Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Roberts County Ole Andersen Sætre† from Bredheim, Nordfjord was the first Norwegian settler in Roberts County. He came from Swift or Pope County, Minn. and settled in the vicinity of Wilmot in 1875. As far as is known the next were Martin Mikkelsen and L. S. Haugen from Telemarken and Anton Foss, who seems to have been from Lillehammer. Here as in many other places the new settlers had to be satisfied with sod huts. They began mainly with wheat and cattle raising. They had no nearer marketplace than Ortonville, Minn. and had to drive there with oxen. The first Norwegian who settled among the Indians at White Rock was Martin Selnes from Namsos. He came there in 1876. The first at Vernon was Sam Abrahamsen. The first who settled among the Indians in the vicinity of Wist was Andreas M. Johnstad from Naustdal, Søndfjord. And the first who risked conflict with the redskins in the vicinity of Bethel was J. E. Kringen from Trondhjem. A young Norwegian by the name of Edward Petersen recently lost his life out there. The Sheriff's Deputy and Mr. Petersen went to an Indian's home to seize some mortgaged goods and during the conduct of their duty they were shot dead on the spot. But Roberts County is no longer a wilderness. The Indians' dominion is curtailed. The white settlers, among whom the Norwegians play a leading role, have changed the hunting and battle fields at Sisseton to a "land of milk and honey" - to use a pretty expression from the old days. That there is now law and order speaks for itself. Bø Congregation, the was established at Wilmot in 1881, was the first Norwegian congregation in Roberts County. Its first priest was H. A. Gjevre, then of The Norwegian Synod. The first Norwegian church in the county was built at Winans P.O. (Harmon Township) in 1897 by the Trondhjem Congregation, belonging to The United Church. There are now 20 Norwegian congregations and 11 churches in this county, 12 belong to The United Church, 4 to The Norwegian Synod and 4 to The Lutheran Free Church. Hans H. Hauge†, who was elected Probate Judge in1884, was the first Norwegian county official. Norwegian names in Roberts County: Vig, Lien, Norway, Nora, Alsen, Lohre (Løhre) and Otto.