Fillmore County, Minnesota - Chapter 21: Rushford and Peterson, 1912

Chapter 21: Rushford and Peterson

Rushford is a progressive city in the northeastern part of the county, on the Root river, and the Southern Minnesota branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. It is well laid out, and well situated, with a pretty park, whieh was platted with the city, and various natnral features of picturesque beauty which have heen well preserved and eared for. The city was settled in 1854 and incorporated in 1868. In the early days the hamlet was imown as Trail City by reason of the fact that many Indian paths converged here. The city has a good water works system, an excellent high school, a public library, eleetrie Lghts on streets and in residences, fine telephone and telegraph service, good fire protection, a sewer system, two banks, a good newspaper, two theaters, two good hotels and several boarding houses and restaurants, a lumber yard, a creamery, two elevators, a power company, and representative lodges of several of the leading fraternities. It is excellently supplied with the usual business houses und professional men. There are several churches of the leading denominatious, and the soeial and Literary standing of the community is high. In the manufacturing line may be mentioned woolen, knitting, flour and feed mills, a bottling plant and a wagon shop, as well as the usual cobblers, blacksmiths and harness makers.

Early History. The first claimant here was E. K. Dyer, who had lived in Houston, Houston county, and eame about April, 1854, with his family, a wife and two children, and built a log cabin near what is now the west end of Rushford avenue. During the summer he eultivated a little patch of corn; he had a yoke of oxen, a cow, and a few hogs, some of which, during the season, were destroyed by bears. The following spring Mr. Dyer went to Zumbrota and thence to La Crosse, and afterwards to La Crescent.

Old Log Cabin

Hiram Walker, his wife and two children, were the next comers in Rushford. He was a native of New Hampshire, and came up here from La Crosse, where he had lived sinee 1851. His arrival was in August, 1854, after having traveled through quite a portion of the county in quest of a good water privilege, which he found at this plaec. Having decided to loeate here he returned do La Crosse, and securing a boat, he, with two other families, Joseph Otis and §. S. Stebbins, put aboard their household goods and started across the Mississippi and up the Root river, which they followed in its winding way until above Houston. Here an impassable obstruction was encountered, and they were foreed to abandon the boat and haul their goods the rest of the way with a team. In the meantime Mr. Stebbins had been taken sick, and his condition was such that it was deemed advisable for him to. return, and accordingly Mr. Otis took him back to La Crosse in a eanoe. Mr. Walker, with the assistance of two hired men, Joseph Pease and R. H. Valentine, transported the goods to their destination. Coming up the river, at the point where the boat was abandoned, they met Mr. Dyer and wife, completely discouraged, and intending to leave the place never to return. Their two children had died of fever, and with their new home thus desolated, they could not bear to remain there alone. Mr. Walker and his family reassured them, and they were prevailed npon to return, remaining through the winter. As soon as Mr. Stebbins, who was a brother-in-law, was comfortable enough to leave La Crosse, Mr. Otis and family came up. Mr. Stebbins joined them later in the winter, and so there were four families in Rushford during the winter of 1854-55. When that pioneer party was coming from La Crosse, Mr. Stebbins, who was taken sick, had a supply of merchandise that was brought along, but the store itself was not opened until he finally reported in person, although Mr. Walker had sold merchandise from this stock. Soon after Mr. Walker arrived he began the erection of a mill on Rush ereek, which was ready to operate the following spring.

William Johnson came up in the fall of 1854, and lived here until his death in 1881. Ile was a Canadian by birth, and came here from New York state.

The next prominent old settler was William W. Snell, a native of North Brookfield, Mass. He was the son of a Congregational minister. He arrived on May 4, 1855, bought a lot of S. S. Stebbins and built an unhewn timber residence. Tis wife and child were left in Lawrence, Mass., and as soon as his house was prepared he sent for his young family, and they arrived in October. Mr, Snell held religious services in the house of Mr. Stebbins on the Sunday following his arrival here, and later organized a Congregational ehurch, of which he was pastor over thirty years. He was a inechanical genius, and invented the prineiple of the twine binder now in general use.

