you drive from Osakis to Long Prairie, you will see among many lovely homes in the Town of Gordon, none lovelier than theirs. TESTIMONIAL When so much unusual happens to one and the same man, some could doubt the truth of it. But since I have always sought and kept to the truth, I wish to remove such doubt. Therefore, I have asked Nelson himself and later some of his neighbours to read this. And here comes their declaration. We the undersigned, who were born in the same neighbourhood as Thorsten Nelson in the old country and have lived in the same neighbourhood as him for 30 years or more, find that above account is absolutely truthful. Jens Johanssen Størdalstvedt Manuel Jensen Tevedal Lars Pedersen Stenøien" Little Sauk Congregation, that was established in 1872 by Pastor Chr. Saugstad of The Conference, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Its church was built in 1873. There are now 15 congregations and 9 churches, 10 belong to The United Church, 2 to The Norwegian Synod, 2 to The Lutheran Free Church and 1 to The Methodist Church. The first Norwegian to hold public office in the county was Henry Ellingsen, he was elected Registrar of Deeds in 1867.

31.12.2004 Olav Tømte has sent us a database of the company of Ullensaker from the infantery of Eastern Akershus of 1748 (Akershus county). Several databases from DIS-Vest-Agder have been published, they all cover the area Øvrebø local parish in Øvrebø parish (Vest-Agder county): baptisms 1884-1901, confirmations 1884-1901, marriages 1884-1901, burials 1884-1901, in-migration 1885-1901, out-migration 1884-1899, and stillbirths 1884-1901. <http://digitalarkivet.uib.no/cgi-win/WebFront.exe?slag=vis&tekst=meldingar& spraak=e>

http://www.searchforancestors.com/google/searcher.html

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Swift County Nels O. Braaten from Flaa, Hallingdal and three others from Hallingdal, Hans Sagadalen†, H. Hansen and T Hansen as well as Anders Monsen† from Sogn and Tosten Kvamme from Valders were the first Norwegians in Swift County. They came from Rice County and settled in the neighbourhood of West Lake in 1856. Next after them came Iver K. Syse† from Hardanger, Lars Monsen from Sogn, Ole Wefle, Ole Ellingboe, A. Ellingboe and Carl Finstad, all from Valders, Halvor Gandrud from Nes, Hallingdal, Henrik and Tosten Sagadalen, also from Hallingdal, Ole Søndreaal from Sogn as well as Knut Søndreaal, Christopher Kvale etc. The first settlement was established in the county's eastern part. Wheat, maize and oats became the settlement's main sale products. It was 60 miles to the nearest marketplace, St. Cloud. Oxen were the only draught animals they had. Ole O. Simenstad from Ringsaker, Lars Kristensen from Sogndal and Tosten Flaten from Eggedal were the first in the vicinity of Benson. Mr. Meldal was the first merchant thereabouts. With the help of a pair of oxen, he broke up the sod, from which he built a store. Now there are many shops in Benson, but none of the aforementioned sort. There are 15 Norwegian congregations and 13 churches in Swift C., 6 of them belong to The United Church, 5 to The Norwegian Synod, 2 to The Lutheran Free Church and 2 to The Methodist Church. It is regrettable that our people are so split up into so many church parties. The first Norwegian to hold public office in the county was K. P. Frøvold, he was elected Auditor in 1874. The first to reperesent Swift Co, in the State legislature was John P. Jacobsen (in 1877)

