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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 20/02/2014 : 03:36:21
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Since Barny Samson got an actual original homestead from the Federal government the likeliest land record to find at the courthouse is sale of the property to the next owner--so on the grantor list, unless the land is still "in the family" then it would have to be in probate / estate settlement.
Since you are traveling to the courthouse, also ask after tax books, to see who was paying the property taxes on that piece of land in Willow Lake township. |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2014 : 03:42:24
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You reference getting a homestead packet. $40 is a small amount if we can get more or better information. Where can I order this?
Using 2 different last names never made sense to his children either. They were surprised to see they were listed as Samsons on the federal census, but a few were aware of this fact when a genealogy research was done by the Mormon Church back in the early 1970s. Most of Borre's children thought they were always Johnsons. The family never even talked about it which seems odd.
The Dunseith history book listed Borre's wedding in 1888 and of course the wedding certificate says 1889. There certainly are enough inconsistencies in this family. You also asked who were the witnesses listed on the wedding. They were Eberat Pederson and Johan Jenson both residing in Township 159 Rolette County.
I'll check out the death certificates for the two oldest boys John and Benny to see if there is any more information listed. |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2014 : 03:46:06
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| The land stayed in the family until sometime in the 1960s when it was sold to Charles Hagen. The land is currently still in his name. I didn't think of the tax payments, but I can check. |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2014 : 04:45:38
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| I have ordered the death certificates for 2 of Borre and Alma's children - Bennie and Henry. I will let you know what information they contain once I receive them. |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7765 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2014 : 04:59:01
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It's gone up since the last time I've ordered, copy of land entry is now $50 buckeroos!: You need the information at the glorecords.blm.gov site for Barny Samson.
http://www.archives.gov/forms/pdf/natf-84.pdf |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2014 : 20:53:03
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| I also ordered the death certificate for Borre and Alma's oldest daughter Clara. I contacted the ELCA offices in IL and MN. A lady is assisting in tracking down Ole Svingen's pastoral records, but she has to contact the main office in Chicago for their records. It appears he may have taken his early records with him and not left them with the church, but we should find out shortly. I contact the Lutheran Church in Bottineau also but they did not have any early records for Svingen. I did find out that Svingen died in 1912 and he was the minister for the Overly Lutheran Church. Overly is located between Bottineau and Rolette. Today I ordered the land file from the National Archives and I will try to get over to the county courthouse within the next week. |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7765 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2014 : 23:31:49
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| You go, girl! |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 04:13:10
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I feel like the bearer of bad news......I had my husband check out the courthouse for deeds and taxes. This is what he found out.
Barny Samson and Alma H Samson filed for a Tree Claim on a quarter of land in Section 1 Twnship 159 Range 71 W on 10/9/1897.
Barny Samson filed in Section 19 Range 163 N 73 W of Willow Lake Township in Rolette County under the Homestead Act on September 18, 1907.
May 26, 1913 this land was put into both Barny Samson and Alma Samson names.
11/19/1935 shows an easement granted from Alma Samson, a widow to Rolette County.
On 10/24/1947 Alma Samson, sometimes known as Alma Samson Johnson, a widow deeded the land listed in the Willow Lake Township to her son Bennie Johnson for one dollar and love and affection.
On March 5, 1964 part of the land deeded to Bennie Johnson was deeded to Norman Hiatt. Basically some small land lots.
On May 12, 1964 several siblings and relatives sued Bennie Johnson about ownership of the land. Judgement determined that defendants were without any rights and the land was owned by Bennie Johnson as determined by the deed dated October 24, 1947 from Alma Samson, sometimes known as Alma Samson Johnson, grantor to Bennie Johnson, grantee. Interesting family feud but does not shed any more light on Barny's background information.
In 1896 land taxes were paid by B Johnson. In 1897 taxes were paid by Berry Jonsen. In 1898 taxes were paid by Borre Johnson. 1899 taxes were paid by Barney Johnson and finally the last tax statement shows Barney Johnson crossed off and Thos Flynn paying the taxes. Tax statements were for the land in Rice Township (tree claim).
