| Ellie | My family came to the US from Norway, probably in 1854. I just discovered this website today, so haven't explored it thoroughly. I have an old wooden trunk, heavy, handmade and painted with decoration inside and out. There is script writing on the outside, front and back. It appears to have had a name previously painted underneath the name presently on it. The previous painting makes the top layer difficult to read clearly, but it appears to have the name "Ole Johanessen Rindahl, Jan 1854". On the back of the trunk is painted "No.3 til St Cloud, Minnesota North America, Anker Line,New York". A reference to the "Anchor Line" states that it was established 1865. Might the date be Ole's birthdate? I don't know the tradition for using old trunks, but it had a name painted on it before Ole's. I have done no serious geneology searches, but would love to know where to look to find a passenger list or, perhaps, where this person came from. Ole was probably my mother's great-grandfather. Her father's family received a farm under the land grant around 1875; the grant paper was signed by President Grant. Any information about searching for my family will be appreciated. Thank you. |