Wright County, Iowa

Early Norwegian Settlement

Hans Hansen Faraasen, C. B. Johnson, Fredrik Simonsen Molstad, and C. M. Johnson settled in Wright County at the same time in 1869 and were the county’s first Norwegian settlers. All were from Ringsaker. C. M. Johnson was unmarried, while the others were married men who brought their families with them on the long journey from La Crosse, Wisconsin. Each family traveled in a prairie schooner drawn by a pair of oxen. About five miles northwest of Belmont, the settlers made camp, purchased land, built log cabins, and began clearing the land. Hans Faraasen and his wife were deceased by the time this account was written, while the others were still living there, together with most of their children.

Churches and Congregations

Ringsaker Congregation was established at Belmont in 1872 by Pastor N. Amlund, who at that time belonged to the Norwegian Synod. It was the first Norwegian congregation in Wright County, and its church was built in 1888. By 1905, Wright County had nine Norwegian congregations and seven churches. Five congregations belonged to the United Church, two to Hauge’s Synod, and two to the Norwegian Synod.

Norwegian Place Names

Places with Norwegian names included Norway Township and Olaf Post Office.

Sources:

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