I received 3 death certificates for Borre and Alma's children. Again these do not give any additional information. Their eldest daughter Clara passed away on 12/31/1958 in Bottineau County. It listed her parents as - Barny Johnson and Alma Johnson. A son Henry Marvin Johnson died on 11/1/1952 and it listed his parents as - Borre Johnson and Alma Hanson. The last death certificate for Bennie Arthur Johnson who died on March 6, 1965 lists his parents as - Borre Johnson and Alma Helen Hanson. Clara was buried in Oak Creek Cemetery in Bottineau and Henry and Bennie were buried at Rendahl Cemetery.
I also received several emails from the ELCA staff regarding Pastor Svingen. It turns out he was a traveling Lutheran minister stationed in Overly ND in Bottineau County, but he did perform services throughout both Bottineau and Rolette Counties. The ELCA records begin in 1897 - too late for the marriage records pertain to the December 16, 1889 wedding of Bore Johnson and Helena Hanson.
I'm looking forward to the land packet I ordered from glorecords, but sounds like that takes a bit of time to receive.
I reviewed some old family notes again and in one place they think Borre came from Norway to the USA by way of Canada. Are there databases for that type of search? I'm sure it's a long shot too as we're not sure what year he arrived - but we do know he paid taxes as early as 1896 for a tree claim that was under the Timber Culture Act of June 14, 1878. This act states that you had to plant and protect healthy trees on 40 acres of a quarter section (160 acres) for 10 years and then it would be deeded to you. Barny Samson and Alma H Samson were deeded tree claim land on 10/9/1897. So this would mean Borre/Barny Samson was in the USA by 1887.
Any other suggestions for searches. |
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9216 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 04:54:02
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Ancestry has at least two data bases that might have some information for you. The first one might not go back in time far enough for it to be useful.
Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956
And the second one is for immigrants coming to and through Canada.
Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 |
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9216 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 05:22:38
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Searching in the Border Crossings data base, I did not find any Bor* born about 1860 +/- 2 with last name starting with Jo* in the time frame before 1900.
In the Canadian Passenger Lists, I only found. one, Borni travelling with his family, father John Johansen wife Marthe and 8 children.
Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
Name: Bornl Johensen
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Estimated birth year: abt 1859
Date of Arrival: 1869
Vessel: North American
Search Ship Database:
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Roll: C-4524
In the 1865 Norwegian Census all of the people named Borni Joh* are female? The original manifest is very difficult to read so it may very well be that the name Borni is only a guess by the transcriber. |
Edited by - AntonH on 25/02/2014 05:32:27 |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 06:09:19
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| You're right the first database border crossings is the wrong time frame. The other database of Canadian passenger lists might be hopeful. I started on it, but have already ran across 5 or 6 B Johnson born +or- around 1860 and arriving before 1886. I'll have to continue the search tomorrow. |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7765 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 07:42:58
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Borre's declaration of intention to become a citizen--actually Barney Samson's in Ramsey county filed in 18861888-- should tell which port and approximately when by month and year of his arrival. Otherwise sources for his date of arrival are thin, 1900 census and 1910 census. Since Borre Johnson = Barney Samson, you do know, he's in Dakota by 18861888. The declaration should be part of the homestead packet, but it's also available through the State Historical Society of ND, if there is a need for speed.
[brain freeze}
His name is curious. Samson seems like a wide departure from Johnson and vice versa. Don't know what to make of that. Samson could be Samsonson (son of Samson, a name which appears more commonly on west coast of Norway, rather than throughout) or an abbreviated version of Samuel or Samund (son of ---).
Maybe a farm name pops up in the baptismal records of the children b. 1897-1906 at Ox Creek, 1906+ at Rendahl (since it appears that they may have attended there).
Do you have any traffic with descendants of Alma's siblings? Sometimes the in-laws are the preservers of weird facts about those married in more so than the immediate family who are living it.
