Kewaunee County, Wisconsin

Early Norwegian Settlement

John Øien and Tollef Øien from Østerdalen were the first Norwegian settlers in Kewaunee County. They came from Port Washington and settled near Tisch Mills in 1854. Later that same year came Ole Christensen and Didrik Christensen from Lier near Drammen, as well as Ole Jensen from Kristiania (Oslo). Halvor Johnson from Stavanger arrived about the same time.

Skovland

The settlers established themselves at Skovland, built log cabins, and began clearing the land. Day laborers earned twenty-five cents a day plus board. Wheat and rye became the settlement’s principal sources of income. Two Rivers was the nearest market, and the settlers traveled there by ox team.

Churches and Congregations

A Norwegian Lutheran congregation was established in 1855 by Pastor J. A. Ottesen of the Norwegian Synod. The church was built around 1860. By 1905, Kewaunee County had two Norwegian congregations and two churches. One congregation belonged to the Norwegian Synod and the other to the United Church.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in Kewaunee County included Krok and Norman.

Sources:

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