Jackson County, Minnesota - Chapter 7: The Nobwegian Settlement - 1860-1862, 1910

Chapter 7: The Nobwegian Settlement - 1860-1862

FACTS supplying the context of preceding chapters lead to the conclusion that fear of the treacherous red man was responsible for the slow settlement of Jackson county. Had it not been for the uprising of Inkpaduta's little band of renegade Indians in 1857, there can be no question that by the 'beginning of the year 1860 Jackson county would have boasted considerable population. As it was, only a fetv were found willing to brave the dangers incident to building homes in the Indian country. But by degrees the fear of Indian attack was lessened, and during the first three years of the decade beginning with 1860 quite a number pushed out onto the frontier to become permanent settlers of Jackson county and other favqred sections of southwestern Minnesota.

Prior to 1860 nearly all the settlers of the county were American bom and came from Iowa and the older settled portions of Minnesota. The larger part of the settlers of the early sixties were Norwegians, who came in small colonies and settled along the Des Moines river in what are now Des Moines and Belmont townships. The first of these came in 1860, upon the representations of Anders Olson Slaabaken, who was generally known as Anders Olson or Anders Belmont.

Alone and on foot, with his pack on his back, Anders Olson Slaabaken, who was a sort of leader of the Norwegian immigrants who had come from the old country and settled in Wisconsin, set out from Rock county, Wisconsin, in 1858 to explore the great western country and locate a suitable place for himself and friends to build homes. He traveled through parts of Minnesota, Nebraska and Dakota, and then returned to his friends and advised them to move farther west. It has been stated that Mr. Slaabaken, in his travels in 1858, visited the Belmont country and was charmed with the location, but the best evidence is to the effect that he did not visit Jackson county. But he did return home and pilot his friends to the Jackson county country.

In the spring of 1860 a party of ten or a dozen of these Norwegian families started out in covered wagons drawn by oxen from their Wisconsin homes. They went first to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and then pushed on westward to Jackson county, where they arrived during the summer. The names of the men of this colony and the locations they selected for their homes were as follows :

When these families came they had their pick of the lands in that part of the countv in which thev located. Most of the white settlors at the time lived farther down the river, in the vicinity of the present village of Jackson, only a few townsite boomers and trappers having located so far up the river. Indians were occasionally seen in the vicinity, but they

'Anders Olson Slaabaken became one of the most hfgrhly respected citizens of the settlement. He devoted his time and energry largely to lookingr after the Interests of the people whom he had advised to build homes In the frontier country and others who came later. He assisted his people In locating: desirable claims, grave many favors, and was always satisfied with a "thank you" for his pay. Mr. Slaabaken was a singrle man when he came to Jackson county, but he later married the widow of MIkkel Olson Slaabaken. His eldest son. Peter dson Slaabaken. now resides upon the old Belmont homestead. Three children of Mr. and Mrs. Mikkel Olson Slaabaken. Olava. Christiana and Karlna, are now married and residents of Jackson county.

*One of the sons of Burre Olson Is Rersvend fWIllIam) Burreson. who resides upon the old homestead. Of all the Norwegians who came to the county In 1860. only William Burreson and wife and Mrs. Burreson's sister. Mrs. Gillie, are Uvlngr.

*In 1861 Mr. Ramlo took as his claim the southwest auarter of section 34, Belmont, on the west side of the river, and removed to that location.

*Two of Englebret Olson Slaabaken's daughters are still residents of Jackson county. They are Mrs. William Burreson. of Des Moines," and Mrs. Olof GUlIe, of Belmont.

gave the new arrivals no trouble. The new-comers builded their log cabins in the woods along the river, prepared their lands for cultivation, and became a valued addition to the population of Jackson county. Another settler of 1860 who became quite promineni in the county was Rev. Peter Baker, who came in the fall and began preaching to the scattered settlers, taking a claim in Petersburg township.

In the fall of 1860 the settlers, feeling that they were in*=:ecure from the ravages of the Sioux Indians, organized a company of home guards, of which* nearly all the men became members. David M. West was chosen captain, the Ftate furnished arms, and the guards drilled every week.

