Buffalo County, South Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

Hans N. Cleven, Nels N. Cleven, O. N. Cleven, and Ole O. Grovom, all from Nissedal, Telemark, together with Ole Evensen from Store-Ness (?), were the first Norwegian settlers in Buffalo County. They came from Winnebago County, Iowa, and settled in the vicinity of Richards in 1883. They were followed by O. H. Johnson from Bø, Telemark; Lars Rasmussen from Molde; Anne Halstad from Odalen; P. J. Nordli and Nikolai Gjøstad from Tromsø; Olaus Storemo from Trondheim; Erick Evensen from Valdres; as well as Even Evensen, C. A. Osman, H. T. Johnson, Alik Anderson, George Jacobs, and Christ Jacobs. Wheat and flax became the settlers’ principal sources of income. Bee Heights, about twenty-five miles away, was their nearest market.

Hans N. Cleven’s Encounters with the Sioux

The Hon. H. N. Cleven recalled that he first became acquainted with Sioux Indians in the summer of 1873. Because his journeys to and from town took him across the reservation, he came to know many of them. On one occasion, a group of Indians had been gathering turnips, which Cleven described as women’s work, and had established a camp nearby. He spent the night with them. When it was time to sleep, an Indian known as Pretty Lightning motioned for Cleven to follow him. He led him to an old log cabin containing a makeshift bed, indicated that he should sleep there, and then went outside and locked the door. Cleven initially found this suspicious, but the following morning he learned the reason. Pretty Lightning explained that he had locked him inside so that he could not steal their horses and escape during the night. On another occasion, Cleven saw eight Indian women driving a white man ahead of them with his hands tied behind his back. He approached and asked what had happened. They explained that the man was a deserter and that they would receive twenty dollars for delivering him to nearby Fort Hale, which was then the military station.

Churches and Congregations

A Norwegian congregation was established at Dunlap in 1883 by Pastor A. J. Lee of the Norwegian Synod. Hauge’s Synod, the United Church, and the Free Church later also carried out missionary work in the area.

Public Office

Even Evensen was the first Norwegian to hold public office in Buffalo County. He was elected Commissioner in 1885. Hans N. Cleven was the first Norwegian to represent Buffalo County in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1890.

Sources:

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