Brookings County, South Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

Cornelius, Martin, Ole, and Erick Trygstad, together with Ole O. Jermstad, all from Verdal, and Nils Olsen and Christopher Baltru, were the first Norwegian settlers in Brookings County. They came from Olmsted County, Minnesota, and settled at Medary in 1869.  The settlement of 1869 came after the Indian attacks of 1862. At that time, a small settlement had existed in the vicinity of Medary, but it was destroyed during the attacks. Medary, later known as Lake Campbell, lies south of Brookings and Volga. Cattle raising was the settlement’s most important source of income during the early years. Sioux Falls, about sixty miles away, was their nearest market, and oxen were their only draft animals for both plowing and transportation. Jon Knudsen from Trondheim was the first Norwegian to settle in the northern part of the county, where he took land in the vicinity of Prairie Farm.

Pioneer Life at Medary

The brothers Martin and Erik Trygstad walked all the way from Kasson, Minnesota, to Medary. Along the way they saw little but Indians, wild animals, and open land. This was before the land had been surveyed, and they settled there before any other white settlers arrived. Iver A. Foswick was also among the first settlers along the Sioux River. On his first night there, he slept outdoors beneath the open sky, using the root of a large elm tree as a pillow. Medary was also connected in the author’s account with the massacre at New Ulm, Minnesota. During the fighting there, Indians killed a number of settlers and carried away property they considered useful. Some of these objects were later found buried in the ground in Medary Township.

The First White Woman and Children

Mrs. Ole O. Jermstad, whose maiden name was Randi Ust and who came from Ust in Leinstrand, Norway, was the first white woman in Brookings County. She helped her husband build their log house. When he made long trips to New Ulm or Sioux Falls, she remained alone to care for the house and livestock, and the days waiting for his return were often long. Their daughter, Anna O. Jermstad, was the first white child born in the county. Norman Martinsen Trygstad was the first white boy born there.

Churches and Congregations

Medary Parish, later known as Lake Campbell Parish, was organized in 1870 and was the first Norwegian parish in Brookings County. Its first pastor was Emil Christensen of the Norwegian Synod. The congregation built the first Norwegian church in the county in 1880. By 1905, Brookings County had twelve Norwegian congregations and eleven churches. Seven congregations belonged to the United Church, three to the Norwegian Synod, and two to Hauge’s Synod.

Public Office

Cornelius N. Trygstad, Martin N. Trygstad, and Elias Thompson were the first Norwegians to hold public office in Brookings County. In 1871, Cornelius Trygstad was appointed Assessor and Tax Collector, while Martin Trygstad and Elias Thompson were appointed County Commissioners. Martin Trygstad was also the first Norwegian to represent Brookings County in the legislature. He was elected to the Dakota Territory Legislature in 1872.

Newspapers

South Dakota Echo, later published in Sioux Falls, was for a time published in Brookings.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in Brookings County included Orness, Sinai, and Oslo.

Sources:

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