Lyon County, Minnesota

The First Norwegian Settlers

Johan Mo, a bachelor from Trøndelag, was the first Norwegian settler in Lyon County. He settled near Cottonwood in 1870.

Another Trønder, Nils Nilsen Rosvold from Leksvik, arrived in 1871. He and his wife walked from Brownsville to Spring Grove in Houston County and continued from there by oxcart to their new home. Their first task was to dig a dwelling into a hillside, where they lived for eight years. Snow often covered the dugout so completely that they had to dig an opening to get in or out, much like prairie gophers. Such dwellings were all that many new settlers could afford. Three men from Valdres also arrived in 1871: Johannes Andersen from Etnedal, O. Brenna, and Ole Brotten. They were followed by Knut Brotten and Mikkel Snortum, also from Valdres.

The Settlement at Minneota

The first Norwegian settlers near Minneota were the brothers Svennung Pedersen and Ole Pedersen from Solør; Johannes Ilstad from Stavanger; Torjus Flom from Sogn; Nils Torgersen, Halvor Nyland, Vetle Hovden, Torjus Loftsgaarden, and Ole Nordbo, all from Telemark; Fred Holritz from Kristiania (Oslo); Nils Gregersen, Tobias Trana, Niels Anderson, and Ole Myrvik, the last four from Nordland; and A. O. Strand, Jacob Hansen, Torbjørn Hansen, and Ole Espe. They engaged primarily in wheat farming and cattle raising. Because of the grasshopper infestations, however, they harvested very little wheat during the first years. Their nearest market was St. Peter, seventy-five miles away.

N. B. Nelson Kvamme

One of the Minneota pioneers who endured the most severe hardships was N. B. Nelson Kvamme. He left Norway with his parents in 1851. The family came from Lærdal parish. Shortly before their departure, his mother had given birth to a child. She was still weak and became seriously ill after they went to sea. Under these circumstances, his father was overcome with regret that he had brought his family, against his better judgment, on such a long and difficult voyage by sailing ship. Eventually, he lost his reason. The mother was thus left in a foreign country, far from relatives and friends, with five small children to care for.

The Snowstorm of 1872

Ole Nordbo suffered severe frostbite to his feet during a snowstorm in 1872. He spent most of the storm inside a boxcar. Hans Samuelsen was caught outdoors for three days before finding his way home to his family. Nils Torgersen lost his oxen in the same storm.

The Settlements at Florence and Tracy

The first Norwegian settlers near Florence were E. K. Rønning, C. P. Myran, John Myran, H. P. Sanden, Andrew Sanden, and C. P. Sanden, all from Oppdal; C. J. Halset from Fron; and Peder Anderson from Rennebu. The first settlers in the vicinity of Tracy were Ole Helgesen, Ole Andersen, Kittel Christoffersen, and Asle O. Bjerkerud, most or perhaps all of them from Sigdal, together with Nils S. Taarud. Taarud gave the town where he lived the name Dovray, derived from Dovre.

Iver S. Roti’s Journey West

Iver S. Roti from Nordfjord, who later lived in Cottonwood, described his journey west with his wife. They came from Norway to Trempealeau, Wisconsin, in 1871. From there, they traveled by steamboat up the Mississippi River to Winona and then continued westward on foot. Their lodging on the first night was a haystack near an Indian tent. The following day, just as they reached an elevation that gave them a broad view of the western plains, a storm broke out with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. They were greatly frightened but continued their journey and eventually reached Beaver Creek.

Ole A. Lien’s Account of Pioneer Life

Ole A. Lien, another pioneer of Lyon County, provided a detailed account of the hardships faced by the early settlers. Nearly everyone who came to the county was poor, and there was little opportunity to earn money locally. Those who wanted paid work had to travel east to Rice and Goodhue Counties, and sometimes even farther. Conditions were made still more difficult by the grasshoppers, which devastated the area during the first seven years of settlement.

Lien also recalled the severe winter of 1880–81. It began so early that almost no one was prepared. A violent blizzard arrived in the middle of October, and large numbers of livestock died on the prairie, either freezing to death or being smothered beneath the snow. One storm followed another at short intervals throughout the winter, cutting off nearly all contact with the outside world. The railroad was blocked most of the time, and traveling to town with a team was nearly impossible. The settlers had to make do with only the most necessary supplies. These had to be carried by hand or transported on homemade sleds pulled behind them while they traveled on skis.

The greatest difficulties were obtaining flour and fuel. Many families survived the winter on flour ground in coffee mills. In large households, someone had to sit at the mill continuously from morning until night throughout the winter. For fuel, the settlers burned hay, straw, and anything else available. When circumstances became desperate, they even burned furniture.

Churches and Congregations

The St. Lucas Congregation at Brenner was established in 1875 by Pastor K. Torstenson of the Norwegian Synod. It was the first Norwegian congregation in Lyon County.

By about 1907, the county had fifteen Norwegian congregations and ten churches. Eight congregations belonged to the United Church, five to the Norwegian Synod, and two to the Lutheran Free Church.

Public Office

Hans Oakland and O. H. Dahl were the first Norwegians to hold public office in the county.

Oakland was elected County Commissioner in 1875, while Dahl was elected Clerk of Court that same year.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names in Lyon County included Nordland, Eidsvold, Sverdrup, Vallers, and Westerheim.

Sources:

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