>Subject: Hi, all Columbia Co Researchers> >Also, my grandfather has a Columbia County history book with about 300 pages of family histories. If your Norwegians >were in Rio or Lowville, I bet we connect somewhere. Since a couple people have answered my post, I'll respond on list and see if someone else may have more suggestions, or even a connection.. The family name is Skobba, I have also seen it spelled Skuba, Skobda, and it is possible other spellings. This is what I have Regarding the Skobba family/emigration to US. Ole Johnson Skobba came to Rio, Wisconsin. in 1868. He had left ahead of the rest of the family. His parents, Jon Halvorson Skobba and Anne Skobba with their children, Eilef, Johannes, Anund and Åsta, came to Rio, Wisconsin in 1869. The family came together with several other families from Sauherad, Telemark. Norway. ( I have been able to find some information of this area if others are interested) Most of them had family members already in the US. (so there may be folks I know nothing about, yet) The Skobba family stayed in Rio for one year, then moved to Blue Cart (?) in Wisconsin, where they lived for 8 years. ( I can't find any "Blue Cart". There is a Blue Mounds in Dane Co, Blue Mounds Township about 10 miles west of Madison and right next to "Little Norway" and a Blue River in Grant Co. Watterstown Township and another 25 miles west. Both are in Norwegian Country.) "Robert Gard, ROMANCE OF WISCONSIN PLACE NAMES mentions a Blueberry in addition to the others, but no Blue Cart." In the late 1870's, they left for Lac gui parle, MN where they established themselves as early settlers. There may be a communication problem here, in that there is a Blue Earth County in MN, so maybe they went to MN after only one year in WI?? This information is from a man in Norway, looking at letters written to his grandparents from the US. If they were only in WI one year, then there might not be much on them, but I am still interested in the historical Rio, WI to help in filling in the emmigration process. Does anyone have the 1865 or 1870 census??? According to my info, one son Eilef died in 1889 and the father John died in 1885. The youngest son, Anund, married Margit Lovald,- their son Linton Clifford Skobba was a WW1 volunteer. He appears to be well know both in and outside the family. I do not know who or when Ole Johnson Skobba married. However, his daughter Anna/Anne (named after her Grandmother) may be the one that married Johannes Falmoe and was found in the MN census of 1900.