Walworth County, South Dakota

Early Norwegian Settlement

B. J. Olsen and Simon Olsen, both from Østerøen near Bergen; Paul Carlson from Garshol, Sunnmøre; Jacob Førde and Martin Olsen from Leganger, Sunnmøre; as well as Jacob Førde and Hans Ness from Volda, Sunnmøre, were the first Norwegian settlers in Walworth County. They settled in the vicinity of Flora on the Missouri River in 1880. The nearest markets, Pierre, South Dakota, and Bismarck, North Dakota, were almost 120 miles away. Cattle raising was the settlers’ principal source of income. They also hunted buffalo and other game for which there was a market. At that time, there were many Indians along the Sioux River but almost no white settlers. The principal exception was Fort Yates, about sixty miles from the Norwegian settlement, where soldiers were stationed to keep watch over the Indians.

Churches and Congregations

Bergen Congregation was established at Flora in 1884 by Pastor A. L. Lobben of the Norwegian Synod and was the first Norwegian congregation in Walworth County. By 1905, the county had six Norwegian congregations. Three belonged to the United Church and three to the Lutheran Free Church.

Norwegian Place Names

Selby Post Office in Walworth County received its name from Norwegians.

Sources:

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