Crawford County, Wisconsin

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian settler in Crawford County was Ole Runice from Sogn. He settled in Freeman Township in 1850. In 1852, Ole O. Rossevand, also known as Rosenwater, from Hægebostad settled in the vicinity of Rising Sun. He was the first Norwegian there, or at least one of the very first. While stopping for a short time at Koshkonong, his mother-in-law and many others died of cholera. Rossevand later served in the Civil War and took part in many bloody battles. On one occasion, the regiment to which he belonged lost three hundred men.

The Soldiers Grove Settlement

A large Norwegian settlement was established in the vicinity of Soldiers Grove in 1853. Among the first settlers were Nils Petersen Bjørkum from Årdal in Sogn; Ole Fortun and Torger Fortun from Luster; Christ Hooversen and Endre Hestethun from Årdal; and Hermund Opheim from Solvorn in Sogn. Many more people from Sogn arrived within a short period. These included Jacob Hoflund, Hans Natvik, Sjur Thompson Rundal, and Ole Thompson Rundal, all from Årdal; Erick Christensen Meljem, Jens Turbin, Asbjørn Olsen, Christopher Johnson, teacher Knut O. Fortun, and Arne Larsen, all from Luster; Andrew O. Lee from Hafslo; Ole Larsen Heller and Ole Halvorsen from Lærdal; Erik Sørensen Holseter from Solvorn; and Henry Nilsen Opsul. About the same time came Halvor Halvorsen Græsdal from Valdres and Ole Olsen (Ur?) from Hardanger.

Farming and Pioneer Economy

Prairie du Chien was the nearest market, about forty-five miles away. The settlers had to take their wheat and other farm products there for sale, and it was also where they purchased their supplies. Oxen were the only means of transportation. Cash was difficult to earn. Farmers sometimes paid their workers with one bushel of wheat for each day of labor.

Ole H. Kven’s Journey to America

Ole H. Kven, who lived a short distance north of Freeman, recalled his voyage to America:

“I emigrated in 1874 on the last sailing ship that carried emigrants to America. (See the ship Pontecorvo) Not far from Newfoundland, we collided with an iceberg. All the masts and everything on deck went overboard, while the ship itself was badly damaged. It was a terrible moment. The captain said that within five minutes we would all be dead. But Providence decided that we should live, and within twenty-four hours we were rescued by an English captain. We suffered greatly from hunger, however, because the captain had only enough provisions for his own crew, while there were 471 of us. For the remaining three weeks aboard, we received one English biscuit and one pint of water each day at noon. During that time, seventeen of our group died. Of those who finally reached land, many were so weak that they could not walk. We were all Norwegians.”

Many of the first settlers in this part of Wisconsin had to walk all the way from Milwaukee to their destinations.

Churches and Congregations

At the end of the 1850s, Elling Eielsen established a congregation in Freeman Township. It was the first Norwegian congregation in Crawford County. Crawford County had five Norwegian congregations and five churches. Two congregations belonged to the United Church, two to the Norwegian Synod, and one to Hauge’s Synod.

Public Office

T. R. Sime was the first Norwegian to hold a county office.

Atley Petersen was the first Norwegian to represent Crawford County in the State Legislature.

J. O. Davidsen, who belonged to Crawford County, was the first Norwegian-born Governor of Michigan.

Sources:

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