Wanamingo Township

Wanamingo Township

This town is bounded north by Leon, east by Miuneola, west by Holden and south by Cherry Grove. The north branch of the Zumbro river runs through the southern portion of this town, and a branch of the Cannon, through the northwestern part. The surface is gently rolling, and the soil very fertile, well watered by many springs and running streams, and where these are not at hand, water is foand by digging a few feet below the surface.

There are natural groves of timber in all parts, side by side with the open prairie. No other township in the county furnishes equal advantages to the farmer.

The first settlers came here in 1854, and were natives of Norway. Early in that year Henry Nelson came to Dodgeville, Wisconsin, from California, where he had been staying a few years, and accumulated a snug little sum of money. About the same time his older brother, Torga Nelson, then a widower, came back to the same place from Australia, where he had also earned some money. Tliey then agreed to go to the northwest together and search for a home. After purchasing a team, they started, and after being on the way as far as Root river, they heard that the territory of Minnesota contained good farming land with wood and water.

They then purchased a number of cattle and such farming implements as they would need for beginning farming operations. They were now joined by Thosten - Anderson, another of their countrymen, who was also in the same pursuit. As both the Nelsons were determined to start in farming with all there was in it, they each hired a man to help them. Henry hired William Williamson (Kuuningpu) and Torga hired Nils Gulbrandson. Both these hired men were carpenters by trade. Mr. Gulbrandson left his family in Wisconsin, expecting to return for them in the fall, provided he liked the new country.

The prairie schooners were ready, and the little company started for the unknown land on the 21st of May, consisting, besides those already named, of the family of Henry Nelson, and also that of Thosten Anderson, with the two sisters of the Nelsons, namely, Mrs. Jens Ottuu, 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, on the 12th of June, to the place which is now called Wanamingo. They had for many days not seen any white persons but themselves. At about 11 a. m., on the day above named, they crossed the north fork of the Zumbro. Torga Nelson stopped his team and looking around saw there was a fine park, with beautiful land adjacent. He exclaimed : " Here I will live and die." His words have been fulfilled; he died in 1889, having lived in that place thirty-five years. The whole company found it to be the desirable 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 town. They began by making dug-outs and sod shanties for living and sleeping apartments. They broke up the prairie for field culture, and planted some corn, sowed buckwheat and rutabagas. Tbey 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 comrades. They found them and induced nearly all of them to come to Wanamingo,

This last party consisted of Andres Baarnhus and his family, John Stroemme and family, Kolben Ektevest and family, Gunder Hestemyr, Ole O. Oakland, Haldor Johnson, also having 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 Eed Wing which was 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 before this they knew of no market town nearer than Decorah, Iowa.

In August, Nils Gulbrandson went to Wisconsin for his family, and it was agreed that he should meet Mr. Jens Ottun there, who had arrived from Norway, and accompany him to Red Wing on a steamboat. Three weeks later Torga and Henry Nelson set out for Red Wing to meet them. After wandering about two days they found the place. In the meantime the party had arrived, but both men had taken the cholera while on the steamboat. Mr. Gulbrandson died in one hour after landing. Mr. Ottun survived. They were left on the shore by the boat hands. Mrs. Gulbrandson took charge

Mr. William Freeborn, seeing Mr. Ottun lying ou the levee with none seemingly to care for him, offered five dollars to the man who would take him to some house and care for him over night. A few days after this, the Nelsons had arrived in Bed Wing and found Ottun so far recovered as to be walking about, and he, in company with Mrs. Gulbrandson and her son Gilbert, returned with the Nelsons to the new settlement. The next year Mr. Torga Nelson and Mrs. Gulbrandson were married.

In October, 1854, the Nelsons went again to Red Wing for winter supplies. Nils J. Ottun, the son of Jens Ottun, relates that his father sent by them for flour and some other necessaries. Having only ten dollars, his wife sent a gold nugget worth ten dollars more. They bought two barrels of flour. His father worked for Mr. Torga Nelson, splitting rails, that winter, leaving himself and his mother to keep house alone. He remembers that his mother used to measure off the slice of bread for each to be eaten at every meal, the same size, and this with a little butter and something they called coffee for drink, constituted their every-day diet through the winter. In the latter part of March, the people who had settled in the northern part of the town, came to them for floar. They were entirely out and the snow was so deep they could not get to Red Wing. Only one barrel was then left in the settlement. That was one of the two which his father had bought, and it was equally divided among all and was made to last until the road to Red Wing became passable.