Did the brothers and sisters ever patch things up after the lawsuit? Who inherited from Bennie? |
Edited by - jkmarler on 25/02/2014 14:56:22 |
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9216 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 16:54:14
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Jackie, I remember early on in this search that the subject came up and someone, somewhere mentioned that the farm Borre and his wife bought was previously owned by a man named Samson. I can not seem to find the reference now but I do remember it. or senility has set in. Probably equal chances for either result.
The orginal 1910 US Census shows his name as Berry Johnson, with the Johnson lined out and Sampson written over the last name.
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Edited by - AntonH on 25/02/2014 17:56:02 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7765 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 17:12:03
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I don't think the true relationship between the persons of Borre Johnson and Berry / Barney / Barny Samson / Sampson was known by poster.
In Norway, you assume the farm name as part of your name as you move onto it, but not too often in America do you assume the full name of the prior owner of a piece of property. (Personally, I know of only one case of that in America, a Halling family took the name of the prior owner a person who was known by his farm name from Sigdal and that Sigdal farm name went down the generations in the Halling family!)
However, if Borre Johnson "Homesteaded" there are no records of it at either the Bureau of Land Management nor in the ND Naturalization databases (Declaration of Intention--1st papers are required for non American nationals who take a US Federal Homestead and so Borre would have had to file someplace in US if not Dakota Territory / North Dakota, but where?)
In the 1953 history it says this:
"In 1888, she was married to Berry Johnson, who had filed on land in Rice, but gave up his right and filed on land in the Turtle Mountains in section 19 of Willow Lake."
"Filing on" is the language that is used in the exercise of provisions of the Homestead Act. If you merely purchase a property it does not imply that you filed on it.
"Gave up his right" also is wording most commonly used in conjunction with US Federal Homestead Act lands. You really are not given rights to lands in US until or unless you own it.
So the curious thing is B, Barney, Borre Johnson was paying the property taxes on the tree claim of Barry Samson in Rice Township at the same time as Barry filed on it. Why?
Barry Samson files on land in Willow Lake Township and Borre Johnson moves and lives on the same property at the same time as Barry Samson proved his claim. Why?
The most logical thing (in what appears to be an illogical situation) is that Barry / Barny / Barney Samson is the same person as Borre / Berry Johnson.
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Edited by - jkmarler on 25/02/2014 17:39:51 |
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brejohns
Medium member
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2014 : 18:16:14
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We do believe that Borre/Bore/Berry/Barny Johnson is one and the same as Berry/Barny/Borre Samson. The family was aware of this discrepancy only when they did a genealogy search back in the 1960s. I did mention that one of Borre's grandsons thought they had purchased the land from a family named "Samson" thus using this name. However, the legal papers prove otherwise. Borre did file a tree claim as even the tax records show it was the Timber Culture Act of 1873. This would mean he lived on the land in Rice Township for 10 years. It was deeded to him and Alma in 1897 as Barny and Alma Samson, however he did pay the taxes for this same land in 1896.
He did homestead under the Homestead Act as the deed to the land in Willow Lake reflects that it is from the US of America and bears Theodore Roosevelt. This is deeded to him as Barny Samson too. This means they did not purchase this land from any former owner named Samson. It also means the grandson was wrong and not aware that Barny had Homesteaded.
I think I missed the fact that someone found a Barney Samson in Ramsey County ND in 1888. Where does this information come from? It seems if we found his naturalization papers we would find out more of his history. If the naturalization database in ND doesn't have him, would Minnesota have a database?
I'll check with the ELCA again to see if there are any records of the baptisms of the 3 oldest children - Clara, Johnnie and Bennie at Ox Creek Church. I'm glad you mentioned that.
Yes - evidently the siblings patched up their differences as my husband said that he only heard the lawsuit mentioned once and he had forgotten about it until he saw the court papers. When Borre's son Bennie Johnson died in 1965 the land was sold to a relative Freddie Hiatt.
We do not have any information concerning Alma's side of the family either, other than what was listed in the Dunseith History Book. |
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Borre Johnson
