Webster County, Iowa

Early Norwegian Settlement

The first Norwegian settler in Webster County was Ole Petersen from Skedsmo, who settled at Moorland in 1865.

The first Norwegians in the vicinity of Callender were R. H. Hilton from Ullensaker; Even Aanundsen Haatvedt; the brothers Ole, Thor, Nils, and Knud Edwards; the brothers Halvor, Torje, and Aamund Næs, all from Vinje, Telemark; the brothers John, Paul, Hans, and Amund from Gudbrandsdalen; Thron Nilsen; Ole Ellefsen; Aamund Rustebakke; O. H. Bøhn; Halstein Torsrud and Syvert Torsrud; Anders Rud and Erik Rud, all from Valdres; Peder Pedersen, Anders Jacobsen, and P. Hansen from Hedemark; Anton Hansen; Gustav Christiansen; Gustav Johnson from Voss; Ole Larsen from Kristiania (Oslo); Halvor Christiansen from Lier near Drammen; Salve Bilstad and Aadne Solli from Heskestad; John Kittelsen from Voss; Stener Carlsen from Trondheim; and Gjermund O. Bøen from Valdres.

The first Norwegian settler in the vicinity of Duncombe was Nils Andersen from Valdres.

Churches and Congregations

Vinje Congregation was established at Callender in 1872 by Pastor O. A. Sauer of the Norwegian Synod and was the first Norwegian congregation in Webster County. Its church was built in 1890. By 1905, Webster County had nine Norwegian congregations and five churches. Six congregations belonged to the United Church and three to the Norwegian Synod.

Public Office

O. M. Oleson of Fort Dodge served as a member of the State Legislature, while Th. Chantland served for a time as State Oil Inspector.

Norwegian Place Names

The county had one Norwegian place name, Flugstad Post Office.

Sources:

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