McLean County, North Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

Jens Olsen from Kristiansand and J. P. Petersen from Hurdal were the first Norwegian settlers in McLean County. They settled in the vicinity of Washburn during the 1880s.

Churches and Congregations

Sverdrup Congregation was established at Washburn in 1883 and was the first Norwegian congregation in McLean County. Its first pastor was C. O. Aubol, who at that time belonged to the Norwegian Synod and later became editor of Lutheraneren, the organ of the United Church. The congregation built the first, and st that time the only, Norwegian church in the county in 1905. By 1905, McLean County had eight Norwegian congregations. Four belonged to the United Church and four to the Norwegian Synod.

Public Office

J. P. Petersen, mentioned above as one of the first Norwegian settlers, was also the first Norwegian to hold public office in McLean County. He was elected County Commissioner in 1884.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in McLean County included Sverdrup and Oscar.

Sources:

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