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                    History of Norwegian Immigration




                   A History of Norwegian Immigration

                                   to

                           The United States

           From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848

                                   By

                   GEORGE T. FLOM, Ph. D. (Columbia)

  Professor of Scandinavian Languages and Literatures and Acting
      Professor of English Philology, State University of Iowa

                             [Illustration]

                           PRIVATELY PRINTED
                            IOWA CITY, IOWA
                                  1909


                             COPYRIGHT 1909
                             GEORGE T. FLOM


                            THE TORCH PRESS
                              CEDAR RAPIDS
                                  IOWA




                              TO MY MOTHER


            THROUGH WHOM I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING
               OF THE HEROIC WOMANHOOD EXEMPLIFIED IN THE
              LIVES OF OUR PIONEER MOTHERS, THIS VOLUME IS
                        AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED




                                FOREWORD


This volume is intended to present the progress of immigration from
Norway to this country from the beginning down through what may be
termed the first period of settlement. It is possible that I may at
some future time return to these studies to trace the further growth of
the Scandinavian element and its place and influence in American life.

Four years ago I contributed an article to _The Iowa Journal of
History and Politics_ upon "The Scandinavian Factor in the American
Population," in which I discussed briefly the causes of emigration
from the Northern countries. This article forms the basis of chapters
VI-VIII of the present volume, much new evidence from later years
having, however, been added. In a subsequent issue of the same Journal
I published an article on "The Coming of the Norwegians to Iowa," which
is embodied in part in chapters III-V of this volume. The remaining
thirty-six chapters are new. During the last three summers I have
continued my investigation of that part of the subject which deals with
the immigration movement. This book represents the results of that
investigation down to 1848.

For invaluable assistance in the investigation I gratefully acknowledge
indebtedness to the numerous pioneers whom, from time to time, I have
interviewed and who so kindly have given the aid sought. I wish to
thank, also, several persons who generously have accepted the task of
personally gathering pioneer data for certain localities. For such help
I owe a debt of gratitude to the following persons: J. W. Johnson,
Racine, Wisconsin; Reverend A. Jacobson, Decorah, Iowa; Reverend G. A.
Larsen, Clinton, Wisconsin; Henry Natesta, Clinton, Wisconsin; Rev. O.
J. Kvale, Orfordville, Wisconsin; Rev. J. Nordby, Lee, Illinois; Dr. N.
C. Evans, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin; M. J. Engebretson, Gratiot, Wisconsin;
Dan K. Anderson and wife, Woodford, Wisconsin; Ole Jacobson, Elk Horn,
Wisconsin; Samuel Sampson, Rio, Wisconsin; T. M. Newton, Grinnell,
Iowa; Harvey Arveson, Whitewater, Wisconsin; and Reverend Helge
Hoeverstad, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. My thanks are also due to Reverend
G. G. Krostu of Koshkonong Parsonage for having placed at my disposal
the Koshkonong Church Register from 1844-1850; as also for verifying
my copy of it in some cases of names and dates; for the privilege
accorded me of using these so precious documents I am most grateful.
Reverend K. A. Kasberg of Spring Grove, Minnesota, has given me certain
important data on part of the immigration to East Koshkonong in 1842,
and similarly N. A. Lie of Deerfield, Wisconsin, for immigration from
Voss in 1838-1844, and Mr. Elim Ellingson and wife of Capron, Illinois,
on the founders of the Long Prairie Settlement. Many others might be
mentioned who have given valuable assistance by letter and otherwise
in the course of the investigation, and to whom I owe much. Finally,
I wish to thank Dr. N. C. Evans of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, for the loan
of _Cyclopedia of Wisconsin_ (1906) and _Illustreret Kirkehistorie_
(Chicago, 1898); Mr. O. N. Falk of Stoughton, Wisconsin, for loaning
me _Billed-Magazin_ for 1869-1870, and my brother, Martin O. Flom, of
Stoughton, for securing for my use several Wisconsin Atlases and a copy
of _The Biographical Review of Dane County_ (1893).

Of published works on Norwegian immigration which I have found
especially useful are to be mentioned S. Nilsen's _Billed-Magazin_ on
causes of immigration and the earliest immigrants from Telemarken and
Numedal; R. B. Anderson's _First Chapter on Norwegian Immigration_
for the sloopers of 1825, and their descendants; Strand's _History
of the Norwegians in Illinois_ (1905) for the Norwegians in Chicago;
H. L. Skavlem's sketch of _Scandinavians in the Early Days of Rock
County, Wisconsin_, _Normandsforbundet_ for February, 1909, and several
articles in _Symra_, 1905-1908. I must also mention a most valuable
series of articles on the Rock Prairie Settlement, Rock County,
Wisconsin, which appeared in _Amerika_ in 1906. (See further the
Bibliography at the end of this volume.)

No one who has never been engaged in a similar undertaking can have any
conception of the difficulty of the task and the labor involved in the
collecting, weighing and sifting of the vast amount of detail material.
I have tried to write a work which shall be correct as to details and
historically reliable. That errors have crept in I doubt not. I shall
be grateful to the reader who may discover such errors if he will call
my attention to them.

