Lincoln County, Minnesota

The First Norwegian Settlement

Knut T. Nameland from Bakke in Setesdal described both the home his family had left behind and the beginning of Norwegian settlement in Lincoln County. His family settled in the Rock River Settlement, nine miles from Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1844 and remained there for three years. Their house was built of basswood. A large tree with the bark loosened along one side served as both a door and a hinge. From Wisconsin, the family moved to Boone County, Illinois, where they lived until 1870. Nameland then went to Lincoln County, Minnesota, which was still a wilderness. He believed that he was the first white man to visit the county with the intention of claiming land.

Some people of mixed Native American and European ancestry told him that forest could still be found there. Forest was highly valued by the early Norwegian settlers, who generally preferred wooded land when choosing a place to establish a home. Nameland wandered for four days without seeing another person or finding any wagon tracks, but he eventually found the land he was seeking. Later that year, many neighbors arrived. The land had not yet been surveyed. The nearest small post office was thirty-five miles away, and the nearest flour mill was sixty miles away. By the time Nameland wrote his account, it was only two miles to the nearest town, Porter.

The Organization of Lincoln County

The Honorable John Hanson of Hendricks reported that Lyon County was divided into two parts at the election of 1873. The western section, consisting of fifteen townships, was organized as Lincoln County. At that time, only a few Norwegian settlers lived in the county. They had settled in its northeastern part, near the site where the small town of Porter in Yellow Stone County was later established. Among them were Jacob Dahl and Johannes Dahl from the Trondheim area, both of whom had died by the time Hanson wrote his account. Amund Gunderson from Setesdal still lived there and cultivated his farm. Ole Syverson from Gudbrandsdalen was also still living but had moved away. These men and several others were the first settlers in Alta Vista Township. Marble Township lay west of Alta Vista. Several new settlers arrived there in 1872, including Ole Fladeland from Setesdal and Martin Paulson from Nordland. Both families moved away many years later and were probably deceased when Hanson wrote.

John Hanson and the Settlement of Hansonville

West of Marble lay Hansonville Township, where John Hanson was the first settler. He settled there on July 4, 1873, and humorously recalled that he served as its “absolute ruler” for almost three years. His domain, however, consisted only of grasshoppers and blackbirds. The position was therefore less impressive than the title suggested, although Hanson considered it sufficient while he remained, as he put it, one of “Uncle Sam’s sons,” or a bachelor, with unlimited freedom. Hanson wanted neighbors, but immigration to the area had stopped. He did not know whether the grasshoppers had frightened prospective settlers away, but he was willing to blame them. They were extremely numerous and consumed everything that was planted and sown.

Finding no other way to increase the population of the township, Hanson decided to marry. On April 5, 1876, Miss Karen Caulum from Nes, Hedmark, gave up her maiden name and became Mrs. Karen J. Hanson. Hanson observed that the marriage doubled the immigrant population of the township but reduced his authority by fifty percent.

Growth and Pioneer Hardships

In the spring of 1876, Hansonville Township contained only one family. By 1880, when Hanson served as an enumerator for the United States Census Bureau and conducted the census in Alta Vista, Marble, and Hansonville Townships, Hansonville had thirty families.

The three townships together contained nearly 150 families. At least ninety percent of the parents had been born in Norway. By that time, the grasshoppers had disappeared and the worst hardships had been overcome. A measure of prosperity had begun to replace poverty.

The winter of 1881 nevertheless created serious difficulties. Snow lay from three to twenty feet deep across the fields, making it impossible for the settlers to travel the thirty to forty miles to the mill. Almost everyone therefore had to grind flour in a coffee mill. They had enough wheat, and once they had learned what Hanson jokingly called the milling profession, they could produce their own flour, “a sort of first patent.”  The settlers were then in the prime of life, came from capable families, and enjoyed good health and strong appetites. They were not greatly troubled when the cold and snowdrifts bit their ears and noses, and they endured the hardships they encountered remarkably well.

Changes in the Settlement

Great changes took place between 1872 and the time Hanson wrote his account. The prairies were transformed into fertile fields and gardens, while groves of various sizes appeared on almost every farm. Prosperity increased, and comfortable homes could be seen throughout the area. Large, modern houses replaced the sod huts. Horses replaced oxen, and steam powered the threshing machines. Top buggies and surreys became the fashionable vehicles. Hanson summarized the social changes with characteristic humor: the homesteader was now called “Master,” while his wife wore false teeth and was called “Missus.”

Other Early Settlers

Other settlers who should be mentioned among the earliest residents were Lars Fjeseth, John Knutsen, Ole Nesseth, Nils Thoresen, and Ole E. Larson, all from Singsås; Knut Støver from Oppdal; and Jens Hansen, John Thoresen, and M. B. Nygaard. They arrived in 1876, most of them coming from Allamakee County, Iowa.

Churches and Congregations

Lincoln County had three Norwegian churches and five congregations. Two congregations belonged to the United Church, two to the Methodist Church, and one to the Norwegian Synod.

Public Office

John Hanson of Hendricks was the first Norwegian to hold public office in Lincoln County. He was elected County Commissioner in 1874.

He was also the first and, at the time the account was written, the only Norwegian to represent the county in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1886.

Norwegian Place Names

Townships with names of Norwegian origin included Hansonville and Drammen. For a time, there was also a post office named Harstad.

Sources:

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