Assiniboia District, Canada

Norwegian Settlement at Pheasant Forks

Norwegian settlement in the Assiniboia District was still relatively recent in the early 1900s. One of the settlers, R. R. Reinertsen, who had previously lived in South Dakota, later described his journey to Pheasant Forks and the hardships of pioneer life there. In the spring of 1902, Reinertsen and several friends and relatives took up land in the district. As summer approached, he and his wife moved north to establish themselves on their homestead, which lay about forty miles from the nearest railroad station.

The First Winter

Their first winter in Canada was extremely severe. Heavy snowfall made travel almost impossible where no roads existed, the settlers’ houses were still primitive, and neighbors lived far apart. On one occasion, Reinertsen and another man set out to collect livestock nearly fifty miles away. As evening approached, a severe snowstorm developed. They continued riding into the wind until they eventually saw a light in the distance and headed toward it. On the way, however, they crossed a lake where numerous holes in the ice nearly cost them their lives. By the time they reached shelter, their faces and noses were frostbitten. Reinertsen reported that the temperature had fallen to 41 degrees below zero.

Isolation and Difficult Travel

The nearest post office was eighteen miles away. On another occasion, Reinertsen and his wife walked about four miles to a neighbor’s home to collect mail that had been brought there for them. On their way back, they lost their direction and wandered for hours in their moccasins before finally stumbling upon their own snow-covered house late at night. The following day brought another severe snowstorm with heavy drifting, making them particularly fortunate to have found their way home when they did.

New Settlers Arrive

The following spring, Reinertsen’s brother-in-law, O. G. Knudsen, and Haakon Holmedal came from South Dakota with their families. Knudsen had been born in Wisconsin, while Holmedal came from Haugesund. Reinertsen traveled to town to meet them and help bring the families to their new homes. The poor roads and heavy loads made the journey difficult. The wagons repeatedly became stuck, and at the worst sloughs and river crossings the men had to carry the women, children, and baggage while wading through cold runoff water up to their knees. At other places, they struggled to free the horses from swampy ground. Despite these difficulties, the families eventually reached the settlement.

Conditions Improve

Looking back on the early years, Reinertsen emphasized how much conditions had improved. The first years had been marked by isolation, severe winters, poor roads, and difficult transportation, but by 1905 he considered the district a good place to live.

Public Office

By 1905, Norwegian settlement in Assiniboia was still of recent origin, but four Norwegians had already held public office in the district.

Sources:

[Ulvestad, Martin. Nordmændene i Amerika. Utg. History Book Company's Forlag. Minneapolis, Minn. 1907.]