Clay County, South Dakota

The First Norwegian Settlement in South Dakota

The first Norwegian settlers in Clay County were also, according to this account, the first white settlers in South Dakota, which was then still a territory and largely under Indian control. They were Sjur Halvorsen Myran from Hallingdal, Lars A. Torblaa from Ulvik, Hardanger, Ole Olsen Gjeitli from Voss, and Elling Olsen Engum from Sogn. They settled in the vicinity of Vermillion in 1859 after coming from Koshkonong in Dane County, Wisconsin. They crossed the Missouri River at St. James, Nebraska. According to tradition, Lars Torblaa was the first to set out across the river, using a wagon box as a makeshift boat. It was further said that he had a calf with him in the wagon box. The author treated the story about the calf with some skepticism, while accepting the rest of the account as reliable.

Other Norwegians reached South Dakota at about the same time but crossed the Missouri about ten miles farther east. They included Bottolf Larsen Jordalen, Ole Bottolfsen, Erick Olsen Selland, Anders Olsen Selland, Erik Johnson Lunde, and Mikkel Rokne, all from Voss; Aslak Iversen from Ulvik, Hardanger; and Nils Ellingsen from Sogn. Others who arrived at about the same time or somewhat later included Simon Børjer, Christen Jordalen, Anders Ulvhund, Erik Nilsen Stalheim, Ole Lunde, Ingebrigt Siversen, Joe Førde, Herman Pedersen, and Knudt Ulvaaen, all or at least most of them from Voss; Elling Sande, Kolbein Olsen, and Sivert Olsen from Sogn; Steggen, Hans, Sivert, Helge, and Halvor Myran, together with Tollev Leikvold, Ole Ellefsen, and Andrew Hesla, all from Hallingdal; and Thorbjørn Thompson, Thomas Thompson, and Amund Hansen from Hardanger.

The First Norwegian Child

Ole Olsen Gjeitli Jr. wrote that he was the first white child born in South Dakota, a claim the author stated was confirmed by the South Dakota Historical Society. He was born on March 2, 1860. At one point, he and his parents were forced to flee from their home to Council Bluffs, nearly two hundred miles away, to escape the threat of an Indian attack.

Early Journeys and Hardships

O. C. Larsen wrote that his father walked from Dubuque, Iowa, to Vermillion, South Dakota. Since Dubuque lies on Iowa’s eastern border, this meant that he crossed almost the entire state of Iowa on foot before continuing into South Dakota. Jacob J. Mortvedt recalled that his brother froze to death during a snowstorm in 1868, the first winter he spent in the territory. He had gone to the well for water but became disoriented in the storm and could not find his way back to the house, although it was only eight rods away. D. E. Oursland wrote that Norwegians had already been in the area for five years when he arrived and had experienced conflict with the Indians. Some settlers had been frightened away to Sioux City but later returned.

H. K. Hansen’s Account

H. K. Hansen provided the most extensive account of the early settlement. He recalled that a number of the first settlers established themselves close together on the lowlands along the Missouri River before the land had been surveyed. When the survey was completed, it became clear that several of their houses stood on the same claim, which belonged to an “Østlending.” This led to disagreement among the settlers. During the night, some of the houses were hauled away, while others were burned. The settlers subsequently spread out across the county. Some took claims on higher ground, while others settled along the riverbanks, where there was some forest. Hansen wrote that on July 20, the Indians received their first compensation for the land. Only after this, he stated, did they allow the white settlers to establish themselves there. Until then, settlement had been strictly forbidden. According to his account, a young Indian chief wanted to kill all the white settlers, but another Indian named “Gray-Face” opposed him and shot him on the spot. Gray-Face later became a scout with a cavalry company and, in Hansen’s telling, killed more Indians than all of Harney’s army of four thousand men. He was remembered as a loyal friend and defender of the white settlers.

Prairie Fire and the Clay Creek Settlement

Hansen emphasized that the early settlers faced many dangers, and prairie fires were among the worst. During the first great fire in the fall of 1861, many settlers lost hogs, chickens, and other property. The most serious loss was often their hay, because without it they could not feed their livestock through the winter. As a result, a number of settlers moved away and established a new settlement at Clay Creek. Not long afterward, however, Indian hostilities broke out again. Indians passed through the Clay Creek Settlement, burned several buildings, and drove away many horses and cattle.

Kjersti Pedersen

During this period, a widow named Kjersti Pedersen decided to return from Vermillion to her claim at Clay Creek to recover her cattle, even though the men did not dare make the journey. “I must have my cattle, or I can’t feed my children over the winter,” she said before setting out." She spent the night lying in the tall grass and returned to Vermillion the following day with her cattle.