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Stevens County The first Norwegian in this county was Erik Harstad from Odalen. He settled in the vicinity of Donnely and died in 1874. One of the first settlers is said to have told the following, "A bear peeked in at me one Sunday morning while I was frying bacon. Another time it visited my neighbour and pulled a flour sack on his head while he slept, similarly it took a ham, a syrup bottle and a pail of sour milk and ran off with them." (Even though the account seems to be exaggerated, it is repeated here - as an example of what the lonely newcomers tried to cheer each other up with when, after long periods, they got together. Life was otherwise sad enough) In Stevens County, there are 5 congregations and 4 churches, 3 belong to The Lutheran free Church and 2 to The Norwegian Synod. Norwegian place names; Synnes and Framnæs.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Steele County The first Norwegian settlers in this county were Borge Larsen Gjermhus† from Kongsvinger and Martin Hansen from Toten. They settled in Lemond Township in 1854. Below is listed the names of the first settlers in other parts of the county. All these came in 1856: Lars K. Johnson† from Hardanger, Andreas Auersen† from Ringerike, Ole Hoganson†, Ole Johnson and John Johnson Hegg†, Agrim Johnson†, Johannes Nilsen†, Torsten Nilsen†, T. T. Nilsen†, Lars Johannesen† and Mons Anderson†, all from Lærdal in Sogn. These, or at least most of them, came from Dane County, Wis. and settled in the areas of Pratt, Bixby and Lysne. Anfin Anfinsen Seim†, Ole Anfinsen Seim and Halvor Hougen†, all from Aardal in Sogn settled in the vicinity of Ellendale (in Berlin Township) The dug dugouts - and when that was done, they began to prepare for wheat growing, which became this settlement's most important source of income. To Red Wing, their nearest marketplace, it was ca. 50 miles. Ole Seim tells, "In 1854 my parents and I left on a sailship from Bergen to New York. The rest of the way we used railroads, steamships and river boats, according to availability. We came first to Muskego, where my mother died of cholera - in the spring of 1856. Then we went west in the company of Mikkel Anderson, Ole Pedersen, Bjørgo Olson and another Bjørgo, whose surname I did not know since we called one Big B and the other Little B. They were all from Østerdalen. When we got to La Crosse, Wis., we had to wait a whole week before we could get across the Mississippi since the flood of emigrants was so large. We could not all get over the river at one time. It went by turn, or number, more correctly. The Østerdalings we travelled with settled in Otisco, Waseca County (later they moved to the Red River Valley) but my father and I and Halvor Hougen settled in Berlin, Steele Co. The oxen and wagons that brought us all the way from the southeast corner of Wisconsin and up here, we used for a long time after that as well. The winnebago Indians were our nearest neighbours in the first time." Beaver Lake Congregation, that was established at Ellendale in 1858 by Pastor Nils Olsen, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Pastor Olsen served it right until his death in 1885. He belonged to The Augustana Synod. Now there are 8 Norwegian congregations and 7 churches, 5 of them belong to The United Church, 2 to The Lutheran Free Church and 1 to the Baptist Church. The first Norwegian to hold public office in the county was J. L. Johnson of Lysne, he was elected Co. Commissioner in 1890. Lysne (P.O.), mentioned above, is the only place with a Norwegian name in Steele County.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Stearns County In the beginning of the 60s there were a couple of Norwegians, John Sandvig and his brother, who trapped in the southwest part of this county, but they were chased away by the Indians. These two we cannot consider as settlers, however, we find them again in Pope County. The first real settlers in Stearns County were Hans P. Heieie†, Ellen Baalsen†, Nils O. Strandemoen, Kittel N. Strande†, all from Flaa, Hallingdal, Ole Ruud from Aal, Hallingdal, and Østen Gubberud came together from Spring Grove and settled in the vicinity of Brooten in 1865. About the same time came John Udalen† from Winchester, Wis. He was from Tinn, Telemarken. Later in the year came Hans Kittelsen, Hans Halvorsen, Kittel Halvorson, Hans S. Skordal and Halvor Halvorsen, all from Hjertdal, Telemarken, Sivert Langum† from Arendal, J. J. Andersen† from Flaa, Hallingdal, Nils Hellicksen from Nummedal and Sivert Albertsen†, whose birthplace is unknown. The land was mainly covered with forest. As soon as they got rid of some of the forest, they began to prepare for wheat growing, which became the main source of income. Raising livestock was also of considerable importance. St. Cloud was the nearest marketplace and it was about 60 miles from the first settlers' homes. S. H. Johnson from Tinn, Telemarken was the first Norwegian in the vicinity of Belgrade. Ole O. Liabraaten, one of the oldest (and now a prosperous settler in North Fork) tells that in the first two years, he was so poor that he did not even own a pair of oxen. His trips to town - St. Cloud - he had to make on foot. Often he would meet Indian bands with their wagons or 'cars', as they called them, drawn by an ox or a skinny pony. From a long distance one could hear the din of these peculiar vehicles since 'Standard Oil' had not reached there yet. Crow River N.E.L. congregation, that was established in 1867 by Pastor V. J. Muus, then belonging to The Norwegian Synod, is the county's oldest Norwegian congregation, its church was built in 1871. Now there are 19 Norwegian congregations and 19 churches, 6 belong to The Lutheran Free Church, 5 to The Norwegian Synod, 3 to Hauge's Synod, 3 are Independent Lutheran and 2 to The United Church. It was in this county that Kittel Halvorsen had his home when he was elected to the United States Congress (in 1890). 'Nordvestens kirkelige Missionsskole' that was started in Belgrade (Stearns County) in 1900.

Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Sibley County Neri Nerisen, Jørgen Nerisen and Ole Auersen, all from Sætersdalen, were the first Norwegians in Sibley County. They settled in the southern part, right on the county line, in 1855. This settlement is called Norwegian Grove, but is connected to and was established at the same time as the New Sweden Settlement in Nicollet County. One of the old settlers tells, "When we went to the mill, we had to equip ourselves for a three week journey. Often we got into sloughs where we stuck fast, with the consequence that we had to carry our sacks over to the other bank, - - and after we had a hard struggle to get the oxen and wagons across. We also broke a wheel now and then since we drove in the wilds, where there was no question of finding a smith or tools, so it was not always easy. When we went out to visit neighbours, who as a rule were rather far away, we set the family in a work wagon and let the oxen amble away with us. But we had satisfying moments when we came to the dugout dwellers. We were all dugout dwellers in that time. Now they have splendid houses, good roads, good wagons and swift horses everywhere. The dugouts, draught oxen and all other pioneer equipment is now a closed chapter. Yes. even the sloughs are gone." There are 2 Norwegian congregations and 2 churches in Sibley County, both belong to The Norwegian Synod.