Mille Lacs County, Minnesota

The First Norwegian Settlers

John Johnson from Kragerø was the first Norwegian in Mille Lacs County. He settled at Mille Lacs Lake in 1886 and operated his own steamship there. He had been a sea captain in Norway, so navigating a lake in the middle of Minnesota presented no great difficulty for him. At the time this account was written, he lived at Princeton.

This information was provided by John Skretting from Opstad in Jæren, who arrived shortly after Johnson and gave his name to the Opstad Post Office. Skretting reached his new home after many hardships. He had no difficulties with the Indians, however, because Johnson had civilized some of them and driven others away.

A few years after Skretting’s arrival came the brothers Hans Melsby and Ingvald Melsby, Peter O. Hagen, and a widow, Mrs. Anna Pettersen.

They were later followed by Helmik Skretting, Ole Thoreson, T. C. Thompson, Carl S. Johnson, Jonas Skrettingland, Amun Hagen, Peter Ottersen, Ole Langerud, Ole Andersen, Simon Gilbertsen, the brothers Hans Ruud, Martin Ruud, and August Ruud, August Anderson, Reinhart Graff, Anders Mathisen, Mathis Mathisen, Daniel Danielsen, Ole Danielsen, Chr. Fredriksen, Thor Anderson, Per Ellingbø, Louis Dale, S. Anderson, Bent Wamberg, Erick Dalen, Didrik Gabrielsen, Fr. Suckow, Henry Ree, and others.

The Greenbush Settlement

The first Norwegian settlers in the vicinity of Greenbush and Milo were Jens Olsen from Hartmark parish, John Aarseth from the Bergen area, and Andrew Homme from Bakke parish. They were followed by John Teutz from Grimstad, Jacob Ege from Lunde parish, Karl Berg from Eidskog, Daniel Andersen from Solør, Albert Jensen from Målselv, and Jacob Jacobsen from Kvinesdal. Later settlers included Ole H. Uglem from Selbu, O. P. Opsahl, G. Opsahl, John Erstad, Erik Pedersen, Erik Eriksen, and others.

Other Norwegian Settlements

The first Norwegians in the Bogus Creek Settlement were Absalon Nelson, John Folvik from Stjørdal, and Hans Christophersen from Gran parish. The first Norwegian settlers in the vicinity of Milaca were Stefanus Pedersen and Rasmus Rasmussen.

Churches and Congregations

The first Norwegian congregation in the county was established at Opstad in 1894 or 1895 by Pastor D. J. Grove of the Norwegian Synod. It was named the Holden Congregation.

By 1907, there were four Norwegian congregations and four churches in the county, all belonging to the Norwegian Synod.

Sources:

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