Torbjør Gjeitli

When word reached the settlers that Indians were “harrying and burning” in Yankton County and could be expected in Clay County at any time, Ole Olsen Gjeitli was away from home. His wife, Torbjør, placed a yoke on the ox, put her children into the wagon, and started toward Vermillion. About halfway there, a pin fell out of the ox’s collar. The ox, apparently less concerned about the Indians than the family, wandered into a swamp and calmly began drinking water and eating grass.

Martha Odland

Martha Odland, like Kjersti Pedersen, was concerned about saving her cattle for the sake of her children. She drove her cows through swamps and tall grass toward Vermillion. When she finally arrived, her feet were described as looking like raw flesh because she had made the journey without stockings or shoes.

Ingeborg Lunde

Ingeborg Lunde, the widow of Bottolf Larsen, was preparing dinner when two soldiers rode up at full gallop and shouted, “Flee for your life, the Indians are coming!” She immediately emptied the cooking pot into the fire to extinguish it and fled. Most of the settlers escaped directly to Sioux City.

Lars B. Jordalen and Bendik Olsen

Some soldiers were stationed at Vermillion at the time, but on the day of the alarm only a few remained behind to guard the camp. Two elderly Norwegians, Lars B. Jordalen and Bendik Olsen, believed they were too old to flee and instead crept into a tent belonging to some of the absent soldiers. When the soldiers returned that evening, Bendik, who spoke the better English, explained: “We are Norwegians, we have entered your home, but we will go out again!” The author added that Bendik was one of those who believed that a man who could speak his mother tongue clearly and properly could travel anywhere, even to Constantinople.

Peder Nilsen and the Indian Wars

It had been claimed that Ole Bottolfsen was the first Probate Court Judge in the area, but the author stated that this was incorrect. Peder Nilsen from Kristiansand was the first person elected to that office. Peder Nilsen had a son named Anton who enlisted for service during the Indian Wars in 1863. One day Anton went to an Indian camp to purchase something, but he was shot before reaching it. Soldiers then rushed toward the camp, forcing the Indians to flee before they had time to scalp him. Peder Nilsen later left South Dakota and, by the time this account was written, was believed to have died.

Grasshoppers and Flood

Hansen did not devote much space to the grasshopper plagues, but he confirmed that they destroyed the settlers’ crops during many years. The author emphasized the reliability of Hansen’s account, noting that he had come to Vermillion in 1868 and had lived among the first settlers ever since. Hansen also recalled the great flood of 1881. The Missouri River became blocked near Vermillion by snow and ice piled to heights of forty to one hundred feet. The obstruction remained until it melted in the spring, and floodwaters reached depths of four to fourteen feet on farms in Clay County.

From Pioneer Hardship to Prosperity

H. K. Hansen concluded his account by noting that he had just spoken by telephone with O. C. Larsen, who told him that he was collecting statistics for the author. The author specifically included this remark about the telephone because he regarded it as evidence of how far the farming community had progressed despite the hardships of the pioneer years. By 1905, farmers in the settlement had telephones in their homes, large and comfortable houses, and well-cultivated farms. The author had seen these improvements himself and emphasized that similar changes could be found throughout Norwegian settlements in America.

The First Norwegian Congregation in Dakota

As might be expected, the first Norwegian congregation in Dakota was organized in Clay County. It was established in 1864 under the name “The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Dakota Territory.” The name reflected the congregation’s extensive geographical reach. Its parish covered the entire southern part of Clay County and extended well into Yankton County to the west and Union County to the east. Most of its members, however, lived in Meckling and Norway Townships in Clay County. The first services were held in a small farmhouse belonging to Anders Ulvhund. The congregation was later divided into three parishes: Bergen in Clay County, Vangen in Yankton County, and Brule Creek in Union County. Pastor Jens Krohn of the Norwegian Synod had already visited the area in 1864. Pastor Emil Christensen, also of the Norwegian Synod, settled there in 1867 and became Clay County’s first resident Norwegian pastor. Bergen Congregation built a church in 1871. The author noted that the first Norwegian church in the state was located in Yankton County.

By 1905, Clay County had thirteen Norwegian congregations and eleven churches. Five congregations belonged to the Norwegian Synod, four to the United Church, three to Hauge’s Synod, and one to Elling Eielsen’s Society.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in Clay County included Norway Township and Komstad Post Office.

Sources:

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