The federal census of 1860, taken bv Assistant United States Marshal Elius D. Bruner on July 13 and 14,^* showed the county to have a population of 181 people.*^ The enumerator visited 60 houses in the countv. He found 52 families and eight unoccupied dwellings, most of the vacant houses being in the village of Belmont. Tlie only township in the countv at the time was named Jackson, and all the residents lived therein. Of the total population only two persons had title to real estate. These were Samuel Brown, who placed a value of $700 on his real property, and Tliomas Johnson, who valued his at $150.

-Other southwestern Minnesota counties in 1860 had populations as follows: Blue Earth, 4.803; Faribault. 1.335; Watonwan, 0; Martin, 151; Cottonwood, 12; Murray, 29; Nobles, 35; Pipestone, .23; Rock. 0.

Name

In 1861 the Norwegian colony was joined by others of the same nationality. The first to arrive were Anders 0. Kirkevoldsmoen* and family, who located on

O. Kirkevoldsmoen died while In the army, and his widow later became the wife of Bn^lebret Olson Slaabaken. Biany of his deacendants are now residents of Jackson county.

the northwest quarter of section 3, Des Moines township; Anders Monson and family, who took a claim on the southeast quarter of section 13, Des Moines, just

One son, Ole Anderson, resides in Jackson; another son, Anders Olson Slaabaken, is dead. Bertha, who became the wife of Simon Olson Slaabaken. and Christiana, who married Ole E.

west of the Milwaukee depot at Jackson; and K. Torreson and family, who settled on the northwest quarter of section 14, Des Moines. Several more of the name of Slaabaken, commonly known bv the name of Olson, came in 1861. These ineluded John Olson Slaabaken,® Mikkel Olson Slaabaken and Tollef Olson Slaabaken with their families and Simon'** and Peder, single men. Part of these drove through from Jefferson Prairie, Wisconsin, with ox teams, the voyage taking two months' time. The others drove through from Fillmore county, Minnesota. Mikkel settled on the northeast quarter of section 28, Belmont, on the west side of the river; Peder took as his claim the northwest quarter of section 23, Des Moines; the others took claims in Belmont, the exact location of their first claims being unknown. Others who came during 1861 were Ole Estenson and Ole Torgeson and their families, who located, on sections G, Belmont, and 31, Christiania;" Lars Olson and family, who settled on the northeast quarter of section 30, Christiania - the most northern settler

Olson Slaabaken. oldest son of Englebret Olson Slaabaken. are dead. The only living daughter of Anders O. Klrkevoldsmoen Is Bertha, who now lives with her husband. Melian Johnson, in Belnwnt. Her first marriage was to Ole E. Olson. Jr.. son of Englebret Olson Slaabaken. and her second marriage to Anders Olson Slaabaken. also a son of Englebret Olson Slaabaken. both of whom died.

-The widow of John Olson Slaabaken still lives In Belmont township, and many of his descendants are now residents of Jackson county. His daughter, Anna, married Ole Brown, who built the mill at Brownsburg. and now lives in Tennessee. Another daughter. Lena, is the wife of P. H. Berge, of Jackson. Ole J. and Peter live upon the old homestead In Belmont. Two daughters. Petria and Engebera. are married and live in Wisconsin.

"After coming to the county Simon Olson Slaabaken married Bertha, the daughter of Anders O. Klrkevoldsmoen. The living children of these parents are .Christina (Mrs. George Omberson), of Murray county; Maria (Mrs. H. H. Berge). of Minneapolis; Helen, of Jackson; Emma (Mrs. Martin Olson), of Jackson; Obert. of Jackson. During his life Simon Olson Slaabaken held several different county offices and was a prominent man In the early days of Jackson county history.

