Subject: Karmoy to America; Jacob Haugen
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 12:22:28 -0500
From: Gene Nygaard
To: Lowell Hanson
These were written by Jacob Haugen b. 1874, first cousin of my grandfather, from Haugen under Øvre Liknes whose mother brought him to America in 1886 after his father Johannes Halvorsen died. Jacob Haugen's grandfather (my gggf) Jacob M. Nygaard (Ådland) had gone to America in 1873, then returned to Norway after his wife died. He came back to America with his daughter Barbro and grandson Jacob.
Jacob Haugen and his mother were in Minnesota and South Dakota, then as a fairly young man Jacob homesteaded in the Loreburn/Strongfield area of Saskatchewan, Canada and spent the rest of his life there. He had five children, but none of them married and I think all have died now.
Gene Nygaard Crosby, ND, USA Gene Home Page
Subject: Jacob Haugen
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 19:07:36 -0600
From: Kevin Akre
To: Lowell Hanson
Hi Lowell:
I thought I should clear up some of the info on Jacob Haugen on your internet page. I grew up in the Strongfield/Loreburn area and knew the Haugen family. I knew Ted, Harald, Johnny, and Anna. There were six grandchildren. Ted married Aline Aadland and had a family of five.( Arthur, Marie, Judy, Ida, and Louis ) Anna was not married but had a son ( Harvey ) Arthur died in a plane crash in the early nineties. Harvey lives at Loreburn and Louis at Strongfield. Bye for now.
Kevin Akre
Subject: Jacob Haugen
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 19:13:57 -0600
From: Kevin Akre
To: Lowell Hanson
Hi again:
I forgot to tell you that Johnny is still living. He lives at a senior's home in Milden Saskatchewan. The last time I saw him, he was still very lucid and easy to talk to. The Haugens were all talented people. They all farmed. Harald restored old cars. Ted restored old tractors etc. and Johnny was good with horses and made many many miniature carriages, buggys, wagons etc. to scale. He even made a miniature threshing machine to scale and it even threshed wheat. All three took their projects to local fairs and some quite a distance away to display them.
bye again
Kevin Akre
From the two gaards (farms) Liknes and Aadland, at least 180 persons left Norway for America. Jacob Haugen tells the story of the first emigrants. Some of the first ones who left Karmøy were Jens [Olsen] Vig and his wife, Ingeborg [Simonsdtr.]. She was from [Straum in] Skjold and had been a servant in the home of the parents of Pastor [Ole J.] Hattlestad in her younger years. Jens Vig must have come to America about 1850. His brother [G]under Olsen Vig, or Tiøst-heim [a neighboring farm north of Vik], as he also was called, together with the brothers Andreas, Rasmus and Kornelius [Andersens] Vig, very likely came about 1850 also [probably 1858, 1850, 1857, 1854 respectively]. They came first to Decorah, Iowa. [These Andersons from Vig were sons of Anders Knutsen, not stepbrothers of Jens and Gunder Olsen Vig.]
Sivert Knutson Hemnes [with wife Ragla Jakobsdtr and daughter], Oluf Nygaard, and Ole Eriksen Dyrland [age 19] left in 1864. That same year Ole Nelson Aadland [age 27 then, Ole Jacobson Aadland came that year, age 18] left Norway. Knut and Gunder Nygaard [Jacobsons from Aadland, age 28 and 21] emigrated in 1870. [Sivert Knutson's wife was their sister, Ragnhild or Ragla. Their children used Sivertson and Knudson as surnames.] There were many Karmøy people in the settlement near Decorah, Iowa.
When Sivert Knutson arrived in Quebec, the first person on board the ship was Per Pederson Tjøstheim, to meet his wife who had been part of the group with Sivert Knutson. Per then said to the Captain that he could greet the police in Stavanger that Per was now in Quebec if they wanted to find him. (!!) (?) [Likely the Peder Pedersen b. 1821 to America 1864, also lived on Hovdastad, and wife Anne Sofie Andersdtr who came later in 1864 after child born on Fagerland.]
