Richland County, Wisconsin

Early Norwegian Settlement

The Norwegian settlement in the vicinity of Basswood and Excelsior was founded in 1849. The first settlers were Andreas Andersen and Jørgen Andersen Kjelberg; Mikkel Olsen Vestrum and Anders Olsen Vestrum; Axel Bergum; Morten Monsen; Hans Collier; Ole Kronberg; Ole Paulson; Even Bjørklie; Ole Bjørklie; Torkel Torkelsen; and Ole Christophersen, all or most of them from Land Parish. Herman Andersen from Selberg, Smaalenene, and Christen Torgersen from Lier near Drammen were also among the first settlers.

For a long time, these pioneers lived largely on game they hunted in the surrounding forests. They had no flour. Later, when they began producing crops, they still had to travel a considerable distance to have their grain milled.

Churches and Congregations

Mill Creek Congregation, established at Basswood in 1873 by Pastor A. Wright of the Augustana Synod, was clearly the first Norwegian congregation in Richland County. By 1905, there were four Norwegian congregations and three churches in the county. Two congregations belonged to the Norwegian Synod and two to the United Church.

Sources:

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