_Continued Immigration from Aurland, Sogn, to
Koshkonong. The Arrival of Settlers from
Vik Parish, Sogn, in 1845._
In the year 1845-1846 immigration to Koshkonong from Laurdal, Vinje and
Moe Parishes continued and a considerable number came from Flesberg.
The accessions from Laurdal, Moe, and Hvideseid for these years record
the end of a movement that began in 1843. But that which especially
characterized the growth of the Koshkonong Settlement in 1845-1846 was
the extensive additions through immigrants from Sogn. So extensive,
in fact, was the influx from Sogn these years as to make their total
representation on Koshkonong at once exceed that from either Voss or
Numedal, and equal to about half that from Telemarken. These four have
ever since been the dominant elements in Koshkonong's population. A
part of this immigration from Sogn was from parishes represented among
the arrivals of the year before. Such were Botolf J. Grinde, Ole N.
Steenhjerde and Sjur I. Romören from Leikanger, Herman T. Vee, Joseph
J. Gjellum and Hermund O. Offerdal from Lærdal, Anders S. Övrebö,
wife Anne and three children from Lyster, Erik L. Grov and Anders H.
Ödegaard and wife Martha from Hafslo.
But much more significant was the immigration from Aurland Parish in
1845-1846, from Sogndal in 1846, and the new immigration from Vik
Parish in 1845. We shall discuss these three groups in order briefly.
We have noted above, Chapter XXXI, that there were several persons from
Aurland Parish, Sogn, among the immigrants who settled on Koshkonong in
1844. I am now in receipt of a letter from Anders J. Flaam of Flaam in
Aurland, Norway, relative to the earliest emigration from Aurland to
America. His letter, as also that of Reverend E. P. Juul, the present
Minister of the Parish, shows that the earliest emigrants left there in
1844. I quote in translation from Reverend Juul's letter:
"Those who, according to parochial records here, were the first
to emigrate to America are the following: Iver Hansen Vingum, age
twenty-five, unmarried,[331] Ole Torjussen Flaam, age fifty, wife
Anna Botolfsdatter, age forty, and children, Ole, thirteen and a
half years old, and Anders, ten years. Of these, Iver Hansen's
certificate of emigration is shown to have been issued March 20,
1844, and he to have left the district on April 13th the same year.
Ole Torjussen's certificate of emigration was issued on the 13th of
April, 1844, and his departure took place the following day. All
therefore emigrated together."
[331] The writer's father has always pronounced the name Vangen, which
also according to Haakon Lie, is the correct form. Iver Vangen
settled on Bonnet Prairie, where his son Hans Vangen is still
living.
Reverend Juul thereupon gives a list of those who emigrated from
Aurland in 1845, and while several of these did not settle on
Koshkonong it will be of interest to the reader to see this list. I
therefore give it complete here:
"In 1845, on the 19th of April the natives of Aurland
(Aurlændinger) left their native village: Torsten Olsen Bjelde,
(45 years of age) wife, Anna (29), and son, Ole (3½ years);
Iver Ingebrigtsen Ytreli (32 years); Jens Botolfsen Bergkvam
(23½ years); Jens Torgersen Tærum (44½ years), wife Ragnhilde
Monsdatter (27) and son Torger (one year); Sjur Olsen Stundal (19)
and sister Katrine (30); Anna Marie Hansdatter Vangen (28½);
Erik Johannesen Ytreli (43) and wife Marthe Larsdatter (48) and
children; Brita (21 years), Magnilde (18 years), Johannes (16
years), Ingeborg (14 years), Lars (10½ years), Haakon (9 years),
Anna (7 years), Tomas (5 years); Johanne Botolsdatter Ytreli (16
years); Eilef Olson Loven (24 years); Mikkel Knutsen Österbro
(22½ years), and wife Martha Gulvsdatter (27½ years), and son
Knut (two months); Lars Gundersen Gjellum (33½ years) and wife
Gjertrud, and son Knut (4 years); Martha Gundersdatter (17 years);
Josef Johannesen Vindedal (73 years), and wife Anna Jensdatter;
John Johnsen Frondal (28 years) and wife Magnhilde; Rognald
Johannesen Knit (19½ years); Simon A. Gjellum (20 years); Peder
Monsen Loven (34 years); Johanne M. Loven (20 years); Iver J. Stene
(22 years).
These are the emigrants who first went to America from this Parish.
Aurland Parish, January 25th, 1909.