Naming the Hamlet. During the first fall the question of a name for the place was agitated, and Mr. Dyer himself, it seems, had a preference for Pomfret, but this name did not suit the rest. But it was finally settled in this way: Mr. Dyer invited the whole population to partake of a Christmas dinner at his house, and after the viands were disposed of, when the most happy feeling prevailed, the host started the question as to the town name, and various cognomens suggested. One lady proposed Rushville, which Mr. Walker amended by calling it Rushford. A vote was proposed, and the elective franchise freely accorded to the women. The following document was then drawn up and duly signed: ''The undersigned haviug met at the house of E. K. Dyer at a Christmas supper, voted, that we will vote for the name of Rushford to be the future name of the town 104, range eight, also to be the name of the village near the mouth of Rush creek. Rushford, December 25, 1854. (Signed.) E. K. Dyer, William Johnson, Joseph Otis, Hiram Walker, Joseph Pease, R. H. Valentine, E. T. Dyer, C. Walker, M. C. Otis.'' The last three were the ladies of Rushford.

Mr. Dyer was soon after appointed a justice of the peace, and during the winter or early spring exercised the funetions of his office by uniting in marriage Halvor Sennes with the lady of his choice, it being the first occasion of the kind in town.

Pioneer Days. Mrs. Mary I. West has gathered the facts of the early settlement of Rushford practically as ahove, but from a somewhat different viewpoint, and her story of those trying times is here reproduced.

Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Dyer, and son Wallace, the former of whom had been a sailor on the coast of Maine, arrived in La Crosse from the East in August, 1852, and there heard of the Root river. In September of the same year they pushed up the river in a flat boat, landing at what is now Houston, and there staking out a claim. However, in November Mr. Dyer moved up the river and stopped at Cushing's Peak, spending the winter with Mr. Cushing, from whom the peak was named.

In the spring of 1853 My. Dyer moved up the river to the present site of Rushford and laid claim to property which in recent times has been owned by Mrs. Otto Foss. Im the fall he returned to Houston.

In the spring of 1854 an Indian informed Mr. Dyer that his. claim was in danger of being jumped, so he and the family returned and lived in a rail shauty until he built a log house near the present site of the Park Hotel. During this interval no one else lived on the present site of the city except the Indians. In August the two Dyer children died, and thus bereaved, alone in a strange country, the parents sorrowfully turned their faces toward Houston.

On the way they met Hiram Walker, and after a conversation, it was decided that the Dyers should again return to Rushford and that Walker and his family should also locate there. Accordingly, the Walker party proceeded up the river to Rushford, and the Dyers, after a visit to Houston, followed them a few days later. For a time they lived together in the Dyer cabin, and Mr. Walker soon built himself a cabin on the site oecupied in modern times by Hendrick Hendrickson. Following these pioneers other settlers began to arrive.

In ihe meantime, in June, 1854, Dunean Cameron and Roderick McLeod, from Wisconsin, settled on farms in Rush creek valley, near the northern part of the city. At this time there were two Norwegian families on the south side of the river. In July S. 8S. Stebbins and Joseph Otis eame from La Crosse and after staking out claims, returned for their families. Late in the fall Joseph Otis came with his family and built a cabin near Brooklyn bridge. Later Stebbins and his family arrived and built his cabin on the corner lot west of what in modern times became the site of the Mohan family.

In the winter of 1854-1855 there were loeated on or near the present site of Rushford the following families: Four American fainilies on the site; adjoining the city and north of the Root river were two Seoteh families and one Norwegian family; on the south side of the river there were tlvee Norwegian families and one American family. To the west were four Norwegian families and one American family.

Before 1855 mail was brought from La Crosse by kindly disposed travelers, and left ai the house of Myr. Stebbins, which served as tavern. place of worship, store and postoffice. In the fall of 1855 a postoffice was established at Looney Valley, over the line in Houston county, with Dr. Willson as postmaster. The first postoffice at Rushford was in the samimer of 1857, with C. G. Hulbert as postmaster. Hugh Lampman was the first government mail carrier to bring mail to the hamlet.

