Becker County, Minnesota

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian known to have settled in the vicinity of Detroit was Hans Hansen from Hallingdal, who arrived in 1870. Native Americans still lived nearby at the time. The first Norwegian settler in the Lake Park area was Martin Olsen, although the year of his arrival is unknown. The first Norwegian to settle in Lake Park itself was Ole Johnson Berg from Tolga, who arrived in 1872. Peder Ebeltoft from Tromsø settled nearby the same year. In the vicinity of what later became Dahl Post Office, the first Norwegian settler was Ole A. Dahl from Bjørnør, Nord-Trøndelag Amt, who established himself in an area where Native Americans were still living.

Indian Scare at Lake Park

One of the early settlers recalled a period of alarm when rumors spread that Indians were on the warpath and had killed farmers in Richwood Township. Families from the surrounding countryside fled to what is now Lake Park, where they constructed a temporary fortification from boards, timbers, and whatever other materials were available. A warehouse served as sleeping quarters, dining room, and storage place for provisions, while various weapons were gathered for defense. Farmers and their families remained inside the fort, and guards kept watch both day and night. The men were tense, while the women and children feared that an attack might come at any moment. After a few days, however, word arrived that the reports had been false, and the families returned to their homes. T. K. Torgersen from Hallingdal, carried a severe scar from an earlier conflict with Indians in Nicollet County. His father had taken part in the fighting at New Ulm in 1862.

Churches and Congregations

Hay Creek Congregation at Lake Park was established in 1871 by Pastor T. Vetlesen of the Norwegian Synod and was the oldest Norwegian congregation in Becker County. Its church was built in 1884. By 1905, the county had seventeen Norwegian congregations and thirteen churches. Six congregations belonged to the Lutheran Free Church, five to the Norwegian Synod, four to the United Church, one to Hauge’s Synod, and one to the Evangelical Free Church.

Public Office

When Becker County was organized in 1871, the governor appointed several Norwegians to assist with the organization of the county.

Norwegian-American Press and Institutions

In 1890, Pastor J. H. Myhre began publishing the newspaper Fredsbudet at Cormorant. For a time, he also published a newspaper called Brød og Sværd.

The Lake Park Children’s Home was established in 1896.

Norwegian Place Names

Becker County had several post offices with Norwegian names, including Voss, Dahl, Senjen, Brager, and Sorkness.

Sources:

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