Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

Early Norwegian Settlement

The Norwegian settlement established in the western part of Jackson County in the late 1850s extended into the eastern part of Trempealeau County, particularly around Ettrick and Coral City. Among the earliest settlers in this area were Gulik Olsen from Telemark and Daniel Hagestad from Hardanger. The first Norwegian settler at Hegg was Iver Knudsen Syse from Ulvik, Hardanger, who settled there in 1858. Syse later served in the Civil War and subsequently moved to Norway Lake, Minnesota, where he drowned some years before this account was written.

Tamarack and Chimney Rock

Norwegian settlement began in the Tamarack area in 1862. The first settler there was Ole Guttormsen from Laurdal. In 1863, he was joined by Tollef Egilsen, Sigurd Bjørguvsen, and Bjørguv Bjørguvsen, all from Laurdal; John Gundersen, Knud Leifsen, Egil Mikkelsen, and Trond Olovsen, all from Kviteseid; John Hansen from Tinn, Telemark; John Henriksen and Henrik Olesen from Solør; and Hans C. Olesen from Målselv near Tromsø.

In 1864, Halvor Sjøtvet and Hans Herbjørnsen settled in the vicinity of Chimney Rock and were the first Norwegians there. They were followed by Haaken Haakensen and Erik Sjytter. Ole Sjøtvet’s wife, who was still living when this account was written (1905), was the first Norwegian woman to cook porridge at Chimney Rock. Ole Ericksen, born in 1865, was the first Norwegian child born in the area and later owned his father’s homestead.

Lawrence Wenaas was the first Norwegian settler in Albion.

Independence, Osseo, and Eleva

In 1868, John Hellicksen from Valdres settled in the vicinity of Independence and was the first Norwegian there. The first Norwegian settler in the city of Independence itself was Edvard Elstad from Gudbrandsdalen. He was also the city’s first merchant and was later elected Sheriff of Trempealeau County. John Christensen, a Trønder, was the first Norwegian settler in Osseo, where he established himself as a blacksmith in 1870. 

About the same time, a number of Norwegians settled in the Eleva area. Among them were Anders Skjei from Kristiania (Oslo); A. Staa and Gunder Johnson from Telemark; Anders Tvet from Valdres; Nils Larsen and John Larsen from Hedmark; and Halgrim Knudsen, Torbjørn Knudsen, Ole Knudsen, and Helge Endresen, all from Hallingdal.

Blair and the Norwegian Language

In Blair, the Norwegian population became so dominant that people of other nationalities sometimes had to learn Norwegian. Dr. Thomas Bodom illustrated this with an anecdote. While visiting a sick farmer, he wondered whether the man was from Solør or the surrounding region. When he asked, the farmer replied: “I am not Norwegian, I am a Bohemian!”

The author cautioned that the story might have been somewhat embellished and therefore did not present it without reservation. He nevertheless emphasized that Americans living among large numbers of Norwegians sometimes did learn Norwegian. At the same time, he noted that Norwegians were generally known for speaking good English, although among themselves they naturally tended to use the language they had learned from their mothers.

Pioneer Life

During the first years, settlers lived partly in dugouts and partly in log cabins. Wheat farming was their principal source of income, but because there was no nearby market, they sometimes had to haul their crops as far as thirty miles by ox team. Temporary work was available in the forests and sawmills, where daily wages ranged from fifty to seventy-five cents.

Churches and Congregations

Trempealeau Valley Congregation, located between Blair and Taylor, was the first Norwegian congregation in the county. It was established in 1857, with Pastor H. A. Stub Sr. of the Norwegian Synod as its first pastor. Its church was built in 1867 on the opposite side of the county line. By 1905, Trempealeau County had twenty-seven Norwegian congregations and twenty-six churches. Fourteen congregations belonged to the Norwegian Synod, ten to the United Church, two to Hauge’s Synod, and one to the Baptist Church.

Public Office

John O. Melby of Whitehall was the first Norwegian county official in Trempealeau County. He was elected Register of Deeds in 1874.

Andrew H. Lewis was the first Norwegian to represent Trempealeau County in the State Legislature. He was elected in 1879.

Newspapers and Education

Nordstjernen, a Norwegian-language newspaper, began publication in Whitehall in 1877.

Gale College, a Norwegian school, was founded in Galesville in 1901.

Norwegian Place Names

Norwegian place names in Trempealeau County included Hegg, Iduna, and Strum (Strøm).

Sources:

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