Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. Dodge County The first Norwegian settlers in this county were Knut Rockne† from Voss, Louis Evenson Folkestad from Bø, Telemarken, Ole Benson† from Valders as well as Jacob Helgesen Dalen† and Anders Christophersen†, they settled in the vicinity of Mantorville in 1854. A short time after came Johannes Bendikson Fjerestad† and Bottolf Larson Eithoren† from Vik in Sogn, Hans Kittelsen and Jacob Hansen† from Kviteseid, Telemarken, Ole Monsen† from Voss and Tollef Hellicksen† from Valders. In the vicinity of Oslo, the following were the first; John Kittelsen†, Nils Sjursen Gilderus†, Andreas Torgrimsen Moen†, Jacob Knudsen Thoe†, Ole O. Lia, Helleck Gulbrandsen Waagtveit, Erik Reiersen Bakko, Halvor Knudsen Berg†, Erik Clausen Himle, Lars Sjursen Gilderus†, Ole Olsen Esterli, Torgrim Torgrimson Moen†, Isak Anderson†, Anders Ellefsen†, Erik Knudsen Torvik† and Sjur Olsen Brækhus. They came from Dane Co., Wis. They began to grow wheat and had to drive right to Winona, ca. 70 miles. It was oxen they used for plowing and driving. That it was far between farms in those days, the following example from St. Olaf Settlement will possibly convince us, "An old man was going in foggy weather to a neighbour to borrow a large kettle. On his way home he lost his bearings and kept going through the wilderness until he came to Brownsdale, about 20 miles to the southwest, where there were some settlers. Since he could not find his way from there, he walked to Highforest in Olmstead Co., about 16 miles southeast from his home, where there was a road he knew. He carried the kettle the whole time." In Dodge County there are 3 Norwegian churches and 5 congregations, 3 of them belong to The Norwegian Synod, 1 to The United Church and 1 to Hauge's Synod. L. G. Nelson from Naas, Drangedal was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county. He was elected Refistrar of Deeds in 1872. And John N. Hansen from Furness in Hedemarken was elected as member of the State Legislature the same year. Post offices with Norwegian names; Thoe and Oslo, both closed.