FIRST SETTLEMENT AND SETTLERS OF THE "SOUTH PRAIRIE," 1861-71,
MEMORABLE TRIP IN SEARCH OF WORK
However, in '69 and '70 there came to be a considerable settlement on
the South Prairie of the people already named and others who came in
the latter '60's and early 70's.
When we say that people "settled" here at this time it must not be
interpreted to mean that they began to put up good buildings, break
the sod and raise grain and cattle. These activities were for many as
yet years away. As a general thing a rude dwelling of logs, sod, or a
dugout was made to shelter the family and to fulfil the law in regard
to getting deed to the land. Also a few acres were broken, perhaps
five or ten, to comply with these homestead requirements. Then about
the next thing was for the men folks to strike out for the forts on
the upper Missouri in order to earn a little money, by cutting wood or
working on other government jobs, to support themselves and their
families. This work and the wretched food and "accommodations" given
them would have broken these men in body and spirit had they not been
young and vigorous in body as well as unconquerable in spirit.
Perhaps we can reproduce the experiences of many of the above named
homesteaders of the '60's and early '70's by giving the actual story
of one group who went up the river to find work, as related to us by
one of the parties, Ole Lee, now living near Volin.
Mr. Lee came to America in 1870, May 18th, and landed, like most of
the above named, in Sioux City, where his brother Halvor Aune had
already preceded him. With only 35 cents with which to start in the
new country, Mr. Lee counted himself fortunate in finding a job at
$1.75 per day, even tho board had to be paid out of this. But even
this fortune did not last long, for Sioux City was a small place and
had little development at that time. Yet, however short Ole was in
cash, he did have some capital which could be invested in the new
country and would in time compel success. He had a good, sound body,
great courage, a cheerful disposition and a good talking apparatus,
altho as yet operating mostly in the Norwegian language. So having
learned that there was work and better pay than he had been getting,
in connection with the steamboat traffic and the government forts on
the upper Missouri, he in company with a number of others started west
to seek fortune as also adventure. As most of these men were young and
unmarried, the Viking spirit of adventure and daring was not absent.
It was in the spring of 1871 that these young men, gathered at
Yankton, decided to trek over the country to Fort Sully, 300 miles
away, in search of work.
They had among them scarcely any money and some even owed their
winter's board. So at first they thought of starting out afoot. But
thru an acquaintance of one of the party they were able to buy an ox
team on time, agreeing to pay $180.00 for the same, including an old
wagon. They were able to buy a few provisions, such as flour and salt
pork, for their own use on the way, and some sacks of oats for the
oxen as hay or grass could not be depended on, the vast prairie often
being burned off.
There were eighteen of these young explorers in all and while one
drove the oxen by turns the other seventeen walked behind the wagon.
Besides the two brothers already mentioned, there were in this company
Emret and Sivert Mjoen; also Sivert and Christopher Haakker,
Ingibricht Satrum, Iver Furuness, Ole Solem, Ole Yelle, Albert Meslo,
Anders Krengness and Thomas Berg. I have not the names of the others
of the party.
These young men, altho afoot and with meager provisions, on their way
toward a far-off destination and unknown conditions, yet trudged along
day after day with jokes and laughter. At noon or night, wherever they
happened to be on the broad plains, the same cooking routine was
performed, each taking his turn. Get out the long handled frying pan,
the fire having been built, fry pancakes or flap-jacks, and perhaps a
little pork, and boil some coffee. Then if it was the evening meal
they would sit around the fire a while to stretch their weary legs,
smoke a pipe, talk over and speculate on the prospects ahead and then
roll up in their blankets for the night.
One day, as they were nearing Fort Thompson, having followed the
course of the river so far, they met a man driving a mule team.