Because of falsification or betrayal, he had fled Stavanger. For awhile he lived in the Stavanger settlement in Iowa. Here he committed further betrayals and fled anew. Since the meeting with his wife in Quebec, no one has ever learned the whereabouts of this Per. The settlement was called "The Stavanger Settlement" or the "Stavanger Prairie." The first settlements there were by the people from Eastern Norway. After that more and more came from Stavanger or Rogaland (Ryfylke) district, so they soon outnum-bered the others. Then the emigration began to Minnesota, to Wegdahl.
Sivert Knutson and Ole J. Aadland (Nygaard) moved in a northwes-terly direction to Telemar County and from there to Wegdahl. Sivert Knutson (Hemnes) and Jacob Jacobsen Aadland [likely his brother Ole; Jacob came to U.S. in 1873 with his parents] were the first to settle near Wegdahl. They took land on the East side of the Minnesota River, because they wanted both woodland and water. The land is slightly rolling and greatly suited to farming. At that time the nearest railroad town was New Ulm, 80 miles distant. This was the nearest flour mill and the nearest market to sell wheat.
One fall when Sivert and Jacob [Ole?] went out to do their fall work, they walked for several days, to and through New Ulm toward the southeast corner of Minnesota. Those fellows didn't get tired of walking.
Several new settlers arrived from Iowa, and then the big emigra-tion set in from Norway. Then the railroad reached Willmar. It was only 35-40 miles away, but there were no roads, only the open prairie. When there was to be a trip to such a city, there were generally several in the party. If they got stuck it was only to carry the sacks on their backs to the dry land, hook up several teams of oxen to the wagons, and finally get them out of the mire.
The oxcarts were the only method of travel for the pioneers. A man from Aksdal was included in such a group. At one place the oxcart went down so steep a hill that the oxcart pushed against the oxen and they started to run. The man from Aksdal stood on the top of the hill, with whip in hand, and screamed at the oxen to stop, and his wife, seated in the oxcart, screamed at the husband imploring him to stop the oxen. But the oxen paid no attention at all, travelled the long steep hillside without listening to orders by both man and wife.
One time a group were in doubt as to which was the correct direction to go. Then said Ole from near Haugesund, "Here must Northmen live becaude the women wear wooden shoes." Ole asked the way, but they didn't understand Norwegian. They only pointed and talked German, but Ole understood nary a word of that talking.
Jens Vig's daughter [probably Anne, wife of Ole Jacobson Aadland, or Serene, wife of Jacob Jacobson Nygaard, Ole Aadland's brother] has told me that she knew many of the trail blazers of the early period. Among them were, among others, Knud Saugland (who founded Skandinaven), Elling Eielson [pastor, to US 1839] and Kleng Person. Kleng carried with him a copper kettle in which he cooked his coffee during stopping periods on his long trav-els. [Kleng Person was honored on a Norwegian postage stamp.] When we first came to America, we came first to O.J. Hatlestad. There we also met the well know lay preacher, Pir Asbjørnson.
In 1821 Kleng Person and Knud Olsen Eielsen emigrated to America. I don't know if this Knud was from Karmøy [he was from Fogn, an island not so far away]. Pastor Ole J. Hatlestad came to America in 1848 [1846 in newspaper book, with parents and siblings]. A large number of emigrants came to his place first - he bade them welcome.
On the travels over the prairies there often occurred amusing things. Near Willmar there was once such an event. A drunken Sogning [from Sogn, a region now part of Sogn og Fjordane fylke] who was in the group, stole the coat from the man where they had stayed overnight. After they had gotten on a distance, they noticed someone trying to catch up with them driving a team of horses with haste. The Sogning surmised that they were looking for the coat which he dropped from the wagon without notice within the party. A lay preacher found it; thinking it has been lost, hurried to catch up to the party to return the coat. The sheriff caught up to the party and everyone had to stop. The sheriff found the coat and the lay preacher was accused of stealing it. After a deal of conversations and discussions it turned out that the guilty man could go free provided he paid the sheriff a fine and a "re-ward" to the owner of the coat ---!
