A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE COUNTRY AS IT APPEARED IN 1800-3
We ought, at this point, to make a visit around the neighborhood as it
appeared from '81-'83 and even much later. Beginning in the Turkey
Creek Valley, we have already indicated the half dozen families which
had located there in the early seventies. As we have spoken in another
chapter of this earlier wave of pioneer immigrants, I shall pass them
by now as also those of that same group who had settled to the south,
toward what is now Volin.
Berhaug Rise moved his living house from where it was first placed,
viz., one quarter mile west of Ole Solem's, to about one mile west,
that is, from the creek bottom at the junction of the ravines which
traversed the place from east to west, to the higher land at the head
of these ravines.
To the southwest of our place, about a mile distant, was John Johnson,
who had settled there in '74 and lived in a log house. To the west one
mile was Ole Johnson, who had filed in '79 and was living in a dugout
with his family. Another mile or so still farther southwest was Peter
Moen, also living in a dugout and having a considerable family. Then
going back to Ole Johnson and going north were Peter Johnson, Jonas
Vaabeno, Ole Liabo, and John Moene. To the east of Peter Johnson there
was in 1880 a man by the name of Roser who, however, left about that
time. All of these, as far as I remember, lived in dugouts, with the
exception of the first named, who lived in a loghouse.
Going from five to six miles to the northwest of this Turkey Creek
settlement, we find another group of pioneers, some of whom had come
before 1880 and others a little later. We can mention a few. There was
Cornelius Nilsen, Albert Boe, Peter, Albert, and O.O. Gorseth; O.
Lokken; Steen Bakke, Mrs. Mary Boe, the Simonson Brothers--Halvor and
Ole. Also Asle Mikkelson. There may have been others, but these
comprise practically all who were there at that time. The sons and
daughters of many of these are either on the old places or in the
vicinity to this day. Of course, some have moved away to other parts.
Most of these pioneers are still living, but no longer in the
dug-outs.
Going west to what was called the West Prairie, about six miles, could
be found H. Hagen, the Gustads, Stoems, Skaaness and others. These had
come in the earlier wave of immigration which we have mentioned
already, i.e. in the early '70's or later '60's.
Going back to our starting point near Turkey Creek and going south,
after passing John Johnson already mentioned, we find next the
Lawrence place, now owned by Mr. Axlund; then Hans Dahl, followed in
order by Haldo Sether, Ole Bjerke, Lars Aaen and the Hoxeng Brothers,
both of them then living on the old home place now occupied by Thore
Hoxeng. There were, of course, others scattered on either side of this
line of settlers, but these were a sort of land marks in the early
eighties.
Finally, going some eight miles north from our starting point, we find
these: Thore Fossem and Iver Sneve of our original party and a few
others like Ole Brunswick, Ingebricht Saatrum and John Rye, whom we
have already mentioned, and J. Larsen. The next to the last named and
a few others had settled in that vicinity before 1880. Here should
also be mentioned the Durums, Baks, Snoens, Ressels, Grudts, and Lees.
The old homesteaders of this group too, have for the most part found a
last resting place in the neighborhood cemetery. Their children,
however, are in most cases to be found on the old place or near by.
I am conscious that this rough sketch of our neighbors and neighboring
settlements of 1880-'1 is far from complete. Yet it gives a fair idea
of the population over the prairie there at that time. There were
magnificent distances between neighbors and settlements. Yet there was
often more neighborliness and sociability than in later years. We
needed each other then, in fact could not well get along without
helping and being helped in various ways by one another. Now we can
help ourselves or rather think we can. But really we cannot, and if we
of the newer generations lose the old neighborliness we shall be
poorer and unhappier in our steam heated, electric lighted houses and
swift speeding automobiles than they were with their earth cellars and
ox teams and lumber wagons. So let us cherish and keep alive the old
neighborly kindness and great-hearted hospitality. Practically all
these early settlers at first lived in a one-room dwelling, seldom
over 12 x 14 or 16, and this dwelling was in most cases a dugout. Yet
in spite of this fact and of having large families of their own to
accommodate, the traveler or stranger was not turned out into the
night, and the visitor was always welcomed. There was always room, not
merely for one more but for half a dozen more if necessary. There
never was any lack of room then. In honor of this splendid trait of
our pioneer fathers and mothers, let us reserve a room in our big
house and, better still, in our hearts, for the occasional stranger or
friend, and in doing so we too shall find that while we may not always
have "entertained angels unawares", yet by doing so the angels have
somehow entertained us more than they otherwise could.