Otter Tail County, Minnesota

The First Norwegian Settlers

The first Norwegian to claim land in Otter Tail County was Knud Quamme from Valdres. He settled in the vicinity of St. Olaf in 1867, but he soon gained neighbors.

During 1867 and 1868, the following settlers arrived, some with families and others alone: Ole Eggum and Knut Eggum from Lærdal; Tosten Thompson from Valdres; Halvor Berge, Ole Horness, and H. L. Horness from Voss; Tarald Olsen and Isak Thompson from Stod in Trøndelag; Kornelius Aasnes from Beitstad; Ole C. Dahl from Gudbrandsdalen; Ole O. Rohn from Hallingdal; Haldor Gulset and Nils Johnson from Selbu; Ole Berg and Johannes Berg from Hedmark; Peder Løkker from Odalen; Johannes Andersen and Knud Ericksen and Ole Ericksen from Reinli in Søndre Aurdal; Knut Olsen, Engebret Nelson, Nels E. Nelson, and Haldor E. Nelson from Nordre Aurdal; Petter Larsen from Hølen; Torleif Nilsen and Lars Nilsen from Røros; Amund Nilsen from Toten; Johan Grimseth and Ole Ihlseng from Hedmark; Berge Lee and Syver Lee from Voss; Nils Røvang from Slidre, Valdres; Carl Formo and Andrew Olsen from Trondheim; Gabriel Stoutland from Stavanger; Peder Penne from Kristiansand; Simon Weme from Ringerike; Theodor Andersen from Ådalen; Christian Sethre from Eidsvoll; and Ole Lillemon, Knut Paulsen, and Peder Trenes, whose birthplaces were unknown to the author.

These settlers established themselves over a large area that included St. Olaf, Tordenskjold, Dalton, Underwood, Wall Lake, Fergus Falls, and Elizabeth.

Settlements in Other Parts of the County

In the vicinity of Oscar, the first Norwegian settler was Hans Halvorsen from Toten, who arrived in 1869. At Stod, Knut Petersen from Toten settled in 1869. The first Norwegian settlers at Pelican Rapids were Christopher Anderson from Trøndelag; Brynild Syversen, Syver Olsen Steen, and Ole Olsen Steen from Voss; S. S. Sæbbe, Torbjørn Legreid, and Knut Legreid from Hardanger; and Tron Rishof from Krødsherad. They arrived in 1870. Tron Rishof lived three miles north of the other white settlers. By the time this account was written, he was living in Gary, Minnesota. Anders Estby from Kristiania (Oslo) was the first Norwegian settler at Clitherall, arriving in 1870. Iver O. Rødenæs from Rødenes was the first at Leaf Mountain, where he settled in 1871. Louris Thomas, also known as Thomasrud, was the first Norwegian settler at Vining. Halvor Anderson was the first at Worden.

Ole Jørgens and the Early Years

Ole Jørgens, one of the first Norwegian settlers in Otter Tail County and the man who proposed nearly all of the Norwegian town names in the county, was also its first Norwegian county official. He wrote extensively about conditions during the early settlement period. With the exception of the government road leading to Fort Abercrombie and Gary, there was not a single wagon road in the entire county. There were also no bridges, despite the many rivers and creeks. Jørgens’ first encounter with the Otter Tail River came when he swam across it with his boots on, carrying a township map and a compass in his hat.

On the first Christmas Eve that he and his family celebrated in their home at Wall Lake, they had to provide shelter for two families of mixed Native American ancestry. Their log cabin measured only twelve feet square, but the night was bitterly cold and stormy, and the visiting families had many small children. Norwegians and Indians were therefore crowded together inside the little cabin.

Mosquitoes, Blackbirds, and Grasshoppers

Among the things that made pioneer life unpleasant were mosquitoes, blackbirds, and grasshoppers. The mosquitoes were large, everywhere, and extremely aggressive, causing constant torment to both people and livestock. Blackbirds could destroy newly planted fields if they were not kept away. Women and children therefore had to patrol the fields with scarecrows and rifles. 

The grasshoppers were equally destructive. Jørgens recalled one occasion when he was traveling from Elizabeth to Pelican Rapids. Something began falling into his buggy, and when he looked upward, he saw that the sky was filled with falling specks. The road was soon covered with hopping grasshoppers. They were so numerous that they actually darkened the sun. When he returned the following day, the wheat had been completely eaten, leaving only the straw standing.

