Worth County, Iowa

Early Norwegian Settlement

In the summer of 1853, four men who had arrived at St. Ansgar the previous year traveled westward into Worth County to examine the land. They were Gulbrand O. Mellem, Aslak Larson, Lars Aslaksen, and Ole Fagerbakken. The latter three returned to St. Ansgar, but Mellem remained and settled at the place where Northwood later developed. He was the first white settler in Worth County. Mellem was born in Gol, Hallingdal. His son Ole, who later lived in Northwood, was the first white child born in the county. Wheat farming became the settlement’s principal source of income. McGregor was the nearest market, about 130 miles away, a considerable distance when oxen were the settlers’ only means of transportation.

Fertile and Kensett

The first Norwegian settlers in the vicinity of Fertile were Anders Halvorsen Grovom from Nissedal, Telemark; Ole Jørgensen from the same area; and Lars E. Markstre from Bamble. The first Norwegians in the vicinity of Kensett were Knudt Bratrud and Thomas Bratrud from Valdres.

Nils N. Troe’s Atlantic Voyage

Nils N. Troe, one of the old settlers at Silver Lake, nearly lost his life during his voyage to America. The ship was struck by a violent hurricane that swept the rigging overboard and caused other serious damage. The vessel was left helpless in the middle of the Atlantic and drifted for about two days. Fortunately, a steamship eventually discovered them and towed the damaged vessel to Quebec.

Churches and Congregations

Shell Rock Congregation was established at Northwood in 1857 by Pastor C. L. Clausen and was the first Norwegian congregation in Worth County. That same year, Clausen also established Silver Lake Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. Silver Lake built the first Norwegian church in the county in 1871, while Shell Rock Congregation built its church in 1874. Both congregations originally joined the Norwegian Synod, to which Pastor Clausen belonged when he established them. Silver Lake later left the Synod and joined the Conference in 1866. By 1905, Worth County had eighteen Norwegian congregations and nineteen churches. Ten congregations belonged to the United Church, seven to the Norwegian Synod, and one to the Lutheran Free Church.

Public Office

Simon Rustad of Northwood was the first Norwegian to hold public office in Worth County and, according to the author, the first Norwegian to hold public office in the State of Iowa. He was elected County Commissioner in 1858.

Norwegian Publications

A Norwegian-English newspaper named Index was once published in Northwood. By 1905, it was published in English only.

Norwegian Place Names

Post offices with Norwegian names included Landsrud, Kensett, Nordland, and Tenold. By 1905, only Tenold remained in operation.

Sources:

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