Municipal History. In 1868 Rushford was ineorporated as a city by a special act of the legislature. <A single clause, however, was so ambiguous that there was considerable trouble afterwards; as it provided that the city should continue a part of the town for all purposes not specified in the act. The first city election was held on April 6, 1868. The town election was the next day, and the city dominated everything. In 1869 an amended eharter severed the connection between the city and the town. But it was some time before the matter was satisfactorily arranged, as it was complicated by the bridge bond indebtedness which had been incurred before the city was chartered, to the extent of $8,000. The supervisors of the town had voted a tax of $2,000 to help pay these bonds, the county auditor exempted the city from this tax, and suit was brought to compel the latter to bear its share of the burden. When the cause was heard the authorities were required to levy the tax in city and town alike. The bonds were finally paid in 1877 and a new bridge of iron was built in 1879 at a cost of over $5,000.

The first officers elected under the city charter were: Mayor, S. 8. Stebbins; councilmen, John Iverson, H. D. Weed, F. M. Smith, T. H. Everts and A. J. Stevens; clerk, John Larkee; justices of the peace, Niles Carpenter and Lewis Peterson; constables, E. S. Hewitt and D. S. Coverdale; treasurer, A, K. Hangon; attorney, T. A. Lebar. The council, on August 4, 1868, moved that an ordinance be drawn to appropriate $500.00 for a building for city use.

1869 - Mayor, G. G. Stevens; councilmen, John Iverson, John Hobart, John Albertson, J. 2. Atwater and A. J. Stevens; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, G. W. Valentine; justice, Lewis Peterson; constable. R. Weed. February 4, 1869, the amended charter was approved by the council. March 1, 1869, the basement room of Larson's stone house was rented for use as city prison. On this same day the city issued bonds of $200.00 to buy lots owned by 8. 8S. Stebbins, the lots to be those numbered eighty-five and eighty-five, in block eight, of the original plat of Rushford. The property is now oceupied hy the high school.

1870 - Mayor, G. G. Stevens; councilmen, J. E. Atwater, John Iverson, Burr Dauchy, B. F. Tillotson and A. K. Hanson; treasurer, Christian Peterson; recorder, John C. Smith; justices, Lewis Peterson and G. W. Willis; constables, J. F. Reppy and ©. G. Philbrick ; assessor, Gwlik Olson.

1872--Mayor, Henry C. Grover; councilmen, A. K. Hanson, G. A. Onstine, O. Foss, D. J. Tew, H. W. Holmes; treasurer, B. W. Benson; clerk, W. L. Osborne; justices, Nels J. Eide, A. Currie; constables, A. W. Rice, Christian Peterson.

1877 - -Mayor, L. Greiser; councilmen, Charles Drake, Jens Julsrud, Ole Langin, Niles Carpenter, Herman Walker; treasurer, G. G. Stevens; clerk, H. V. Olson; constable, Thomas Murphy. This year the city purchased a lot of G. G. Stevens for the purpose of building a lock-up. At the same time it was decided to build a lock-up 20 by 20 feet, of pine lumber, to be divided into two cells. The location was to be in block one, Stevens fourth addition.

1884 - Mayor, G. J. Onstine; council, Jolin P. Wangsness, Ed. Hallahan, J. W. Cram, Michael Miller, A. M. Hanson; treasurer, F. M. Smith; clerk, Lars J. Amble; justice, S. A. Pierce; constables, A. L. Tyler, 8. Walker.

1885 - Mayor, G. J. Onstine; councilmen, D. J. Tew, Niles Carpenter, Lars Lukkassen, J. W. Magelssen, M. J. Desmond; treasurer, A, K. Hanson; elerk, L. J. Amble; justice, G. W. Rockwell; constable, William Bruee. February 25, 1886, the council authorized the organization of Hook and Ladder Co., No. 1, with the following officers: Foreman, Edward Hallahan; first assistant, George Hanson; second assistant, Charles Wilmarth; seeretary, A.J. Nelson; treasurer, John Eggen; clerk, Oluf Lee. There were twenty-nine members in this company.

1886 - Mayor, N. P. Colburn; councilmen, J. W. Magelssen, Thomas Kierland, Jonathan Webster, Albert Anderson, Niles Carpenter ; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; clerk, L. J. Amble; justice, S. A. Pierce; constable, A. L. Tyler.