Books, Birds, and Fish

On another occasion, Jørgens visited a neighbor and found him in the process of burning a valuable Swedish book. Jørgens reproached him for destroying it. The man admitted that burning the book was wrong but argued that education and books were of little use in such a wilderness. The wilderness, however, offered other advantages. The woods were full of birds, and the streams contained large quantities of fish. In this respect, Jørgens believed conditions had been better then than they were later.

As an example, he recalled walking along Battle Lake and killing a partridge with a stick. He gave the bird to the Larson family, whose home he had stopped at to rest. Old Mr. and Mrs. Larson were the parents-in-law of the well-known John Schrøeder.

Nils Johnson Aftret’s Recollection

Nils Johnson Aftret of St. Olaf Township recalled that his wife gave birth to a son shortly after they arrived. There was no house available, so the family had to live in their wagon. The mosquitoes were so numerous and aggressive that both people and animals were nearly driven mad by them. Remarkably, however, not a single mosquito attacked the newborn child.

The Indian Scare

O. T. Bjørnaas of Underwood described an Indian scare that occurred during harvest, probably in 1871. 

One day, a neighbor arrived with the alarming news that Indians were approaching, “ravaging and burning wherever they went,” and that the settlers should gather at a designated place to receive instructions. Bjørnaas immediately sent word to his nearest neighbor on the other side, took his rifle, and went to the meeting place. A number of settlers had already gathered there. Everyone knew that Indians were expected, but no one knew how close they were. A man was therefore sent to another meeting place farther west to obtain more information and learn what the settlers there intended to do. He returned with the message that no one knew where the enemy was, but that they could be expected at any time. Each group would therefore have to take whatever precautions it considered best. The settlers had little choice but to wait. A lake lay beside their meeting place, with an island that was considered a possible defensive position if an attack came. No final decision was made, however. Meanwhile, a hill in neighboring Tordenskjold Township appeared to offer a better defensive position, and fortifications were begun there.

The Indians never came. Bjørnaas suggested that they may have been discouraged by the number of white settlers in the woods, adding humorously that perhaps the name Tordenskjold itself had been enough to keep them away. The settlers therefore escaped an attack, but the alarm caused considerable confusion. Many abandoned homes on which they had already spent much labor. Some later returned, while others did not.

Olava Vik, “Doktor Gamla”

In any account of pioneer life in Otter Tail County, Olava Vik must also be mentioned.

Originally from Nordre Trondhjems Amt (Nord Trøndelag), she was regarded as the oldest woman in Minnesota until shortly before this account was written. She died in 1904 at the age of ninety-six. She was widely known as “Doktor Gamla” because of her skill in treating wounds. Many people were said to owe the preservation of their limbs to her. Physicians might recommend amputation, but she would find another treatment, and her instructions had to be followed. Anyone who sought her help and then failed to do as she said quickly "learned their lesson.”

Distance to Market

The nearest market for the first settlers was St. Cloud, approximately 150 miles away. This was an exceptionally long journey, especially considering that oxen were their only means of transportation.

Churches and Congregations

Two Norwegian congregations were established in Otter Tail County in 1870. Pastor T. Vetlesen of the Norwegian Synod founded the Hedemarkens Congregation in Oscar Township at Carlisle, while Pastor J. A. Berge of the Conference founded the Tordenskjold Congregation. The first Norwegian church in the county was built by the Hedemarkens Congregation in 1871.

By about 1907, Otter Tail County had fifty-seven Norwegian congregations and forty-eight churches. Nineteen congregations belonged to the United Church, thirteen to the Norwegian Synod, ten to the Lutheran Free Church, ten to Hauge’s Synod, two to the Evangelical Free Church, two to the Methodist Church, and one to the Baptist Church.

Otter Tail County ranked highest in the number of Norwegian churches. No other county in America had as many as forty-eight.

Public Office

As mentioned above, Ole Jørgens was the first Norwegian county official. He was elected County Auditor in 1869.

Mikkel Anderson Fedje was the first Norwegian to represent Otter Tail County in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1879.

Newspapers and Institutions

Normanna Banner, later known as the Fergus Falls Weekly, began publication in 1878. Rodhuggeren and Red River Tidende were also published in Fergus Falls for a time.

Park Region Lutheran College was established in Fergus Falls in 1892. St. Lucas Hospital was established later in the same city.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names included Aastad, Friberg, Sverre, Weggeland, Vining, Dora, Oscar, Sverdrup, Tordenskjold, St. Olaf, Norwegian Grove, Aurdal, Stod, Trondheim, Nidaros, Henning, and Folden.

Sources:

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