Finally, I wish to say that I have attempted nothing complete with
reference to the personal sketches of the earliest pioneers; this
was manifestly impossible. I have thought also that this was not
here called for except in cases of founders of settlements, and even
here I have sometimes lacked the full facts. To many it will also
undoubtedly seem that the early days of the church and the founding of
congregations should have received more attention. I can only say that
this volume deals specifically with the causes, course and progress of
Norwegian immigration and that this plan precluded a discussion in this
volume of religious and educational movements among the pioneers, or
of social questions, occupations, public service, and like topics. The
work thus aims to keep only what the title promises, and I hope it will
be found to be a real contribution to history within the scope marked
out for it.




                           TABLE OF CONTENTS


  INTRODUCTION                                                        15

  CHAPTER I. Norway. Population, Resources, Pursuits of her
        People, Social Conditions, Laws and Institutions              18

  CHAPTER II. Emigration from Norway                                  27

  CHAPTER III. The Earliest Immigrants from Norway, 1620 to 1825.     35

  CHAPTER IV. The Sloopers of 1825. The First Norwegian
       Settlement in America. Kleng Peerson                           45

  CHAPTER V. The Founding of the Fox River Settlement.
       Personal Notes on Some of the Founders                         55

  CHAPTER VI. Causes of Emigration from Norway. General Factors,
       Economic                                                       64

  CHAPTER VII. Causes of Emigration Continued. Special Factors.
       Religion as a Cause. Emigration Agents                         73

  CHAPTER VIII. Causes of Emigration Continued. The Influence
       of Successful Pioneers. "America-Letters." The Spirit
       of Adventure. Summary                                          80

  CHAPTER IX. Growth of the Fox River Settlement. The
       Immigration of 1836. Further Personal Sketches.                89

  CHAPTER X. The Year 1837 Continued. The Sailing of _Aegir_.         97

  CHAPTER XI. Beaver Creek. Ole Rynning                              102

  CHAPTER XII. Some of the Immigrants of 1837. The
       First Pathfinders from Numedal and Telemarken                 108

  CHAPTER XIII. Ansten Nattestad's Return to Norway in 1838.
       The Year 1839. Immigration Assumes Larger Proportions.
       The Course of Settlement Changes                              116

  CHAPTER XIV. Shelby County, Missouri. Ansten Nattestad's
       Return from Norway in 1839. The Founding of the Jefferson
       Prairie Settlement in Rock County, Wisconsin                  125

  CHAPTER XV. The Earliest White Settlers on Rock and Jefferson
       Prairies. The Founding of the Rock Prairie Settlement.
       The Earliest Settlers on Rock Prairie                         135

  CHAPTER XVI. The Rock Run Settlement. Other
       Immigrants of 1839. The Immigration of 1840                   147

  CHAPTER XVII. The Settlement of Norway and Raymond Townships,
       Racine County. The Founders of the Settlement.
       Immigration to Racine County in 1841-1842                     155

  CHAPTER XVIII. The Establishment of the Koshkonong Settlement
       in Dane County, Wisconsin                                     164

  CHAPTER XIX. The Settling of Koshkonong by Immigrants from
       Numedal and Stavanger in 1840. Other Accessions in
       1841-1842                                                     172

  CHAPTER XX. New Accessions to the Koshkonong Settlement in
       1840-1841. The Growth of the Settlement in 1842               180

  CHAPTER XXI. The First Norwegian Settlement in Iowa, at Sugar
       Creek in Lee County                                           190

  CHAPTER XXII. The Earliest Norwegian Settlers at Wiota,
       La Fayette County, and Dodgeville, Iowa County,
       Wisconsin                                                     198

  CHAPTER XXIII. Growth of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement
       from 1841 to 1845. The First Norwegian Land Owners
       in Rock County                                                204

  CHAPTER XXIV. Immigration to Rock Prairie from Numedal and
       Land in 1842 and Subsequent Years                             211

  CHAPTER XXV. Immigration from Hallingdal, Norway, to Rock
       Prairie from 1843 to 1848. Continued Immigration from
       Numedal. Other Early Accessions                               216

  CHAPTER XXVI. Economic Conditions of Immigrants. Cost of
       Passage. Course of the Journey. Duration of the Journey       221

  CHAPTER XXVII. Norwegians in Chicago, 1840-1845. A Vossing
       Colony. Some Early Settlers in Chicago from Hardanger         230

  CHAPTER XXVIII. The Earliest Norwegian Settlers in the
       Township of Pleasant Spring, Dane County, Wisconsin           241

  CHAPTER XXIX. The First Norwegian Settlers in the Townships
       of Dunkirk, Dunn, and Cottage Grove, in Dane County,
       Wisconsin                                                     249

  CHAPTER XXX. The Expansion of the Koshkonong Settlement
       into Sumner and Oakland Townships in Jefferson
       County. Increased Immigration from Telemarken. New
       Settlers from Krageroe, Drammen and Numedal                    255

  CHAPTER XXXI. The Coming of the First Large Party of
       Immigrants from Sogn. New Accessions from Voss                265

  CHAPTER XXXII. Long Prairie in Boone County, Illinois;
       A Sogning Settlement                                          272

