Steele County, North Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian settler in Steele County was Fingal Enger from Ådal, Ringerike. In 1870, he left Freeborn County, Minnesota, for Fargo, North Dakota, and from there continued to the vicinity of Golden Lake on the Goose River, where he took up land. He settled there in the spring of 1871. His wheat had to be hauled by ox team to Fargo, about seventy-five miles away. By 1905, Enger owned a farm of 9,000 acres. The land had originally been wilderness.

Pioneer Recollections

One of the older settlers, recalled that he had crossed the Atlantic aboard a miserable sailing ship. He later traveled by steamship across Lake Huron, where he nearly lost his life when another vessel collided with the ship on which he was traveling.

Churches and Congregations

By 1905, Steele County had eleven Norwegian congregations and nine churches. Four congregations belonged to Hauge’s Synod, three to the United Church, two to the Lutheran Free Church, and two to the Norwegian Synod. 

Public Office

Louis A. Jacobsen and L. C. Goplerud were the first Norwegians to hold county office in Steele County. Both were elected in 1884, Jacobsen as Treasurer and Goplerud as Commissioner. Fingal Enger, mentioned above as the county’s first Norwegian settler, was also the first Norwegian to represent Steele County in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1890.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names in Steele County included Enger, Norway, Norman, and Bergen.

Sources:

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