Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Lake County The first Norwegians in Lake County were Lars Johnson, Martin Olsen, John A. Johnson, Peder Johnson, Martin Johnson and Carl Johnson, they came from Winneshiek County, Iowa and settled in the vicinity of Madison in 1874. As far as is known, they were all from Toten, the first 4 at least were from there. Wheat, oats and barley were the settlers' most important sales articles. They had to be driven all the way to Luverne, Minn., a distance of 40 to 50 miles. Later they got a market at Sioux Falls but it was also a long way to drive with oxen. They lived in sod huts in the first years. The first Norwegians in Summit Township (Prairie Queen) were A. J. Lee, Ole O. Overskei, Even Borgaard and Christopher Olsen. They came there in 1878. In 1890 they built the first schoolhouse there - of sod, it was used for many years. The winter of 1880-81 they had to grind their wheat in coffee mills, as much as was needed for home use since the railroad was blocked by snow, and they could get nowhere except on skis. In the first 10 years they used only hay and straw for their fires. Lake Madison Congregation, that was established at the end of the 70s, is the oldet congregation in the county. Its first priest was O. O. Sando of The Norwegian Synod. The county's first church was built by the aforementioned congregation and now belongs to The United Church. Altogether there are 6 Norwegian congregations and 5 churches, 3 of them belong to The United Church and 3 to The Norwegian Synod. For information od a political nature see the section, 'Norwegians in public positions in America'. Places with Norwegian names in Lake County: Orland and Egge.