Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Codington County The first Norwegian to take land in this county was Ole Johnsen Skipnes†. This is the man known from the Civil War, Colonel Johnson, for whom there is more detail in the section 'Norwegians in American Wars' later in the book. It was in 1879 he took land at Dexter but he did not settle there, he rented out the land and the same his son, Wilford. The first Norwegian settlers in the county were F. O. Grunnerud from Sand, Nordre Odalen, Paul Andersen Stee from Helgen at Skien, Hans and John Ragstad from Solum at Skien and Anders A. Dahle from Gjerpen as well as G. H. Stuverud and Chr. J. Stenstadvold. They settled there in 1879, soon after Colonel Johnson had taken land in the county. Grunnerud settled at South Shore, all the others at Dexter. Next after them came Jens D. Koren from Kristiania, Chr. Trampe† from Trondhjem, Martin Thorsen from Stavanger, Ole Olsen and Andrew Olsen Ristvedt from Gjerpen, Ole Larsen Rønning, Jonas Rønning†, Lars Bjørnson, Johannes Olsen Vidaas, Ole O. Aas and Halvor Lovold, all from Saude, Telemarken, Oscar Thunoll from Kristiania, Wilh. Frost from Holtaalen, Anders Søring from Valders, John Strømme from Bergen, Lars Onstad, Aanund†, Nils and Engebret Meland as well as Peder, Olai and Gjert Skajem, all from Sogn, Torkel and Claus Gulbraa from Voss, Lars Anunsen from Hegebostad, John Kaasa! from Hitterdal, Andreas Stuverud from Telemarken, John Westby from Haugesund, Christian Larsen Kjetlien from Gudbrandsdalen, Ingebrigt Løving and Peder Berg from Trondhjem as well as Hans, John† and Jens Johnson Grønsten, John Rønnning, Carl Knudsen†, Anders Aaby†, Hans Vibeto, Andreas Hofstad, John Ustrud, Lars Olsen, Tomas Gjesme, Søren Jermstad, Paul Fjelstad, Jens and Carl Williamsen, Amund, Isak and Ingeborg Kjeldsen (Chilson) and more. They spread out over a wide area. Wheat growing was their main source of income to begin with. Later they also began growing flax as well as mixed farming. Watertown, which lies between 20 to 30 miles respectively from their homes, was their nearest martketplace. John Olsen Vidaas of Kent writes, "After I had taken my land here, I and three others worked on Colonel Johnson's farm. William Frost, who now lives at Dexter and who is a son of Pastor Frost of Trondhjem, was the foreman. One Sunday, another boy and I were up at the Sioux Reservation and approached the Indian tents. We went into one where we met the chief himself. He had a rather thick gold band on his wrist. But both his legs were cut off for he walked on his thigh bone stumps. His daughter played with a skunk she had tamed. Yes, and then there is the prairie fire I must mention. It came in the fall the same year while we were threshing. Our attempt to quell it failed. The flames raced faster than the horses could run. We were however able to save the houses, but horses, mules, cattle and hens died. Nothing remained of our threshing machine and 30 stacks of wheat. A short time later some Indians came and asked if they could have the meat of the burned horses. I said 'Yes, they could take all they wished.' Later we heard that they had gotten hold of a dead mule east of the Sioux River. As soon as they had consumed the mule they became sick, for it had been infected with glanders. This will show the kind of rough people the Norwegian pioneers had to live amongst." Helgen Congregation, that was estabøished in 1880 by Pastor K. Magelsen of The Norwegian Synod, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. Now there are 6 congregations and 5 churches, 5 belong to The United Church and 1 to The Norwegian Synod. Ole Gesley was the county's first Norwegian official, he was elected County Treasurer in 1880. Gunder H. Stuverud was the first Norwegian to represent Codington County in the State Legislature, elected 1892.