1890 - Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, J. Webster; H. Hendrickson, Jv., Peter Miller, Henry C. Grover; G. W. Rockwell; treasurer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, C. H. Hulbert, S. A. Pierce; constable, Andrew Nelson.

1891 - Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, H, W. Eldred, Henry ©. Grover, J. Webster, A. K. Hanson, Jens Julsrud; treasurer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, P. C. Hulbert, 8. A. Pierce; constables, L. L. Streeter, A. L. Tyler; assessor, Lars Lukkasson.

1892 - Mayor, A. K. Hanson; councilmen, Henry C. Grover, C. W. Gore, Lewis Knudson, Lars Lukkasson, Peter Miller; treasurer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, John Iverson, S. A. Pieree.

April 4, 1894, the council moved that $10,000 in bonds be issued, the question be submitted to the people at a special election. The special election was held June 23, 1894, and the $10,- 000 in bonds was voted. The bonds were ten in number of $1,000 denomination each, drawing interest at 514 per cent. They were issued August 1, 1894, to Carpenter G@. Stevens, for $10,152.50.

1901 - Mayor, H. W. Eldred; councilmen, F. A. Olson, T. Sundby, W. F. Drake, Philip Miller, O. Tagland, treasurer, A. K. TIanson; elerk, C. O. Alm.

1905 - -Mayor, W. W. Webster; conneil, J. G. Roberton, EB. A. Yighum, T. Sundby, Peter Ogard, Milo Bathrick; treasurer, A. K. Hanson ; recorder, C. O. Alm.

1907 - Mayor, F. A. Olson; councilmen, Thomas Ferguson, Charles H. Green, H. Halvorson, E. N. Vigard, John MeLeod; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, C. O. Alm.

Public Library. In the summer of 1856 the first steps were taken toward the establishment of a public library, Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Stevens heing the prime movers. Various methods were taken to raise money, and when the library was opened it was in the store of Mr. Stevens, who donated space in his store for that purpose. Mrs. Stevens was the librarian. It flourished for a while, but was finally closed. In 1898 Mr. Stevens donated build- 'ing and books to the Stevens Library association for the purpose of establishing a public library. Just at this time the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church sold the church property here and secured permission from the Conference to donate $300.00 for the use of the library. The amount of which was immediately invested in books. In his will, Mr. Stevens left the association $500.00, none of which was to be used for the purchase of books, and C. G. Hulburt left $400.00 to be used solely for the purchase of books. Hitherto the library has been supported by donations. This year the eity levies a one mill tax for its support. The present board of directors are: H. W. Eldred, president; H. M. Smith, treasurer; Geo. E. Kirkpatrick, seeretary; D. J. Tew, G. W. Rockwell and F. A. Olson. The librarian is Emma Crampton.

with thirty-six sections in regular form, with Norway on the south, and its former yoke-fellow, Arendalhl, on the west. This is emphatically one of the broken towns of the county. The Root river flows into the town from the west, between sections thirty and thirty-one, and running eastward leaves the town and county from section thirteen. Rush creek was so called on account of the tall rushes that grew along its banks, where eattle and ponies could obtain a subsistence all winter. This creek flows from Winona county, and coming in through section fonr, makes a confluence with the Root river at Rushford city. The valleys are quite wide in some places, and afford tillable Jund; the ridges are inclined to spread out and are generally under cultivation. The northwestern part of the township has an extensive table, as a part of North Prairie, which extends across the norihern part of Arendahl, and is the best farming portion of the northeastern part of the county, although it was at first neglected by the older settlers, who were attracted more particularly to the valleys. The bottom lands of Root river were found by the first comers to be.z wide and level} tract, bounded on either side by irregular biufis, with smaller valleys projecting into it from various distances on cither side. When first settled it was mostly timber, brush, and grub land. Along the streams and the north side of the biuffs quite large timber was found, clm, maple, and black walnut predominating in the valley, and black, white, and burr oak, with some hickory, on the bluffs. A portion of Root river bottoin is particularly adapted to the raising of hay, being a natural meadow, destitute of trees, with a natural growth. There is a higher strip of land, or beneh, between this and the bluffs. On the ridges, or table lands, there is a clay soil; in the bottoms, or valleys, it is of a dark character and sometimes sandy, mixed with gravel. There are many fine views to be had from the elevated points on the ridges overlooking the surrounding country. At one time in the geological history of this section the whole land was on a level with the higher points now existing. The valleys have been washed out, completely disintegrating the several strata of rocks, and leaving their rough edges protruding from the sides of the bluffs, often appearing like ruins of ancient castles, with their crumbling entablatures, pilasters, and caratides, and presenting, particularly by moonlight, a striking imitation of the ruins of some ancient city.

