Griggs County, North Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

Amund Nilsen Opheim, who came from Winneshiek County, Iowa, and settled in the vicinity of Romness in 1878, was the first Norwegian settler in Griggs County. He was from Hardanger and became known as “Pioneer Nelson.” He was the first white settler in the extensive Sheyenne Valley. He and his family lived there for a couple of years before other white settlers began to arrive. He had spent his youth at Cambridge, Wisconsin, and later moved to the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa, before finally settling in North Dakota. Many later settlers remembered him with gratitude for the help and experienced guidance he had given them during the early years.

Gustav Olson came with him but soon moved away. In 1880, John Haagensen from Åmot, Østerdalen; A. C. Lybeck from Land; Gilbert Olsen from Ringsaker; A. Nelson from Østmarken; Iver Siem from Hardanger; and J. E. Qualey from Sogndal also settled in the area. Valley City, about forty-five miles away, was the nearest market for the Romness settlement. The settlers hauled their wheat and oats there.

Settlement near Cooperstown, Hannaford, and Gallatin

In 1880, Ed Evensen from Østre Toten, together with A. Gundersen, I. Johnson, S. Nelson, Tob. Lima, and Even Løge, settled in the vicinity of Cooperstown and Hannaford. In 1881, S. Sandersen from Kristiania (Oslo) settled in the Gallatin area and was the first Norwegian settler there.

T. Fulglestad’s Pioneer Recollections

T. Fulglestad from Birkrem, later of Cooperstown, emigrated in 1883. His railroad ticket took him as far as Valley City in Barnes County because the railroad had not yet been completed northward into Griggs County. From Valley City, the emigrants traveled by ox cart across the open prairie to Griggs County. Many poor settlers had taken homesteads there the previous year, and in the spring of 1883 their situation was critical. The spring was bad, their winter provisions had been exhausted, and both people and livestock were in danger of starvation. A severe flood prevented them from reaching town, which was already far away. According to Fulglestad, help nevertheless arrived in time.

During his first winter in the county, Fulglestad himself narrowly escaped death. He and his brother-in-law had accompanied a neighbor to town. After returning to the neighbor’s dugout in the evening, they still had a considerable distance to walk before reaching their own home. The weather was bitterly cold, the snow reached their knees, and visibility was poor. They soon lost their way and wandered across the empty prairie until late at night. Eventually they came upon an abandoned lumber shanty. About a foot of snow covered the floor, wind blew through the cracks, and there was neither a stove nor firewood. Fortunately, they had a few matches. They began tearing up the floorboards and used the wood to make a fire. Even then the shanty remained extremely cold, and they had to endure the smoke from the fire throughout the night. The following morning, they finally reached home and found their young wives, who had also spent a sleepless night worrying about them.

A Journey to the Turtle Mountains

Fulglestad’s older brother, who had emigrated before him, also experienced the dangers of traveling across the Dakota prairie. In 1882, he heard that land was available in the Turtle Mountains and decided to investigate. Carrying a map, compass, and a pack of food, he set out alone on foot. The journey was about two hundred miles. When his provisions were gone, he survived by shooting hares and other game. He walked steadily during the day and slept outdoors at night. Along his route, there were neither houses nor settlers. Eventually he reached the forested Turtle Mountains. Only then did he fully realize how isolated he was, far from settled communities and surrounded by wild animals and Indians, whose tracks he had seen. Despite this, he liked the land. He returned and persuaded his brothers Godtfred and Sefanius to accompany him back and settle there. They later established themselves among the Indians at Dunseith in Rolette County.

Churches and Congregations

Ringsaker, Thime, and Ottawa Congregations were established in 1882 by Pastor J. J. Lundeby of the Conference and were the first Norwegian congregations in Griggs County. The first Norwegian church in the county was built by Ringsaker Congregation at Romness in 1887. By 1905, Griggs County had nineteen Norwegian congregations and eighteen churches. Twelve congregations belonged to the United Church, three to the Lutheran Free Church, one to the Norwegian Synod, one to Hauge’s Synod, one to the Evangelical Free Church, and one to the Methodist Church.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in Griggs County included Romness and Sverdrup.

Sources:

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