E. P. Juul."
Some of the immigrants mentioned by Reverend Juul are still living
on Koshkonong. Thus among the children of Erik J. Ytreli (who died
in 1892, at the age of 90),[332] Johannes (John E. Johnson) is still
living on the old homestead, two miles east of Utica, and his brother
Haakon is living there with him.[333] Simon Gjellum lived two years
in Chicago, then entered the Mexican War, after which he came to
Koshkonong. Ivar I. Ytreli[334] had been a school teacher and deacon at
Systrond, in which capacity he continued serving here in this country,
at Rock Prairie, Rock County, whither he went soon after arriving in
Wisconsin; he died there about 1875. Of other immigrants from Aurland,
which Mr. Anders J. Flaam speaks of, I shall mention Peder J. Gjeirsme,
and Torbjörn O. Gjeirsme, wife Metta and family, who came in 1846, and
Hans Torjussen Flom, who, he says, went soon after Ole T. Flom.
[332] The family shortened the name to Lie in this country.
[333] During a visit with him at the John E. Johnson homestead last
August I had the pleasure of listening to H. Lie's narrative
of the emigration of this party from Aurland and of their
early experiences. Haakon Lie has a remarkable memory and he
has made it a point to follow the career and keep in touch
with his fellow immigrants of 1845, and their history in this
country. Space does not permit me to give here details from
my interview with him, nor from that with others relative to
the immigration of these years. But I may add that the party
sailed with Kong Sverre, Captain Fisher; they were six weeks
and four days on the way from Bergen to New York, thence
they went by steamboat to Albany, where they arrived on the
fourth of July. Arriving in Chicago one of the last days in
July, they remained there a week then proceeded to their
destination, Koshkonong, driving with oxen from Chicago.
Haakon Lie says there were none on the ship from Telemarken or
Numedal; the 300 passengers were all from Sogn and Voss; but
I learn through others that there were some from Hardanger on
the ship.
The limitations of space necessitates curtailment in the account
in nearly every chapter. From the vast amount of material I
have, I can offer here practically only that which pertains
specifically to the history of immigration.
[334] Or, as Kristen Sherpi of West Koshkonong called him in an
interview last summer, Ivar i Heggvikji.
During the year 1845 there came also a group of immigrants to
Koshkonong from Vik Parish, namely several families from near
Arnefjord. This party included several Næset families, the oldest
living survivor of which is Jens J. Næset (b. 1828), well-known
Koshkonong architect, who resides at Stoughton, Wisconsin.[335] I have
had several interviews with Mr. Næset relative to their sailing, and
their early life as pioneers; it will be possible to give here only
the briefest facts. Jens Næset tells me that there were eight estates
at Næset and that the owners of four of them sold out at the same time
and went to America. The biggest of these estates was that of Ingebrigt
Næset, or as he was usually called, Skuungen. In the party were Jens
Næset's parents, Johannes Jensen Næset and wife Eli, his oldest sister
Gro, married to Ole Larson (Haugan)[336] who is living in Cambridge,
Wisconsin, two brothers Ingebrigt and John, and another sister who
later married Henrik Lien of East Koshkonong.[337]
[335] Jens Næset, I have just learned, died at Stoughton last week,
May, 1908.
[336] They had one child when they came; she is Mrs. Ole Venaas,
Rockdale, Wisconsin.
[337] Johannes Næset was born in Feios, but his father had bought
Næset in 1823 and settled there, three Norwegian miles from
Arnefjord.
There were three ships that sailed at the same time, Næset relates. One
of these was the _Kong Sverre_, Captain Fischer (of which Haakon Lie
speaks above), and on which the emigrants from Aurland were embarked.
Another was a two-masted sloop, _Peder Schröder_, and which carried
about 130 passengers, among whom the Næset families; this sloop had
crossed twice before. The third was one commanded by Captain Brock. The
passengers on this ship were mostly from Sogn, but there were three
boys from Hardanger, and a few persons from Voss. _Peder Schröder_ also
carried emigrants principally from Sogn, but there were two from Voss,
says Næset. One of these was Brynjulf Leland, who settled at Norway
Grove, where he is still living. The other was Odd Himle, whom we have
met with above page 168, as the guide of the first party of explorers
of Koshkonong in 1839. He had returned to Norway in 1844, married there
in 1845, and was now returning to America. Among those who came on the
Brock-ship were Skuungen and Ole Menes.
We recognize in Captain Brook's ship the same ship that Lasse Ellingson
of Capron, Illinois, came on in 1845. It was furthermore the very
same voyage of this ship. The name of the ship was _Albion_. For a
partial list of the passengers on this ship as of _Peder Schröder_,
whose captain was Vingaard,[338] the reader may now be referred to the
account of the sailing of these two ships above, Chapter XXXII.