Early Settlers. The Root river valley was the first part of the town to be settled, the pioneers being Norwegians, who came directly from Wisconsin by way of McGregor and Decorah, Iowa, with ox teams, The first came in 1853, and were Ole Olson Tutt and Halver Goodrich, Mr. Tuff took a claim in sections twentysix, twenty-three, and twenty-seven. It is south of the river and southwest of South Rushford. My. Goodrich settled east of Mv. Tuff and put up his shanty on the land in section twenty-six. These men left their families in what is now Yueatan, Houston connty, at a settler's residence, and im June eame here and selected their land. About the first day of July they returned here with their families. In the same month of July came Erick T. Lien, who drove in with three yoke of oxen and proenred a farm in seetions sixteen and twenty-one. Ole Berland, secured it place in sections fifteen and twenty-two. His family were still in Norway, and he lived in a little dug-ont. A son and a daughter finally came over, but his wife remained on the other side. Erick Glaem took his land in section sixteen. Two years later he brought his wife from Wisconsin. He cultivated his farm up to 1866, when he sold to H. Ilendrickson and went to Yellow Medicine county. Peter Peterson Haslernd went further up the valley and took the northeast of section thirty and commenced improvements. He made the farm his home until his death, September 23, 1880. He laid ont the village of Peterson and had always been an active and influential man in the community. Arthur B, Bowe, a Vermonter, who had figured conspicuously in the early settlement of Spring Grove, came over here in 1853 and put up a elaim shanty near the bluff, in seetion fifteen. In August, 1853, Gilbert Edmunds came and loeated in the soutlieast of section twenty-three, where a part of South Rushford now is. He was from Norway, and a married man. He made improvements, and while loading logs on a wagon in the river bottom was killed in 1855. His widow afterward married H. Hendrickson.

With the party that came in June, 1853, was Ole Torgerson, who also came from Wiseonsin and overtook the party at Stevens, in Yueatan, and joining them came on and settled on the land whieh finally became Roderiek McLeod's, on Rush ereek, north of the city, but he soon left. Oliver Wilson came through at that time, a lad of 17 years, who assisted E. T. Lien in driving his oxen. He was too young to pre-empt land, so he went to Iowa to work and returned in 1856.

During the winter of 1854 a Myr. Webster came and cultivated some land in seetion twenty-four, but moved away a few years afterwards. In 1854 several were added to the settlement in town. Swan Werlein located east of E. T. Lien, in section twentyone, and there remained while he lived. In June, 1854, Roderick McLeod, a native of the north part of Scotland, came from Wisconsin, where he had stopped three years, and claimed 160 aeres in sections ten and eleven. Part of this Jand was lost to him by being juinped. West of the town William Johnson located land in sections fourteen and fifteen, in the fall of that same year.

Early Events. Two births occurred at a very early day. George Peterson Haslerud was born November 10, 1853, on scetion thirty. In October of the sane year Jurie E. Lien was born at ler father's house in section twenty-one. She lived but eight years and was buried on the farm of St. T. Gjernes. The wife of Ole Olson passed away soon after their arrival in the summer of 1853. <At the funeral no one was present but Mr. Tuff and My. Goodrich. The boards to make a coffin were taken from the wagon body they had brought. A trapper had previously died some time in the forties, 2s mentioned elsewhere. Thé Southern Minnesota, now owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, reached Rushford village the first of Jannary, 1867, and for some months it remained the western terminus of the road.

