Bosque County, Texas

The First Norwegian Settlement

T. Theo. Colwick of Norse provided an account of the Norwegian settlement in Bosque County. Colwick had been born on the Atlantic Ocean, but he was nearly as old as the settlement itself and had lived there throughout his life, including many years as postmaster. According to Colwick, Kleng Person, Ole Canutesen, and Canute Canutesen (Knud Knudsen), all from Stavanger; Carl Questad, Jens Ringness, Ole Ween, and Andrew Bretta, all from Hedmark; together with Jens Jensen and Ole Pierson from Arendal, settled in Bosque County in 1854. More settlers arrived during the fall. These included Johan Bronstad, Henrik O. Dahl, Paul Paulsen, Knud Olsen, Berge A. Rogstad, Annie Bronstad, and Anders Huse, all from Hedmark. On Christmas Day came John Johnson Vatne and Børre Hus directly from Arendal, Norway. In 1858, Bersvend E. Svensen, Omen Omensen, Nils Knudsen, and Joseph Olsen arrived. The first three were from Østerdalen. In 1859, Ove Colwick (Kjølvig), Ole A. Canuteson and their families, together with Miss Bergitte C. Naadland, later Mrs. B. C. Martin, came from the Fox River settlement in Illinois. All were originally from the Stavanger area. Ole A. Canuteson had been born in Kendall, New York, and his father had emigrated aboard the Restauration in 1825. By the time this account was written (ca. 1905), he was still living at Norse.

Most of these early settlers were married men who brought their families with them. Among those who arrived somewhat later were Canute Canutesen and a Mr. Lund, both of whom died during the Civil War; Canute Skimland, Andrew Skimland, Tønnes Tønnesen, and Odne Halvorsen, all from the Stavanger area; and C. O. Strand, Erik M. Linberg, and Lasson Reierson from Hedmark.

First Marriage, Births, and Death

The first Norwegian couple married in the Bosque settlement were B. A. Rogstad and Mrs. Annie Bronstad. They were married in September 1854. Gunerius Ringness, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jens O. Ringness, was the first child born in the settlement. Caroline Canutesen, later Mrs. C. Saunders of Paris, Texas, was the first girl born there. John Rogstad was identified by the author as the oldest surviving man born in Texas to Norwegian parents. His home could be seen from Norse. The first death in the settlement was Andreas Bretta, who was accidentally shot in 1854.

Kleng Person at Norse

In 1850, Kleng Person traveled from the Fox River settlement in Illinois to Texas together with several fellow Norwegians. Their journey took them south along the Mississippi River to New Orleans, Louisiana, then westward on the Red River to Shreveport, and from there overland by ox wagon to Dallas County, Texas. They remained in Dallas County until 1854, when they moved to Bosque County. Person had visited Texas previously and was therefore not entirely unfamiliar with the state when he eventually settled there. 

Most of the Norwegian immigrants who had arrived aboard the Restauration in 1825 eventually moved from Kendall, New York, to the Fox River settlement in Illinois. Many of the Norwegian immigrants who followed them from Norway also settled at Fox River. The Norwegians who later moved from Fox River to Texas were therefore, to a considerable extent, descendants of these earliest Norwegian immigrant families.

Kleng Person made his home with Ove Colwick (Kjølvig) at Norse and died there peacefully in 1865 at more than eighty-two years of age. Colwick remembered him as a kind man with a strong character and an unusual ability to foresee future developments. He was also an excellent storyteller, and people never tired of listening to his accounts of a lifetime of travel stretching from Norway to the western regions of the United States. Because Person had spent much of his life on the frontier, he had accumulated an extraordinary store of experiences. Colwick acknowledged that he could sometimes appear peculiar or eccentric, but regarded these traits as easily forgiven because of his fundamentally kind and charitable nature.

According to the account, Person also maintained good relations with the Indians. He could travel among them without fear and generally accomplished whatever he set out to do. His principal role in life, the author observed, had been that of a pathfinder for Norwegian immigrants. Person repeatedly walked the long distance to the Land Office in Austin to handle land matters for his fellow Norwegians and never accepted payment for his services.

The Texas Legislature eventually recognized his contribution to the state and his role in bringing Norwegian settlers there. In 1857, it awarded him 300 acres of land in Neils, Bosque County, as a gesture of appreciation. Neither Person nor his friends knew of the award until the deed arrived. In 1876, his fellow Norwegians erected a large, ornamented marble monument in his memory. The monument commemorated “Kleng Persen Hesthammer, the Pioneer of the Norwegian Immigration.”