Then the railroad came as far as Benson, which was 25 miles from Wegdahl. Finally the railroad reached the settlement between 1875-1880. The town was located on the property of Ole Nelson Aadland. The town was not called by the property owner's name. It should have been called Aadland. The town was called Myers, named for one of the German members of the railroad company. A Norseman became the first postmaster in Myers. He posted a sign "Wegdahl P.O." over the entrance to the post office. It was in this manner that the small town received two names - and it remained thus for many years. If one bought a railroad ticket it was Myers; if it was a letter to address it was Wegdahl. Finally after many years, the railroad company changed the name from Myers to Wegdahl.
The first settlers who came to Wegdahl were Sivert Knutson Hebnes [also spelled Hemnes, used Knudson surname] and Jacob Jacobson Aadland [likely his brother Ole; see above; Jacob used Nygaard name, Ole Aadland]. That was in 1868. They took land on the East side of the Minnesota River. Gunder J. Nygaard [to US 1870 age 21, married Elisabeth Malene, sister of Sivert Knutson who married his sister, Gunder died young in April 1875], Simon Vikre [likely Simon Andreas Pedersen Vikre b. 1849 who married Anne Marte Nygaard in 1878 in Norway--she had returned in 1877--then came to the US in 1888?], and Lauritz Larson Akre [b. 1862, parents from Liknes] also came here.
The land is flat, slightly rolling, and well suited for farming. In the 70's came the grasshoppers - two years were called the grasshopper years. The grasshoppers ate up fields and pastures. People had to drive great distances to secure hay for their cattle. Among Karmøy people in this settlement on the East side of the Minnesota River [Chippewa County] we can name: Sivert Knutsen Hebnes, Jacob Jacobson Aadland [Nygaard], Ole Nelson Aad-land, Ole J. Aadland (Nygaard), Berdines [Andersen] Vig [1858 age 27], Paul [Kristian Andersen] Vig [1871 age 43], Hans Vig [Hans Kristian Anderson 1853 age 28 or Hans Andreas Kornelius Paulsen 1871 age 15; perhaps latter listed after father], Lars Nes-heim, Knut J[acob-son] Nygaard [1870 age 18], Andreas [Andersen] Aadland [1873 age 31], Sjur and Hans [Andreas] Nes [Sjursens, to US 1865 at ages 20 and 17 with parents] and their uncle, Hans Nes [also Sjursen, to US 1865 age 48].
On the West side of the river [Yellow Medicine County] we find Ole H. Fagerland, Jacob Fagerland [Jacob Hanson, brother of Ole and father of Jacob J. and Ben Fagerland], Gunder Olsen Tjøstheim [b. 1808 to US 1858, brother of Jens Vig], and his son John [John G. Olson, to U.S. 1868 age 31], Jacob O. Aadland [Guri Fagerland's second husband, son of Ole and Berta Kristina Gundersdtr Aadland, half-sister and cousin of Jacob Mortenson], Ole Nelson Tjøsvoll [b. ca. 1832 to US 1866], Trieds Tjosvoll [perhaps Ole's brother Truls Kristian Nilsen, b. ca. 1834 to US 1872], and Sjur Aadland [Jakobsen, to US 1872 age 39, widower with daughter?].
Then there came a great emigration during the 1880's, and this settle-ment became the springboard for the Pierpont Settlement, at that time in the Dakota Territory. One of the first ones settling there was Hans Larson Aadland [6 Jun 1850-1892, m. Anna Malena Nygaard 1878]. He came in 1877. From 1872-1877 he had engaged in salmon fishing in Portland, Oregon. They fished in the Columbia River. During the day they rowed upstream, and at night they flowed downstream. As far as I know, he was the first Karmøy man to engage in fisheries on the West Coast. After that there were many, of course.
