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.