"The claim of one of these men was the northeast quarter of section 6, Belmont; the other was the southeast quarter of section 31; (!^ristiania. both on the east side of the river. Their cabins were close together, but It Is unknown which had the Belmont property and which the Christiania.

at that time; Hans Kgostolson (Chesterson) and family, who built a cabin on the south we5t quarter of section 15, Des Moine.«; Lars G. Jornevik and family, who settled in Belmont; Lars Halverson and family, who took as a claim the southeast quarter of section 25, Des Moines - the southernmost of the Norwegian set-* tiers; Holsten Olson and family, who settled on the northwest quarter of section ;]4, Belmont; Knud Langeland and family, who took uj) their residence on the southeast quarter of section 16, Belmont J ^ A few American born settlers also came to Jackson county in 18G1 and located at different points along the river.

The breaking out of the civil war in 18G1 vitally affected the people in this frontier settlement and gave Jackson county a reputation for patriotism equaled bv few communities. Xearlv all the able bodied men in the county enlisted and fought with the union forces during (he war. Captain D. M. West, of the home guards, enlisted twenty-two of his company in the ITnited States army in September. As cmly thirty-three votes were cast in the county at the fall election, it will be seen that this withdrawal left the people of the frontier settlement in ])oor circumstances to withstand an Indian attack, as ihev were called upon to do the next year. The company, partly enrolled from Jackson county and commanded by 1). M. West, served for a time as the second company of Minnesota cavalrv, but later became company I of the Fifth Iowa cavalry. Of the twentv-two enrolled from Jackson county following are the names of nineteen of the number :^^ D. M. West, captain; Ole Burreson, p]dward Davies, Hans

The New York Pubuc Ubrary

Rev. Peter Baker held protracted religious services in the log house of Joseph Thomas during the winter of 1860- Gl, and afterwards organized a Methodist class. During the summer of 1861 ]ie organized a Sunday school in the Wood brothers' store building. For many years this good man attended to the religious wants of the people of Jackson county and became a highly respected and influential man in the community. This he did largely without pay. In after years he stated- that during the first two years of his service his only recompense was the kitting of a pair of socks!

There are very few items of interest to record for the year 1861. Except the enlisting of so great a proportion of the able bodied men, nothing occurred to interrupt the even tenor of the lives of the frontier settlers. The new arrivals of the year selected their claims, built log cabins and engaged in agricultural pursuits on a small scale. At what was known as Evans' ford, on the southwest quarter of section 14, Des Moines township, the erection of a sawmill was commenced, but it was never finished.^*

An interesting historical document is the assessment list of Danby township, which included the whole settled portion of the county, for the year 1861. The total tax levied was $161.68 and was divided as follows:

"At this point, in 1862, was held the first fourth of July celebration in the county. The work of constructing the mill was In progrress at the time, and many of the settlers were assisting with the work. On the open ground, on the east side of the river, a few of the neighbors gathered in honor of the nation's birthday. A flag pole was erected and the American colors were - flown.

Property Owner

tal of $44.73 as the amount of taxes r6- world. There was no postoflfice, no teleceived by Jackson county for the year graph line, no stage lines. The nearest

The assessment for the year 1862 was liake, Iowa, and the nearest point from made by James E. Palmer. He found 57 which most of the supplies could be propeople in the county possessed of personal cured was Mankato. property, and the total amount of the tax- Along the river from the present site able property was found to be $12,792 - of Jackson down were American bom a small gain over that of the year be- families. Along the river above the site fore. In the county of Jackson there of Jackson, in Des Moines, Belmont and were at the time (so the assessor re- Christiania townships, the settlers were all ported) three watches, manufacturing in- Norwegians, arrived only a few years bedustries to the value of $40, no pianos, fore from their native land, understandtwelve head of horses, no mules, 29 sheep, ing and speaking very little English. They 134 hogs, 320 cattle, 43 wagons, and had few dealings with the outside world moneys and credits to the value of $1,351. and very little intercourse with their Am- Following are eight of the names appear- erican born neighbors down the river; ing on the list and the assessed value of their interests were centered in their their property: homes. Although these Xor^Vegian settlers Edward Daviea $64.40 had located on the exposed frontier, al-