An Encounter at Bosque River

Colwick also related an incident that occurred in the spring of 1854, shortly after the first settlers arrived. He had discussed the event with both C. Canutesen and Mrs. Bertha Canutesen, whose accounts agreed closely. C. Canutesen and Ole Ween had crossed the Bosque River to bring back some cows. Mrs. Canutesen remained at home with her young son Andrew. Two small boys were also visiting the family. While the boys were playing near Jens O. Ringness’ newly built log cabin, they saw a group of Indians nearby. Frightened, they ran back to Mrs. Canutesen. Her first thought was of the five hundred dollars that she knew her husband had hidden in an old chest. She retrieved the money and fled with the children about half a mile into the hills, where they hid.

After some time, she and the children cautiously returned far enough to see whether the Indians were still at the house. When she saw that they were, she did not dare return home. Instead, she went with the children to the home of Ole Pierson, about three miles away, where they spent the night. When C. Canutesen returned home, he found Indians occupying the house instead of his wife and son. He immediately fled to the neighbors. The following day, when the family returned, they found that the house had been plundered. Beds, tables, kitchen utensils, and other household possessions that had not been taken away had been destroyed.

The Mill at Neil’s Creek

The first settlers had built a mill at Neil’s Creek in 1854 to grind their grain. That same year, Indians plundered the mill. When the settlers heard what was happening, they armed themselves with axes and whatever other weapons they could quickly obtain and went to confront them. By the time they arrived, however, the Indians had already damaged the mill and left. The old mill pond was still visible when Colwick wrote his account.

Oxen and Pioneer Transportation

During the earliest years, oxen were the settlers’ only draft animals. They were used not only for plowing and cultivating the land, but also for hauling crops to market, visiting neighbors, and traveling to the schoolhouse for religious services and other meetings. When families attended national celebrations such as the Fourth of July, they hitched teams with names such as “Dick and Riley” or “Buck and Ball” to their work wagons and set out together. The vehicles were primitive and lacked the comfort of later buggies, but the settlers still enjoyed such occasions. Young people also had to improvise when attending social events. A young man might arrive with a pony, place the young woman on the horse, and walk beside her. Colwick humorously added that once they were out of sight, they might both ride the pony together.

During the Civil War era, Henrik Dahl predicted that within twenty years horses would replace oxen as the principal draft animals. People laughed at the prediction at the time, but Colwick noted that it eventually came true. By the time he wrote, horses had replaced oxen both in front of the wagon and at the plow.

The Role of Pioneer Women

Colwick emphasized that later generations owed a great debt not only to the pioneer men but also to the women. During the Civil War, while many men were away, women had to watch for possible Indian attacks, manage farm work, care for livestock, take produce to market, and purchase household necessities. At the same time, they continued with the ordinary work of the household, including cooking, washing, spinning, and weaving. They were responsible for both food and clothing for themselves and their children, while also caring for family members who became ill. Despite these burdens, Colwick wrote, they continued the struggle for their families and for future generations.

Ole Canuteson’s Journey to America

Factory owner Ole Canuteson, mentioned above as one of the pioneers, recalled that his family emigrated from Stavanger aboard the brig Favoritten in 1850. Pastor A. C. Preus and his wife were passengers on the same vessel. From New York, the emigrants continued toward Chicago, traveling partly by canal boat and partly by steamship. While crossing the Great Lakes, cholera broke out among the passengers. Many died during the journey, while others died after reaching their destination. Canuteson’s mother was among the victims. She died after their arrival and was buried at the Fox River settlement in Illinois.

Churches and Congregations

Bosque Lutheran Congregation was established at Norse in 1867 by Pastor S. S. Reque of the Norwegian Synod and was the oldest Norwegian congregation in Bosque County. Its first permanent pastor was O. Estrem, also of the Norwegian Synod. The congregation built its church in 1876. By 1905, Bosque County had six Norwegian congregations and two churches. Three congregations belonged to the Norwegian Synod and three to the United Church.

Public Office

Ole Skjulestad was the first Norwegian to hold public office in Bosque County and, according to the author, the first Norwegian to hold public office anywhere in Texas. He was elected County Commissioner in 1876.

Education

A Norwegian college was established at Clifton.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in Bosque County included Norse, Norway Mill, Norway Hill, and Norman Hill.

Sources:

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