Deuel County, South Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

Enoch Larsen from Stavanger was the first Norwegian settler in Deuel County. He settled in the vicinity of Astoria in the early 1870s, although the exact year was unknown to the author. Since neighboring Brookings County had been settled by Norwegians in 1869, it was not long before Norwegian settlement also spread into Deuel County. Some of the settlers built log cabins, while most initially lived in dugouts. Wheat, oats, and livestock raising became the principal sources of income. During the early years, produce for sale had to be hauled all the way to New Ulm, about ninety miles away, where the settlers also purchased their supplies. Oxen were their only means of transportation, and those who worked for wages earned about seventy-five cents a day.

C. K. Fjerestad’s Pioneer Memories

The veteran schoolteacher C. K. Fjerestad of Toronto recalled that he had emigrated to America aboard the sailing ship Valkyrien. Looking through his diary, he found several incidents that he believed might be of interest. These included a collision in the North Sea, signals for assistance in the English Channel, an order to take to the lifeboats at two o’clock in the morning, repairs in England, and an emigrant banquet at Dover.  Read the full account about "The horrifying voyage on the Valkyrien from Bergen to Quebec in 1873".

Fjerestad continued keeping a diary after reaching America. Among the events he recorded was the severe winter of 1880–1881, when storms confined him and other pioneers on the South Dakota prairie for about six months, from October 16 until the middle of April. He recalled that during this period they risked their lives several times each week. He also described an unmarried woman whose house lay about eight feet beneath the accumulated snow. For six months, she had to climb down through an old empty barrel each day in order to enter her home. Another neighbor became lost while attempting to walk from the barn to the house. He and his young son were trapped about four feet beneath the snow for eighteen hours, from five o’clock in the afternoon until eleven the following morning. Fjerestad’s diary also contained more humorous observations, including the story of “Dilten’s ox,” which simply stopped working when the sun went down, and “Pipebla’s mule,” which fought with its owner every day, as though each were trying to kill the other.

Churches and Congregations

By 1905, Deuel County had eleven Norwegian congregations and nine churches. Four congregations belonged to the Norwegian Synod, three to the United Church, two to Hauge’s Synod, and two to the Methodist Church.

Public Office

Enoch Larsen and A. J. Torgerson were the first Norwegians to hold county office in Deuel County. Both were elected in 1878, Larsen as Treasurer and Torgerson as Commissioner. C. J. Petersen was the first Norwegian to represent Deuel County in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1890.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names in Deuel County included Skjold, Blom, Togstad, Norden, Skandinavia, and Brandt.

Sources:

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