Butte County, South Dakota

Norwegian Settlement

In the small settlement at Gustave, not far from the Montana border, Andreas Sørensen from Kristiania (Oslo) was the first Norwegian settler. He settled there in 1893. Cattle raising became the settlement’s principal source of income, while hunting also contributed to the settlers’ livelihood. Bison and other wild animals were still numerous because the area was thinly populated and lay far from cultivated districts.

Churches and Congregations

The settlers belonged to Little Missouri River Congregation at Capitol in Custer County, Montana. The congregation was established in 1889 by Pastor J. Tellefsen and originally belonged to Hauge’s Synod. By 1905, it was being served by pastors of the Norwegian Synod.

Sources:

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