  CHAPTER XXXIII. The Growth of the Racine County (Muskego)
       Settlement, 1843-1847                                         278

  CHAPTER XXXIV. The Heart Prairie Settlement in Walworth Co.,
       Wis. Skoponong. Pine Lake                                     289

  CHAPTER XXXV. The Earliest Norwegian Settlers at Sugar Creek,
       Walworth County, Wisconsin. The Influx from Land,
       Norway, to Wiota and Vicinity, 1844-1852                      300

  CHAPTER XXXVI. Continued Immigration from Aurland, Sogn,
       to Koshkonong. The Arrival of Settlers from Vik
       Parish, Sogn, in 1845                                         305

  CHAPTER XXXVII. Kirkeregister. Church Register of East
       Koshkonong, West Koshkonong and Liberty Prairie
       Congregations as Constituted During the Years of Reverend
       J. W. C. Dietrichson's Incumbency of the Pastorate from
       1844 to 1850, and as Recorded by Reverend Dietrichson         314

  CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Founding of the Norwegian Settlements
       of Norway Grove, Spring Prairie and Bonnet Prairie in
       Dane and Columbia Counties, Wisconsin                         331

  CHAPTER XXXIX. Blue Mounds in Western Dane County, Wisconsin       340

  CHAPTER XL. The Hardanger Settlement in Lee and De Kalb Counties,
       Illinois. Big Grove in Kendall County, and Nettle Creek
       in Grundy County, Illinois                                    350

  CHAPTER XLI. The First Norwegian Pioneers in
       Northeastern Iowa                                             362

  CHAPTER XLII. Survey of Immigration from Norway to
       America. Conclusion 375

  APPENDIX I                                                         383

  APPENDIX II                                                        386

  BIBLIOGRAPHY                                                       387

  INDEX                                                              389




                              INTRODUCTION


In this volume I shall aim to give an account of the Norwegian
immigration movement from 1825 down to 1848. Thereupon will follow
a brief survey of the course of the movement and the growth of the
settlements founded here in that period. In the introductory pages
I shall discuss briefly individual immigration from Norway from its
earliest known beginnings down to 1825.

Immigration from Norway resulted in the founding of settlements in
New York, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa successively; I shall try to
give a correct narrative of the beginnings and the growth of these
settlements. In this part of the work I shall stress the oldest and
largest settlements in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, for
the relation of these to the whole movement and later colonization
of the Northwestern States by the Norwegians is one of especial
importance. I shall treat somewhat fully of the causes of emigration,
of the growth of the movement, and the part in it that each district
or province in Norway has played. The leaders from each district
and the founders of the settlements here will be named and in many
cases, sketches will be given of their lives. Such questions as the
course of the movement in Norway, the cost of the voyage, the course
of the journey, early wage conditions, the economic conditions of
the immigrants, the geographical trend of settlement, will also be
considered, and approximately complete lists of the accessions in each
settlement for the first few years will be given. The limits of this
volume, however, will preclude the treatment of social or cultural
questions, or to take more than the briefest notice of the pursuits and
occupations of the Norwegian-American and his contribution to American
life. I hope to be able to treat elsewhere, later, of some of these
problems.

The story of the immigrant settler is one that is well worth the
telling; it is one that is justly receiving increased attention in
recent years. I believe that the writer of American history will, in
the future, pay far greater attention than he has in the past to the
immigrant pioneer as a factor in the development of the nation. There
are in America today about one million people of Norwegian birth, or
Norwegian parentage. That is, there are nearly half as many of that
nationality in America as in Norway itself. The transplanting of so
large a proportion of a race from the land to which it is rooted by
birth and by its history is indeed remarkable.

Various European peoples have contributed to the growth of the
American population; they have each given something to the sum total
of present American life and in some measure helped to shape American
institutions. As a people America is yet in the formative period;
racially, at least, one-half of the population is not Anglo-Saxon.
It is by the amalgamation of all its ethnic factors that the future
American people will be evolved. The contribution that each foreign
element will make to that evolution will be determined by the
civilization, which each represents as its racial heritage, the culture
which, in the course of its history, each has evolved as a people
and a nation. As the true student of American history takes note of
these things in the future, the significance of the foreign factor in
the growth and the upbuilding of the country will receive its just
recognition.

We of Norse blood, but American birth, if we are true to the best
that is in us, cannot fail to have an interest in the trials and
the achievements of the pioneer fathers. We must recognize the true
heroism of the men and women who braved the hardships and suffered
the privations of frontier life in the thirties, the forties and
the fifties. The part that the pioneers of those days played in the
development of the Northwest was a great one; in comparison with it
that of the present generation is wholly insignificant. It is to the
memory of those pioneers, in recognition of their true worth, that this
record of their coming is dedicated.




                               CHAPTER I

           _Norway: Population, Resources, Pursuits of her
         People, Social Conditions, Laws and Institutions._


Norway is, as we know, a long and narrow strip of country in the west
of the Scandinavian Peninsula, stretching through thirteen degrees of
latitude, and in the north, extending almost three hundred miles into
the arctic zone. Nearly a third of the entire country[1] is the domain
