Cass County, North Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

Bernt Anderson from Hedmark and Christian O. Bye from Røros were the first Norwegian settlers in Cass County. Anderson is mentioned in connection with the pioneers on the opposite side of the Red River in Clay County, Minnesota, since he came west with that group. Christian O. Bye, however, belongs to the history of Cass County itself.

Bye left Wilmington, in the southeastern corner of Minnesota, with his wife, children, household goods, and a wagon drawn by four oxen. A man named Ole Hovland accompanied the family as far as Otter Tail County, Minnesota, where he remained. Bye and his family continued toward the Red River Valley as planned. In the spring of 1870, they crossed the Red River with their oxen, family, and all their possessions and settled at Wild Rice, North Dakota.

He was followed by his brother John O. Bye from Røros; Ole Hersgaard, Peder Hersgaard, and H. Haagensen from Hallingdal; Ole Nelson from Hallingdal; A. P. Bordrud, B. Trongsrud, and Ole Tuskind from Solør; Ole Herbrandsen from Numedal; Hans Bjerke and Halvor Olsen from Toten; Henry Clemensen from Lillehammer, or possibly Fredrikshald; C. O. Brink from Kristiania (Oslo); Ole Holmen and J. Holmen from Verdal; J. G. Nelson, P. Nelson, and N. Nelson (Walla) from Øyer, Gudbrandsdalen; Halvar K. Strand from Valdres; Conrad Moe from Namsos; as well as Jens Olson, P. Dustrud, and C. Glasrud, whose birthplaces were unknown. Because they were already numerous, these settlers spread over a wide area.

Farming, Markets, and River Work

The settlers began growing wheat and practicing mixed farming. Their nearest markets were Alexandria and Morris, Minnesota, which were between sixty and eighty miles from their respective farms. Many Norwegian settlers in the Red River Valley also found employment aboard the steamboats operating between Fort Abercrombie and Winnipeg. The author remarked that Norwegians were particularly well suited to this kind of work, as though they felt naturally at home on the water. He added, however, that they were no less capable on land.

Norwegian Cultural Institutions

The Norwegian settlers demonstrated their attachment to Norwegian culture by erecting monuments to Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Henrik Wergeland. A Norwegian museum was also established at the State Agricultural College in Fargo.

C. Fredriksen’s Pioneer Recollections

C. Fredriksen recalled that he was seven years old when he and his mother left St. Ansgar, Iowa, for what he described as the barren lands of North Dakota. This was in September 1871. They traveled by rail as far as Morris, Minnesota, where his father met them. From there, they continued by ox cart for about 160 miles across the open prairie. Fredriksen remembered that they had gone far beyond the limits of established settlement, something they experienced in many ways. Mail arrived only occasionally, and news could already be three months old by the time it reached them.

The mail was carried between Fort Abercrombie and Fort Totten, and there was a stop for the mail carrier about ten miles from their settlement. The man who operated the stop was described by Fredriksen as half-Indian and unable to read. The settlers were therefore permitted to go through the mail themselves whenever they expected letters. Everyone did so, and whoever arrived last naturally had to be satisfied with whatever remained. Fredriksen did not believe that anyone accused the others of stealing mail, but he observed that such a postal system was clearly unsatisfactory and would never have been tolerated in later times.

A North Dakota Blizzard

Fredriksen also recalled the severity of the early North Dakota blizzards. He believed that weather conditions had changed since the pioneer period, after the land had been cultivated and trees planted. During the early years, however, a blizzard could become so dense that a person could not see even five feet ahead. One such storm occurred in March 1872, when Arne Skjei set out on skis to collect the mail for settlers in the neighborhood. The weather was pleasant that morning, and he expected to return the same day. During the afternoon, however, the wind suddenly increased, and within half an hour the blowing snow had become so dense that Skjei could no longer see beyond the tips of his skis. There were no settlers within many miles, and attempting to find a house would have been dangerous. He therefore chose the only course he believed could save his life: he dug himself into the snow and remained there until the storm had passed. The following day, he returned home in good condition, to the relief and astonishment of everyone in the settlement.

Churches and Congregations

Sheyenne Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was established at Norman in 1872 by Pastor Torjus Wetlesen of the Norwegian Synod. Its first serving pastor was J. A. Hellestvedt. The first Norwegian church in Cass County was built in Fargo in 1879 by Pontoppidan Norwegian Evangelical Congregation, which belonged to the Conference. By 1905, Cass County had nineteen Norwegian congregations and sixteen churches. Six congregations belonged to the United Church, six to the Norwegian Synod, three to the Evangelical Free Church, and one to the Baptist Church.

Public Office

Martin O. Hexom was the first Norwegian from Cass County to hold public office. He served in the Dakota Territory Legislature at Yankton in 1877. P. P. Nokken, who was elected County Treasurer in 1878, was the first Norwegian to hold county office in Cass County. John O. Bye, mentioned above among the early settlers, represented Cass County in the first North Dakota State Legislature in 1889–1890.

Norwegian-American Newspapers

The Red River Posten was established in 1879, as well as Norsk-Amerikaneren, Amerikaneren, Fargo-Posten, Vesten, Fargo-Posten og Vesten, Dakota, the second Fargo-Posten, and Fram.

Education and Health Care

A business school with the Norwegian H. H. Aaker as superintendent was established in Fargo in 1902. A Norwegian hospital was established in the same city in 1904.

Norwegian Place Names

In earlier years, Cass County had three post offices with Norwegian names: Norman, Trysil, and Saunders. Saunders was named after the Norwegian Ole Sanders.

Sources:

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