Boone County, Illinois

Early Norwegian Settlement

The Norwegian settlement founded by Ole Nattestad at Jefferson Prairie, Wisconsin, in 1838 eventually extended across the state line into Boone County, Illinois. For additional information about this settlement, see the section on Rock County, Wisconsin.

In 1843, a number of Norwegian families settled at Long Prairie near Belvidere. Some came from Vik Parish in Sogn, while others came from Seljord in Telemark. The Norwegian population there later declined, but another settlement developed at Capron, where Ole Nielsen Dahle from Vik, Sogn, became the first Norwegian settler in 1850.

Churches and Congregations

The first Norwegian congregation in Boone County was established at Long Prairie in 1846 by Pastor C. L. Clausen, then affiliated with the Norwegian Synod. By 1905, four Lutheran church bodies were represented in the county: the Norwegian Synod, the United Church, the Lutheran Free Church, and Hauge’s Synod.

Sources:

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