The first Norwegian in North Dakota left a lasting impact on the state

FARGO — Of all of the states in the USA, North Dakota, at 30.8%, has by far the best share of Norwegians dwelling within the state. Minnesota ranks second at 16.5%.

Right now, there are six counties within the state the place over 50% of the residents are of Norwegian lineage: Divide (64.7%), Steele (62.0%), Traill (59.0%), Griggs (58.9%), Nelson (54.8%), and Burke (53.1%). What makes this fascinating is that Norwegians have been one of many final European teams to immigrate to northern Dakota Territory. In line with census data, there have been solely 10 Norwegian residents in 1870. That quantity shot as much as 8,814 in 1880, and by 1900, 73,744 Norwegians have been dwelling in North Dakota.

Historian Axel Tolleson wrote that the primary Norwegian to stay within the Purple River Valley, and sure northern Dakota Territory, was Daniel Olson. In 1861, Olson resided, “within the French half-breed settlement at outdated St. Joseph (Walhalla) close to Pembina.”

Little is thought about him as to when he arrived, when he left and what his occupation was. There was a Daniel Olson/Oleson who did some carpentry work at Fort Totten within the 1870s, however he was reportedly from Sweden.

The

first Norwegian settler in northern Dakota Territory was

Nelson E. Nelson, who was born close to Christiana/Oslo in 1830. He was orphaned at an early age and raised by his maternal grandparents who introduced him with him once they immigrated to the U.S. in 1849.

Nelson lived in Wisconsin till he moved to Minnesota in 1857. He remained there till 1869, when he was appointed deputy collector of customs at Pembina in northeastern Dakota Territory.

In line with Nelson’s granddaughter Jessie Lorenz, N. E. Nelson, his spouse Martha, and their six kids first lived in a barn a couple of mile from Pembina. To construct their home, Nelson had the few remaining timber minimize for lumber and had wooden transported by steamboat. “Their family items got here in Purple River carts and took three months to reach from Henderson, Minnesota, to Pembina,” Lorenz wrote. Fort Pembina, which was positioned about eight miles from the Nelson dwelling, was the “social heart,” she famous.

One of many folks that quickly turned an excellent buddy of Nelson was Enos Stutsman, a distinguished legal professional in Dakota Territory. Within the early spring of 1866, Stutsman had been appointed as a treasury agent to forestall smugglers from coming throughout the Canadian border. The places of work for each Nelson and Stutsman have been within the Customized’s Home. They have been joined in 1870, by

a brand new deputy U.S. marshal who was assigned

“to watch a bunch of Irish rebels making ready to invade Canada.” His title was Judson LaMoure, and in only a few years, all three males would have counties named of their honor.

Nelson was awarded the primary official homestead in what in the end turned North Dakota. On December 19, 1870, the U.S. Land Workplace opened an workplace in Pembina and Nelson was the primary individual to file a homestead declare there. His declare of 160 acres was simply south of Pembina.

In Yankton, Joseph Rolette had filed a homestead declare close to Pembina in 1868 however was unable to show up his declare, which took 5 years, as a result of he died in 1871. Though there have been different individuals at Pembina who filed their claims on December 19, Nelson was in a position to show up his declare sooner as a result of he was a Civil Conflict veteran.

Nelson was named chairman of the 1872 Pembina County Conference and in June of that 12 months, he referred to as for the choice of candidates for the upcoming election. The candidates chosen for the northern area of the county have been Stutsman for the council/senate and LaMoure for the home.

Though Stutsman and LaMoure have been defeated within the election, Stutsman was in a position to get the ballots for the profitable candidates thrown out and he and LaMoure have been awarded the seats within the territorial legislature. Having served 4 years within the Dakota Territorial council and two within the Territorial home, Stutsman had appreciable political energy. Additionally, he had been elected president of each legislative our bodies.

In 1874, Nelson’s oldest daughter, Minnie, married LaMoure and the 2 males turned even nearer. LaMoure served 4 phrases within the Dakota Territorial Legislature. When North Dakota turned a state in 1889, he was elected to the North Dakota Senate and was repeatedly reelected till 1912. Whereas within the senate, LaMoure turned essentially the most highly effective member of the state legislature, largely as a result of “he was the chief lieutenant of Alexander McKenzie, the Republican political boss of North Dakota.”

In 1882, LaMoure satisfied Nelson to run for the home within the territorial legislature, and Nelson was elected. Through the 1883 legislative session, Nelson

“made a reputation for himself in his combat towards company corruption and management of farmers.”

His most lasting affect, nonetheless was a invoice that he pushed calling for the capital to be faraway from Yankton to a extra centralized location. A nine-man fee was established to decide on the brand new website for the territorial capital and, on June 1, 1883, after 13 ballots, Bismarck was chosen.

One other invoice handed within the 1883 legislative session was the creation of a brand new county by annexing territory from Foster, Grand Forks and Ramsey counties. As a result of Nelson

“was so admired by his fellow legislators,”

they named the brand new county in his honor.

LaVerne Ringdahl identified fascinating entries within the Nelson County Historical past Ebook that would trigger confusion. On web page 7, it appropriately states that Nelson County was named for Nelson E. Nelson, however on web page 616, it states that the county was named after Nils Nelson, “the primary everlasting settler in Nelson County.” These have been clearly two completely different individuals.

Nelson retired from statewide politics to focus on his farm, duties as deputy customs collector and civic affairs within the rising city of Pembina. After North Dakota turned a state on November 2, 1889, the port of Pembina was made a separate district in North Dakota by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. President Benjamin Harrison appointed Nelson because the port’s first customs agent, a place he held till 1894.

In 1890, Nelson was elected mayor of Pembina and retained that place till 1895. In 1899, Nelson was as soon as once more elected mayor and remained in workplace till 1907. With William McKinley, a Republican, serving as President in 1899, Nelson was once more named because the customs agent at Pembina. On September 25, 1907, Nelson retired as customs agent and was changed by his grandson, Judson LaMoure, Jr.

Nelson later moved to San Diego to stay along with his second oldest daughter, Annie, and her husband, Alex Montague, who had labored for the San Diego Customs Workplace for over 40 years. Juletid/Christmas seems to have performed a major function in Nelson E. Nelson’s future. He was born on Christmas Day in 1830 and died on Christmas Eve in 1913, someday shy of his 83rd birthday.