Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/276

 220 HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY son left his family in Wisconsin, expecting to return for them in the fall, providing he liked the new country. The prairie schooners were ready and the little company started for the unknown land May 21, the party consisting of those already men- tioned and Henry Nelson and family, Thosten Anderson and family, and two sisters of the Nelsons, Mrs. Jens Ottun, whose husband had not yet arrived from the old country, and Mrs. Nels K. Fenne,' whose husband was then in California. After rambling over the new territory of Minnesota for three weeks they came, June 12, to the place now called Wanamingo. They had for many days seen no white persons but themselves. At about. 11 o'clock on the day named above they crossed the north fork of the Zumbro. Toge Nelson stopped his team and,, looking around, saw there was a fine park with beautiful land adjacent. He exclaimed: 'Here will I live and die.' His words were fulfilled, for he died in 1889, having lived in that place thirty-five years. The whole company found it to be desir- able country for settlement, and so began their improvements. Knowing nothing as to how much land one man could hold as a claim, they marked off large portions, for they expected others of their countrymen to join them in making the town a Norse settlement. They began by making dugouts and sod shanties for living and sleeping apartments. They broke up the prairie for field culture and planted some corn, sowed buckwheat and rutabagas. They also planted a few potatoes that season. "Four weeks after this party had made their stand, two young men. Hans Ovaldson and Andrias Hesjelden, came to the place, having followed their tracks. These young men belonged to a larger party of immigrants, whom they had left some thirty- five or forty miles behind. They were so much pleased with the location that they started back immediately for their com- rades. They found them and induced nearly all the party to come to Wanamingo. This last party consisted of Andres Baarn- hus, John Stroemme, Guncler Hestemyr, Ole 0. Oakland, Haldor Johnson, and their families. About the first of August another train of Norwegian immigrants came on from Wisconsin, but finding the township of Wanamingo already claimed, they went further west into Holden and Kenyon, some even beyond the county line west, to make claims. "In the latter part of July this town was visited by two men from Red Wing, this being the first intimation the new settlers had of the existence of such a place. These men informed them that Red Wing was on the Mississippi river, about thirty miles distant, in a northeasterly direction. This information was a great benefit, as they knew of no market town nearer than Decorah, Iowa. In August Nils Gulbrandson went to Wisconsin-