Land Office Records. The first titles to land in Rushford township were issued by the government in 1855. Those who obtained land that year were as follows, the date of the issuance of the warrant being given first, then the name of the owner aud then the section in which the land was largely located: June 6, Leo Oleson, 24; August 7, Sylvester S. Stebbins, 14; August 24, Martha Edmonds, 23; August 30, Oliver Goodrich, 23-26; December 11, Joseph Otis, 13.

included Arendahl. The town meeting was held at the residence of Peter Peterson, in section thirty. The following were the first town officers elected: Supervisors, Henry Mead (chairman), Lewis Thompson and Ole Torgerson; clerk, G. W. Valentine; assessor, Hiram Walker; collector, C. G. Ilulbert; overseer of the poor, R. H. Valentine; constables, C. G. Philbrick and Nels A. Gullickson; justices of the peace, Peter Peterson and Hiram Walker. Arendahl was separated from Rushford in 1860. In 1888 the entire township of Rushford, outside of the city of Rushford, was iueorporated as the village of Rushford. The first village board in 1888, aecording to the books now in the possession of Asmund Vaagen, the present village recorder, consisted of the following: President, Charles Davis; trustees, Henry Stage, Tl. H. Baker, H. O. Anderson; recorder, George G. West; treasurer, Oliver Wilson.

Peterson Village

Péterson is a lively incorporated village on the Root river and the southern Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. It is well situated and well laid out, and a desirable place of residence. It has good sidewalks, » school which covers half the state high school course, two churches, a newspaper, a bank, good telephone service, street lights, three general stores, one hardware store, postoffice, a easket faetory, furniture store, two elevators, a feed mill, a hotel, a sawmill, a restaurant, a clothing store, a wagon shop, a lumber yard, a machine shop, ineat market, harness shop, a creamery, a millinery store, a barber shop and the usual complement of professional men. The Modern Woodmen have a flourishing lodge here. The village is surrounded by beautiful scenery. There is excellent fishing within the incorporate limits and small gaine abounds in nearby groves.

Barly History. Soon after the completion of the railroad through Rushford township in 1867, Peter Peterson (Haslerud) gave the railroad company fifteen acres of land and other eitizens subseribed to the extent of $800 to secure a station and warehouse. A building was erected for this double purpose, a sidetrack was laid, and the new station was named Peterson. Mr. Peterson at onee began buying wheat for eastern parties and the village was thus begun.

In 1873 Lewis Olson erected a building, put in a stock of merchandise and kept a store for about two years. Neri Holgeson also put up a building and opened a store. Ole Ensberg started a blaeksmith establishment, and a wagon shop was opened

In 1874 the whole of the quarter section was laid off into lots. Up to this time there had been no ticket office here, but in 1874 Neri Holgeson hecame ticket agent.

In 1876 the telegraph was installed in the station, with G. Peterson (Iiaslerud) as agent. This year fifteen acres were platted and Prospect, Park, Mill, Centennial, Fillmore and Church street and Murtle avenue were named.

In 1876 a mill was built, surrounding farmers subscribing for most of the stock. The manager died a few years later and the machinery was reclaimed by the company from which it had been purchased, After remaining in idleness for several years the building was fitted up as an elevator and used until 1907 exclusively for cleaning grain in transit. Sinee that year it has been operated as a farmers' elevator, the volume of business increasing each year until 1911, when the season's shipments reached a total of slightly over 127,000 bushels of al) cereals, with a money value of $200,000.

G. P. Haslernd was agent at this station from 1874 to 1903. He resigned rather than pay exhorbitant premiuins demanded by surety company which bonded employes of the express company. He is now manager of the Peterson Hardware Co.

Municipal History. Peterson was organized as a village April 15, 1909. Burdett Thayer, assisted by Nels J. Amble, drafted the bill to incorporate 320 acres. The bill was introduced in January, 1909, in the Minnesota legislature, and passed both houses successfully, becoming effective in February of the same year. Immediately after the passing of the bill the organization was undertaken. Details of the organization and incorporation were perfected and the first election took place April 27, 1909, in the office of Nels J, Ambic. The judges of clection were John Skarstad and John Smaby. The clerk of election was A. O. Boywm. The officers elected were: President, Nels J. Amble; trustees, N. J. Sinaby, Olaus Ensberg, C. R. Moen; treasurer, 0. 8S. Retrum; elerk, Carl Johnson; justices, O. A. O. Moen, I. A. Boyum; constables, C. J. Wolstad, W. A. Wenneson (the latter did not qualify) ; assessor, Elmer Halvorson.