[338] The much talked of Vingaard-ship.
The two ships _Kong Sverre_ and _Peder Schröder_ sailed side by side
the whole way, relates Næset, _Kong Sverre_ arriving in New York in
the evening, _Peder Schröder_ the next morning. Captain Brock's ship
which had started ten days earlier, arrived three days later (see above
page 275). From New York the immigrants were taken over the usual route
to Milwaukee.[339] Having arrived in Muskego, they secured Halvor
Luraas to take their goods to Koshkonong; he brought them to Clinton
(Rockdale), where the first man they met was Torstein Selseng, who
had emigrated from Aurland, Sogn, to Koshkonong the preceding year.
Johannes Næset, who was a man of considerable means for the time,
bought the land, which is now occupied by the son Ingebrigt Næset,
which is section thirty-five in the southeastern part of Christiana
Township.
[339] Mr. Næset's full account of this journey I shall publish
elsewhere.
Johannes Næset was born in Leikanger Parish in 1795; his wife,
Eli I. Berdahl, was born in 1797. She died in Koshkonong in 1850,
Johannes died in 1882. He was noted for his ability as a mechanic, was
successful as a maker of violins, and was himself a capable player.
Jens Næset early distinguished himself as a builder and an architect.
Though but sixteen years old he assisted in the building of the old log
church in East Koshkonong in 1844, and it was Næset who took it down
again in 1858 and constructed the old stone church, which a few years
ago was replaced by a handsome brick edifice. He also built the tower
of the old Liberty Prairie Church, and a number of the oldest houses on
Albion Prairie were erected by him. Jens Næset was married in 1850; he
has no children. Mrs. Ole Melaas of Stoughton, Wisconsin, is an adopted
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Næset.[340]
[340] The Næsets have been living in Stoughton since 1876.
As has been noted, there was a considerable immigration from Sogndal,
Sogn, in 1846; to name only a few: Ole C. Teigen, Ellend T. Quale,
with wife Dordei Baardsdatter and family, eight in all, Anders S.
Hundere, Nils O. Selseng and wife, and Johannes I. Gjerde. From
Aurland, Sogndal, and Hafslo there came others in the following four
years. I shall here name Peder Sylfestson Aaberge from Hafslo, who
came in 1847, Ole O. Anderson (1848), Ole O. Hemsing (1849), both from
Sogndal, Atle S. Gjellum and family, Per Sherping and wife Kristine and
Kristen Olson Gulvangen from Aurland in 1849. Of these Aaberge later
moved to Minnesota. Ole Anderson (often called Skog-Ola) settled three
miles north of Albion, where he lived till his death. He married Guri
Pederson, adoptive daughter of Torstein Selseng in 1851, who had come
to America in 1849. She died in June, 1909. Ole Hemsing located first
in Cottage Grove; in 1855 he purchased the old Hemsing farm three miles
north of Stoughton, later owned by the son Ole H. Hemsing (b. 1853),
since 1884, of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Ole O. Hemsing died about 1895,
the widow (Ragnilda) died in 1907. Per Sherping died early and the
widow married Kristen Olson, who then took the name Sherping (Sherpi).
Kristen Sherpi (b. 1823) is still living at the old homestead near West
Koshkonong Church. There was scattered immigration from Telemarken
down to 1850, especially from Hvideseid, about forty in all came from
Hallingdal, and twenty-five from Hardanger; Valders, Ringsaker, Biri
and Vardal, and a dozen other provinces and parishes are represented
by four or five settlers each. The first to arrive from Hardanger were
Svend L. Lund, Ingebrekt, Nicolai, and Johannes Erdahl, Guttorm Buo,
Ole L. and Aslak E. Quammen; these came in 1847. From Ringsaker came
Anders J. Tömmerstigen, wife Maria Olsdatter and children Johannes,
Olive, Peter (b. 1843) and Karen Marie, in 1846, while from North
Aurdal in Valders came Ole Loe and Ole H. Hippe, both with families,
and from Slidre, Tollef H. Gvale, all in 1847.
I shall now offer a copy of the official register of members of the
Koshkonong churches during this period, according to the Parochial
Records left by Reverend J. W. C. Dietrichson for the years 1844 to
1850. This is here printed for the first time and will be read with
considerable interest by the many descendants of the founders of these
two historic congregations on Koshkonong Prairie.