Brown County, Minnesota

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian known to have settled in Brown County was Andrew Lundberg from Hurdal, who settled at Linden in 1857. The early Norwegian communities in Brown County were closely connected with those in neighboring Blue Earth and Watonwan Counties.

Churches and Congregations

Pastor A. S. Fredriksen was the first Norwegian pastor to visit the area, followed by V. J. Muus. Their work led to the establishment of Linden Congregation, the first Norwegian congregation in the county. The congregation was organized during the 1860s and originally served a large area. The first Norwegian settlers in Butternut Valley, Madelia Township, Riverdale, and Lake Hanska all belonged to Linden Congregation. By 1905, Brown County had six Norwegian congregations, each with its own church. Five belonged to the United Church, while one was Unitarian. The Unitarian congregation, with its church at Hanska, had been founded by Pastor Kristofer Janson, who had later returned to Norway.

Public Office

The first Norwegian known to have held public office in Brown County was Nils C. Rukke from Nes, Hallingdal, who was elected County Treasurer in 1872. The first Norwegian to represent Brown County in the Minnesota State Legislature was Knud Helling, elected in 1875.

Norwegian Place Names

The names Linden and Godahl were given to local post offices by Norwegian settlers. Linden was also the name of a township in the county.

Sources:

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