Early Norwegian Settlement
The first Norwegian settlers in the county were Edward and Johan Hansen from Bryn in Røyken. They came from Koshkonong, Wisconsin, and settled at Long Island, Kansas, in 1874. They initially lived in dugouts and began raising wheat and corn. For two consecutive years, however, grasshoppers destroyed the crops, creating severe food shortages among the settlers. According to the source, they survived in part by hunting buffalo. Kearney Junction, about seventy-five miles away, was their nearest marketplace.
Churches and Congregations
Long Island Lutheran Mission Congregation was established in 1877 by Pastor O. Baker. By 1905, it remained the first and only Norwegian congregation in the county.
Sources:
[Ulvestad, Martin. Nordmændene i Amerika. Utg. History Book Company's Forlag. Minneapolis, Minn. 1907.]
Places Mentioned in the Register
2 people recorded from this county. See all persons →
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