Polk County, Minnesota

The First Norwegian Settlers

The first Norwegian settlers in Polk County were Leif Steenerson from Telemark, Ole Estensen from Tynset, and H. Simon, P. Simon, G. Spokkeli, and Tollef Tollefsen. They came from Houston County, Minnesota, and settled near Climax and Nielsville in 1871. Their nearest market was Alexandria, 150 miles away. This was before railroads and other faster means of transportation reached the area, and the settlers had to rely on oxen regardless of the distance they needed to travel. They initially engaged in cattle raising, but wheat farming soon became the county’s principal source of income.

The Crookston Settlement

The first Norwegians in the vicinity of Crookston were Peter Cornelius from the Kristiania (Oslo) area; the brothers Arens Simmons and Isak Simmons; O. S. Johnson; Knut Brandvold; and Bernhard Sampson in 1872. Jeweler Nels Olson recalled that he came there as a traveling salesman in 1873. At that time, there was neither a town nor a post office, and the settlers had to collect their mail at Grand Forks.

The Settlement at Fertile

Knute Nelson from Bolstad in Voss, not the senator but another Knut Nelson, was the first white man to settle in the vicinity of Fertile. The first person he encountered there was an Indian on horseback.

The McIntosh Settlement

The first Norwegian settlers near McIntosh were K. R. Newton, whose parents came from Setesdal; Knut A. Helle, Ole H. Hosto, and O. S. Sannes, also from Setesdal; Gunnar Husby, John J. Torske, and Martin Iversen from Trondheim; John D. Knutsen from Stavanger; Fredrik Hansen and J. B. Hansen from Gudbrandsdalen; H. Helgesen from Valdres; Tobias Støbraaten and A. P. Envold from Toten; and Ole O. Stenmoen and Ole P. Rukke from Hallingdal.

The Granville Settlement

Mrs. Ingeborg Bee from Oppdal and Inger Bee were the first to claim land near Granville. They were followed by Johannes Bee (known for the practical manure spreader he invented), Lars Eriksen, Rolf Olsen, A. Syrstad, A. Heierstad, Ole Hendriksen, Thomas Hendriksen, and Hendrik Hendriksen.

A correspondent from the area described how the first wheat crops were threshed:

“I do not know of anything especially interesting to tell about pioneer life, unless it might be the way the first wheat harvests were threshed. It was late in the fall and very cold. Water was poured over the ground and allowed to freeze until the surface became as hard as stone. The bundles of wheat were then spread across the ice, and cows and oxen were driven over them until the grain was separated from the straw. It was not a fast process, but if the threshing was finished by Christmas Eve, it was considered a job well done.”

Halstein Lade in the “Thirteen Towns”

Halstein Lade from Syvde, Sunnmøre, one of the early settlers in the so-called Thirteen Towns, recalled how completely isolated the area was when he arrived. He had settled fifty-six miles from the nearest railroad station and immediately began clearing a small area for a pioneer cabin for himself and his family. The forest was so dense and tall that a full day’s work seemed to make very little difference. After finishing work on his first day, Lade set out for the home of a neighbor who lived about three-quarters of a mile away. He was certain that he knew the correct direction.

After walking for about an hour without reaching the neighbor’s home, however, he began to wonder where he was. Soon he came upon a small clearing. At first, he thought another settler must have begun clearing a place for a new home. He examined the work more closely and noticed that it looked remarkably similar to the clearing he himself had made earlier that day. The tools also looked familiar. Then he realized what had happened. Instead of walking in a straight line, he had traveled in a circle and returned to his own clearing. 

Halvor H. Aarhus and the Journey West

Halvor H. Aarhus from Laurdal, Telemark, was the first Norwegian settler in the vicinity of Melvin. His experience was typical of many other pioneers. 

In 1868, he emigrated from Skien aboard the sailing ship Amelia, a vessel that was barely seaworthy. At that time, little attention was paid to the condition of the ships used to transport emigrants, and passengers had to bring their own provisions and prepare their own meals. After only a few days at sea, a violent storm arose. The ship sprang a leak, and only great effort prevented it from sinking. When the crew became exhausted from working the pumps, the male passengers had to take over. After fourteen weeks at sea, the ship finally reached Quebec.