Surmising from their appearance that these men were in a situation to
accept work of most any kind or on any condition, he stopped to parley
with them. He had a government contract to cut 900 cords of wood on an
island below Ft. Thompson. So he offered these men $2 per cord to cut
this wood. They were only too eager to grasp this first opportunity,
especially as he was to furnish them board. But what should they do
with their joint property--oxen and wagon? The man, realizing he had
made a "find" in these eager strong handed men, didn't let this stand
in the way but bought the outfit for $185.00. They thus made $5.00 on
the deal, and in regular democratic style it was voted in assembly to
send back the $180.00 due the former owner of the oxen; sell the
remainder of the oats and with the total proceeds have a little
"refreshment" before they began their summer's work. This they did in
reaching the fort, and the only refreshments to be had in those places
being in liquid form, there was just enough money in the treasury to
buy them "one each."
Now, let it be remembered by this and all coming generations that this
was the first commercial co-operative enterprise, as far as we know,
in this part of the country, and that it yielded a profit--it
"liquidated."
They now immediately began cutting wood on this island below Fort
Thompson, and it was well that they had had some "refreshment," for
what they now received in the way of board was fearfully and
wonderfully made. It consisted of spoiled pork and wormy flour,
rejected by the soldier commissary at the fort and bought for little
or nothing by this shameless contractor to feed these unsuspecting
men. Out of this material, a not over clean negro cook made two
standard dishes--soda biscuits and fried pork. Often the remnants of
the worms, embalmed and baked into the biscuits could be plainly seen.
The men bore as patiently as they could with this sickening food, for
there was little else to do now under their circumstances. But their
stomachs rebelled, however, and the men became so weakened thru
continued diarrhea that they could scarcely lift the ax at times. Yet
with characteristic Viking spirit they "stuck it out" until the 900
cords were hewn. The men now separated, some going back to Yankton or
vicinity. Ole Lee and his brother Halvor, however, pushed on up to
Fort Sully, or Cheyenne Agency, where the former remained for five
years without seeing civilization again in the meantime. By this time
Mr. Lee, as well as others of the above named company, had been able
to save up a little money and homesteaded in Yankton county, where
some of them and many of their descendants live to this day, not a few
of them being worth $100,000 each. You recall we began our narrative
of one of them with a capital of 35 cents. The explanation of this, of
35 cents to $100,000; of the borrowed ox team and rickety wagon to the
finest automobiles in the market; of the sod shanty or dugout to the
big modern houses with all the latest conveniences which some of
these men have today, lies in two or three words--America and the
Norse immigrants' great characteristics, industrially speaking--industry
and thrift.
We have suggested the striking change which fifty years have wrought
in the outward circumstances of these men. Would that the intervening
years could have been equally kind to the men themselves as to their
earthly tabernacles! But such could not be the case, altho several of
them are still living and a number spending their declining years as
neighbors in the vicinity of Volin. The heat and toil of many summers
have wrinkled their brows; the snows of many winters and some sorrows
and cares have whitened the hair and given a stoop to the shoulders.
The step is a little less firm now than when they together marched
over the prairie to the west; their laughter has lost some of its
ring, and yet it is there. With their children and grandchildren they
are enjoying a little deserved rest before the final journey to the
last sunset of life's trail.
There is Ole Lee, Ole Solem, Halvor Hinseth and the Hoxengs, still
active and living in good, comfortable homes and in the same
neighborhood. There is Ole Bjerke, once tall and straight as a young
pine of the forest, now a little bent over and gray. There, too, is
his wife, remarkably well preserved in both body and mental faculties.
How many generations of "newcomers" have received a hearty welcome and
hospitality in these homes and have been by them helped to get a start
in the new land! Long will they live enshrined in the hearts and
memories of the many who have enjoyed the hospitality of their
firesides.
Yes, most of these pioneers of forty to sixty years ago have already
struck the long trail and gone to that "West" which is the farthest
and the final. Of the few who remain, the earthly tabernacles are
leaning more and more toward the earth from which they came, and in a
very short time not one will be left standing. Yet because man's
immortal hope burns strongly in many of them, the building of flesh,
tho feebler than of yore, is glorious with that light which the years
and the eternities cannot dim nor extinguish, for it is eternal in the
Heavens.