The first death among the settlers was that of the youngest child of Thosten Anderson, named Berith. Mrs. Jens Ottun was requested to select a suitable place for a burial ground, and a farm for a preacher, which she did at the time of the burial of this child, in July,

1855. Mr. Torga Nelson and Mrs. Gulbrandson, already mentioned, and John J. Marifjerson and Miss Soeneva Johnson, were united at the same time by Rev. Nils Brant, of Oconomowoc, Wis. The first public religious service was held the same month by the same clergyman.

The land selected for the preacher was that now occupied by Rev. B. J. Muus, who came on in IS;")*). In the meantime they were supplied by several preachers from Iowa and Wisconsin.

A few American families came to this town in 1855, and made claims in the southern portion, on the Zumbro river. One of these settlers, Mr. James Brown, platted and laid into lots, forty acres of land, for village purposes, and called the place Wanamiiigo, the name of a heroine in a novel. The first store was built in this village by J. T. AVright. There are now several stores, one hotel, two blacksmith shops, a public school house, a fine church edifice, and a number of neat private dwellings. The American settlers have nearly all sold out and gone, and the village is occupied by the Norwegians and their descendants. There is another village in the northeast corner of the tovv^uship, called Hader, where there is a hotel, a public school house, several stores and shops.

of buildings, a post-office, a large church, store and blacksmith shop. This village is called Aspelund. Another village near the western boundary with similar advantages is called Norway. There are four post-offices in the township, ten school houses, one flouring mill, and three fine church buildings, each of the latter capable of seating 500 persons. Rev. B. J. Muus was the first settled pastor in the township. He became pastor of the first church organization which was called the " Eastern church of the congregation of Holden," and embraced all the Lutherans in several of the surrounding townships, and consisted of more than seventy heads of families in its membership. The first board of trustees were Kuute K. Finseth, Kjostol G. Ntieseth, H. O. Huset and C. Lockrem. The next church organization was effected in 1859 and called the " Evangelical Lutheran church " in Wanamingo ; Rev. O. Hanson, pastor.

These first settlers had some difficulty the first year in adjusting the boundaries of their several claims. Not knowing how many acres one person could hold and preempt, their farms were unusually large. Disputes often arose, and it was reported that one fierce battle was fought on section twenty, using clubs, ax handles, etc., for weapons, "with damaging results to more pates than one." Every one wanted timber, prairie land and running water. It was in the latter part of 1855 before they found that each could hold but 160 acres, in adjoining forty acre lots. In some cases their first buildings would be a mile away from their breaking, as the late comers were obliged to claim a patch here, and a patch there, in order to satisfy all needs. So there were troubles to meet and overcome when they went to the

Many had hard straggles to encounter in that settlement during the first two years. They had not the means to pay their passage over the sea and were obliged to devote their first earnings to that outlay. But for the fact that a few who had money and could furnish work for others who had none, there would have been much suffering.

The people from Norway seem to be well fitted for pioneers in a new country. As farmers they have proved themselves to be more successful than any other nationality who have come to this county. With no other means than a willingness to labor in any work required to be done, with stout arms and faith in God and their fellowmen, many of them are now reckoned among the wealthiest of our citizens in every branch of business now carried on. The farms and farm buildings in the town of Wanamingo, at the present day, show a degree of thrift and industry equal to the best in this country.

Wanamingo township was organized in May, 1858, by the election of the following officers : O. Hanson, N. K. Fenne and J. G. Brown, supervisors ; W. R. Brown, justice of the peace; J. T. Wright, town clerk ; Warren lUson, constable; N. K. Fenne, assessor.

This town has the honor of being the first to build up and sustain the Norwegian Lutheran church, which has become the most numerous of the christian churches in the county, having about 1,000 communicants. This denomiDation have at the present sixteen church edifices in Goodline county. These buildings are large and fine, generally costing about )§4,000 each; and capable of seating comfortably from four to six hundred people. A parish school is connected with each church.

They have an Acadomical School and Theological Seminary, in Red Wing; and also a Seminary for young ladies at the same place. Rev. B. J. Muus, the first settled pastor of this church, is still residing in Wanamingo.