The journey continued to Lyle, Minnesota, where the family remained for a time. From there they traveled northward through Minnesota in the usual pioneer fashion. The journey to Detroit took four weeks. For those four weeks, the family lived in their wagon box, covered by canvas stretched over bows fastened to the wagon. The space was cramped and uncomfortable, especially since their household belongings had to be carried there as well. The poor condition of the roads made the journey even more difficult. At times, they feared that the wagon would overturn. Frost, rain, and mud added considerably to the hardships of travel. After remaining for a time at Detroit, they continued toward the Red River Valley.

Across the prairie lay great quantities of buffalo bones, reminders that buffalo, other wild animals, and the Indians had once dominated the region and that their dominion was now coming to an end. On May 17, the entire company intended to take permanent possession of their homesteads. The roads, however, were poor as usual. One wagon after another became stuck in the mud, and when they attempted to cross a river, both livestock and loads were in danger of being swept away. When they reached Wild Rice, a violent snowstorm arose. Despite the storm, they managed to reach their land and immediately began cutting and turning sod for their sod houses. Before long, these simple dwellings began to feel like home.

Work on the Homestead

The next tasks were clearing, plowing, sowing, and harvesting. The settlers also had to protect themselves against one of their greatest enemies: prairie fires.

Fires frequently broke out in the dry prairie grass, and areas several miles across could quickly become a sea of flames. When there was little wind, the settlers felt somewhat secure. With a strong wind, however, the fire advanced at tremendous speed with a deafening roar and could destroy both lives and property unless precautions had been taken. The settlers plowed firebreaks around their buildings and haystacks and used whatever water they could obtain to fight the flames. When the most urgent farm work was completed, many traveled to older settlements to earn money for other expenses.

Everything was expensive. A cow cost about fifty dollars, a team of oxen about two hundred dollars, and a team of horses from four hundred to five hundred dollars. Wheat cost about one dollar and fifty cents per bushel, oats fifty cents per bushel, and meat about fifteen cents per pound. Families had to purchase much of what they needed to live. It took time before a new farm could produce enough for their own use, and obtaining supplies was difficult because the markets were far away and the winters severe.

Churches and Congregations

The Sand Hill Congregation at Neby in Vinland Township was established in 1872 by Pastor B. Hagbø of the Conference. It was the first Norwegian congregation in Polk County.

By about 1907, there were fifty Norwegian congregations and forty-four churches in the county. Twenty-one congregations belonged to the United Church, eleven to the Norwegian Synod, seven to Hauge’s Synod, six to the Lutheran Free Church, three to the Methodist Church, and two to the Baptist Church.

Public Office

John Christiansen was the first Norwegian to hold public office in the county. He was elected County Auditor in 1872.

Bernhard Sampson, whose father was Norwegian and whose mother was of Swedish origin, was elected to the State Legislature from Polk County in 1880. The Swedish-American writer O. N. Nelson of Minneapolis wrote about Sampson, who built the first house in Crookston, and described one aspect of frontier life:

“He saw a great deal of frontier life here in the early days. It was no uncommon thing when teaming throughout this region, prior to the erection of bridges, to unhitch his oxen from the wagon, jump on one of them and swim them across the stream, holding in one hand the end of a rope that was attached to his wagon, and after getting the animals on the other side, he would fasten the line to the yoke of the cattle and haul the wagon over.”

Newspapers and Institutions

Red River Dalen was a Norwegian newspaper established in Crookston in 1889. In 1895, its name was changed to Red River Tidende. Later came Vesterheimen, Bud og Hilsen, and Arbeidsmanden, the latter published in Fertile.

Bethesda Hospital, a Norwegian institution, was built in Crookston in 1898. There was also a Norwegian school, Crookston College.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names in Polk County included Aldal, Espetvedt, Helgeland, Meos (Møaas), Roholt, Neby, Higdem, Tynsid, Brandsvold, Onstad, Johnson, Knute, Olga, Theodor, Sletten, Solie, Sheldahl, Wig, Scandia, Bygland, Rindal, Winger, Lengby, and Vineland.

Sources:

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