I can also name Tobias J. Mydland from Kopervik, who first came in 1880 [b. 1853; he married Ragla Larsdtr Aadland, sister of Anna Martha m. Laurits Nygaard and Hans m. Anna Malena Nygaard]. In 1882 a whole large group moved to the West to find a new home. They drove in oxcarts and herded the cattle along the way. 'Twas a distance of some 250 (English) miles. Eight-ten miles east of Pierpont they found some small "mountain" lakes (tarns), surrounded by oak forests, and the beautiful landscape. They were attracted to this area in the small hill country amid a parkland countryside. The land was slightly hilly, good for mixed farming, grain and cattle. Four-five miles to the west the land is flat as a pancake. These small tarns (lakes) were filled with wild ducks and other wild fowl. This is about the best duck hunting area in South Dakota. The state has set it aside as a game preserve open to hunting at certain times.
This settlement stretches northeast to southwest and is quite a narrow belt. Among Karmøy people we found Lars Kristofferson Aadland [1885 age 44, wife, 4 children]. During 1864 he was to participate in a war with Denmark. He came too late. The day after the last battle they entered Fredericia. Kristoffer J. Stava [probably Johannessen, b. 1853, brother of Morten below] had served three years in the U.S.A. Marines.
Other Karmøy persons living here were: Morten J. Stava [likely Johannessen b. 1856 to US 1882, later to SD and children used Mortenson name], Gunder Morten-sen Aadland [brother of Jacob Mortensen Aadland Nygaard], Lars Gunderson Aadland [his son b. 1858, used Gunderson family name], Andreas L[arsen] Aadland [1882/83 age 14], Hans Aadland [Larsen b. 1850, m. in US Anna Malena Nygaard], Erik E[riksen] Aadland [1885 age 35], Gunder O[lson] Aadland [1874 age 21], Ole O[lsen] Aadland [1884 age 14], Morten Johan Nelson [Johannesson] Aadland [1882 age 26], Lauritz J[acobson] Nygaard [b 1855 to US 1873], Albert Nelson Akre [b. 1862; Gjersvik lists in 1884 Albert Edvard Nilsen Åkra age 17 and Albert Edvart Nilsen Åkra age 22], Andreas Paulson Liknes [Andrew Paulson, b. 1862 to US 1882], Jacob J[acobson] Nygaard [1873 age 22], Martin J[acobson] Nygaard [brother of Jacob, 1873 age 10], Tolleiv [Tollef Johan] H[elgesen] Syre [1885 age 32, with wife Lovise Paulsdtr Liknes (surname so in Gjersvik) age 28, 2 children and his sister], Tobias J. Mydland [from Kopervik 1880, see 2nd paragraph up], Jacob Tønneson Akre [1881 age 18], Mattias Stokke [US ca. 1889, children in Langford, SD and Noonan, ND], Kornelius Vikre, Jacob [Helgesen Vikre 1858 age 42, 1868 age 42 descendants use Wickre spelling], Helge [Helgesen Wickre b. 1831 and also father Helge Helgesen b. 1803], Hans Olai [Jacob-sen Vikre or Wickre 1868 age 13, or Helgesen Wickre b. 1860], and Jens [Helgesen] Vikre [1876 age 34], Erik [Hans-sen] Fagerland [brother of Jacob Hanson Fagerland], Elias Fager-land [Eriksen b. 1870 to US 1882 with parents], Hans [Jacobson] Fagerland [Jacob J.'s brother b. 1876], Kristoffer Kristoffer-son Liknes [1882 age 23], David K[ristofferson] Liknes [1884 age 17], Knut Liknes [Davidsen b. ca. 1834 to US 1881], David Knutson Liknes [US 1884/85], B.K. [Bertholdus] Liknes [US 1882], [D.K. and B.K. married Gunder M. Aadland's daughters, their father Knut's wife Martha sister of Jacob Hansson Fagerland], Daniel [Danielsen] Liknes [1990 age 65], Johannes D[anielsen] Liknes [John D. Liknes b. 1861, later to Canada], Elias [Olsen] Høyness [1887 age 25, Hoines], Søren Anderson Langager [Soren Anderson, b. 1853 to US 1882], Ole Andreas [Simonsen] Langager [1873 age 20 and 1885 age 32], Hans Larson Haaland [perhaps Sandhåland b. 1870 to US 1891, back in Norway 1900 census], Halvor -Haaland [several possibilities Halvorsens--1862 age 20 from Sandhåland, 1881 age 18, 1850 age 32 and son same name 15 from Håland, Torvastad; Halvor Gregoriussen Sandhåland b. 1870], Knut Haaland, Jens [Didriksen] Haaland [Sørhåland, 1896 age 14], Gunder [Didriksen Sandhåland] Haaland [Gunder D. Holland, 1882 age 29], Jørgen and Olaus Haaland [Olaus might be Asgaut Olaus Gregoriussen Sandhåland b. 1866 to America ?, or Olaus Hansen Sørhåland b. 1870 to US 1890], Mons [Henriksen] Sandve [1881 age 45], [Jens] Teodor Jenson Akre [1887 age 40, husband of Bertha Marie (or Malene) Hansdtr. Fagerland, sister of Jacob and Erik?] and Olaus Vig.
There have occurred quite a few accidents in this community over the years. I remember one died in an automobile accident, two in a crash of wagons, three-four persons were gun accidents, and there were also suicides. Fred P. Broson Brun was at one time State Treasurer of Minnesota. He was born in Kopervik.
The land opened to the settlers in 1892. This was Indian territory. The government bought some of it from the Indians as they had more than they needed. Some of this land is very hilly, but there was some good pasture land for the cattle. Further east the land is flat but also slightly rolling, suited for farm land use. Between the steep hills there small valleys with some oak trees. This is where the Indian has his home. They favor woodland and water, and a place in which they can hide. They don't thrive on the open prairie.
The first Karmøy people who took land in this area were Gregorius and Erik Liknes [probably Larsens, Gregorius Johan b. 1860 and Erik Andreas b. 1867; their parents came to America 1890], Jacob and Andreas Fagerland [perhaps Andreas Ånensen Farland (1858-1891)], Lars Vikre [perhaps Lars Helgesen b. 1867] and Olaus Høyness [Olaus Olsen Hoines b. 1870]. An Indian showed them the land that was free and available for them. Each paid him $5.00 for his bother. This settlement extends 20-25 miles from East to West. It is a narrow strip, and in the area are also homes of some Americans, some Germans and a few other nationalities.
There were many Karmøy people who took free land in this area. From the single gaard Aadland in Akra will I name these: Ole Andreas Nelson [1864? age 27], Kornelius Nelson [b. 1870], Nils Olai Jacobsen [1885 age 21], Tollef Olsen [Tolleiv Olaus b. 1866 to U.S. 1884, son of Elias Olsen], Osmund Nelson [b. 1865], Tore [Olsen 1893], Ole Andreas [Johannessen, 1884 age 21], Lars Erikson [1893 age 51], Peder J. [might be Peder Jakob Jakobsen b. 1846, see Medhaug a.o. 13 , or Peder Jakob Larsen Aadland b. 1855], Kornelius [perhaps son of Jakob Olsen b. near Wegdahl 1883 d. 1914] , Andreas J. [might be Ole Andreas Johannessen, to US 1884 age 21, probably brother of next two], Martin J. [might be Sivert Mandius Johannessen to US 1884 age 21, brother of Johan Mandius and Ole Andreas], Mandius J. [perhaps Johan Mandius Johannessen to US 1890 age 18], Andreas E. [perhaps Andreas Eliassen Liknes to US 1884 age 16], Berdines J. [perhaps Lars Berdines Johannessen b. 1865, brother of 3 above] and Gudmund J. Aadland [probably brothers Jacob Berdines and Gunder Jakobsen, latter was on Medhaug a.o. 12 with family].
