Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Mille Lacs County John Johnson from Kragerø was the first Norwegian in this county. He settled at Mille Lacs Lake in 1886. He worked at shipping with his own steamship. He was actually a sea captain from Norway, so to experience a lake in the middle of Minnesota was not difficult for him. He now lives at Princeton. This information I have received from John Skretting (from Opstad, Jæderen), who came right after Johnson, and who gives his name to Opstad P.O. He reached his present home after many adversities. He was, however, untouched by the Indians, since Johnson had civilised some of them and chased some away. A couple of years after Skretting came the brothers Hans and Ingvald Melsby, Peter O. Hagen and a widow, Mrs. Anna Pettersen. Later came Helmik Skretting, Ole Thoreson, T. C. Thompson, Carl S. Johnson, Jonas Skrettingland, Amun Hagen, Peter Ottersen, Ole Langerud, Ole Andersen, Simon Gilbertsen, the brothers Hans, Martin and August Ruud, August Anderson, Reinhart Graff, Anders and Mathis Mathisen, Daniel and Ole Danielsen, Chr. Fredriksen, Thor Anderson, Per Ellingbø, Louis Dale, S. Anderson, Bent Wamberg, Erick Dalen, Didrik Gabrielsen, Fr. Suckow, Henry Ree etc. In the vicinity of Greenbush, the first Norwegian settlers were Jens Olsen from Hartmark parish, John Aarseth from the Bergen area and Andrew Homme from Bakke parish. Next after them came John Teutz from Grimstad, Jacob Ege from Lunde parish, Karl Berg from Eidskogen, Daniel Andersen from Solør, Albert Jensen from Maalselven and Jacob Jacobsen from Kvinnesdal. Later came Ole H. Uglem from Selbu as well as O. P. Opsahl, G. Opsahl, John Erstad, Erik Pedersen, Erik Eriksen and more. The first Norwegians in the Bogus Creek Settlement were Absalon Nelson, John Folvik (from Stjørdalen) and Hans Christophersen from Gran parish. The first in the vicinity of Milaca were Stefanus Pedersen and Rasmus Rasmussen. The first Norwegian congregation in this county was established at Opstead in 1894 or '95 by Pastor D. J. Grove, belonging to The Norwegian Synod. Its name is Holden Congregation. Now there are 4 Norwegian congregations and 4 churches in the county, all belonging to the aforementioned Synod.