My great-grandparents on my father's side were born in Norway. In March 1879 they were married, and came to Dakota Territory in the following month to claim a homestead. They settled on the farm that I now live on.
Their first home was a dugout in the hills north of the present farmyard. A hole was dug into the hillside with logs covered with sod making up the entrance. They lived in the dugout for about one year.
In the spring of 1880, during a bad snowstorm, the dugout was
completely snowed under. The family began to realize their
predicament when their stove began to smoke in. The fire was
immediately put out, and my great-grandfather, using a piece of
board that served as part of a wall shelf, began digging the snow
in on the dirt floor. Soon he heard someone digging from the
outside, and it proved to be concerned neighbors who had noticed
the absence of smoke from their shelter.
Their first child was born in the winter of 1880.
In the summer of 1880, they built a log cabin on the spot where the house stands today. Homestead papers state that by the year 1885 a log house 14' by 16', a sod and log stable 16' by 22', and a granary 10' by 12' had been built, and 80 acres of sod had been broken.
An old Indian trail ran just south of the homestead and at one time, a party of about 10 Indians spent a short time living about a quarter mile southeast across the river. The Indians were eager to trade for items such as sugar and flour. My great-grandparents were eager to maintain friendly relations with them, so they never refused trade, even though the items they got in return, such as feathers, beads, etc., were of little value.
One time, my great-grandfather took oxen to Fargo to exchange wheat for flour. During his week of absence, my great-grandmother felt uneasy about the Indian's presence so nearby, but she trusted that their friendly relationship would continue. It had been a long week for her, but upon his return, my great-grandfather presented her with a gallon pail of syrup which made her so happy it brought tears to her eyes.
Seven children were born to the couple. One of them was my grandfather. In February 1921, he married my grandmother. They had 6 children and lived on the same site. One of their children is my father. My father married my mother in June 1969. They had 2 children, my sister and I, whom are the 4th generation to live on this farm.
Last updated by Webmaster 10\22\99