Lake County, South Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegians in Lake County were Lars Johnson, Martin Olsen, John A. Johnson, Peder Johnson, Martin Johnson, and Carl Johnson. They came from Winneshiek County, Iowa, and settled in the vicinity of Madison in 1874. As far as the author knew, all were from Toten, and at least the first four were certainly from there. Wheat, oats, and barley became the settlers’ most important products for sale. At first, they had to haul their crops all the way to Luverne, Minnesota, a distance of forty to fifty miles. Later, Sioux Falls became a market, but it too was a long journey by ox team. During the first years, the settlers lived in sod houses.

Prairie Queen

The first Norwegians in Summit Township, also known as Prairie Queen, were A. J. Lee, Ole O. Overskei, Even Borgaard, and Christopher Olsen. They settled there in 1878. In 1880, the settlers built their first schoolhouse, made of sod, and it remained in use for many years. During the severe winter of 1880–1881, the railroad was blocked by snow and travel was possible only on skis. The settlers therefore had to grind enough wheat for household use in coffee mills. During the first ten years, hay and straw were their only fuels for heating.

Churches and Congregations

Lake Madison Congregation, established in the late 1870s, was the oldest Norwegian congregation in Lake County. Its first pastor was O. O. Sando of the Norwegian Synod. The congregation built the county’s first Norwegian church, which later belonged to the United Church. By 1905, Lake County had six Norwegian congregations and five churches. Three congregations belonged to the United Church and three to the Norwegian Synod.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names in Lake County included Orland and Egge.

Sources:

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