Furthermore I'll mention Ludolf Hemmingsen Langaaker, Elias Jacobsen Liknes [1884 age 43, wife, 7 children] and his son Andreas [1884 age 16], Martin Nelson, Tjøsvoll and Joseph Tjøsvoll [perhaps Josefsen b. 1853 to US 1882 with family, or Rasmussen to US 1893 age 18], Ole P. Akre [Ola Pedersen Gjerde, Åkra 1887 age 16?], Johan Vikre and Erik [Michel] Vikre [Jakobsens, 1868 ages 6 and 2, with parents Jakob Helgesen and Ingeborg Katrine Eliassen], Johannes and Tobias Risdal [brothers Johannes Andreas Johannessen Risdall b. 1864 and Tobias Johannessen Risdal b. 1847], Torkel Fager-land [Torkel Ånensen Farland, b. 1851 to US before 1887 with family, d. 1907 Veblen, wife and children to Wildrose, ND area]; from Liknes, Hans, Ole K[ristoffersen 1884 age 20], and Lars Larson [1876 age 40]; Peder [Håkonsen] Stava [1887 age 15], Johannes Haagenson Stava [1885 age 19], Berdines Stava [perhaps Olsen b. 1852, to Mannes first?] and Didrik [Martin Monsen 1886 age 21] and Bertolles [Monsen] Stava [1886 age 19, likely known as Tohlus Stave], and Johannes Stava. From Vig came Hans, Peder, Tomas and Gundvald Vig. Others who came were Mandius [Sivert Mandius Sivertsen] Vikre [1885 age 21], Mikal [Ole Mikal Olsen?, 1885 age 33] and Johan [Larsen] Snørteland [1885 age 28] and Johan [Martin Johnsen] Aarvoll [1886 age 21], Ingvald Lakshammer [Ingvald Olaus Larsen Lahammer, 1869-1904 to U.S. 1900], Simon Larson [1885 age 23] and Simon Halversen Snørteland and Jacob [Ingvald Olsen] Snørteland [1885 age 27], Lars E[riksen Sandhåland] Haaland [1881 age 20], [Erik] Berdines E[riksen Sandhåland] [1882 age 10, with parents of him and Lars], Govert, Johan, Jacob and Martin Haaland, Simon [Simonsen] Langaker [1887 age 35], Hans Hemmingsen Langaker, Ole Mortensen Aadland [perhaps Mortenson in America, b. 1883], Johan Tjøstheim, Henrik [Johan Monsen] Sandve [1881 age 18], Elias [Olsen] Høynes [1887 age 25], Anen Eide [likely Ånen Ånensen Eide b. 1858 Ådland a.o. 25], Lars Aadland [perhaps Kristoffersen b. 1841 to US 1885, Eriksen b. 1842 to US 1893 d. just north at Lidgerwood, ND, or Bertha Serine, widow of Lars Nilsen Ådland, to US 1882] and Truls Liknes [perhaps Truls Kristian Hansen b. 1866]. These are the names of those Karmøy people who took land out there. Some came later, and they had to purchase their own farms.
There was also a little settlement near Horace, North Dakota. The first in this group were Didrik Pederson Tjøstheim [perhaps one from Langåker #13, to US 1864 age 39 with family], Knut Knutson Hebnes [perhaps to US 1875 age 20] and T. Jacobson Langaker [perhaps T(h)orbjørn to US 1866 age 44]. There were also others from Langaker, such as Jørgen and John Kvala. Their father is named in the history of the Norwegian settlement in the Stavanger settlement in Iowa. This Horace settlement is in the midst of the Red River Valley. The land is flat as a floor without a stone. It is good for field work. However, there was generally poor water in this locality.
At Garfield in Minnesota is another small settlement of Karmøy people. Ole Salveson Akre [1866 age 26, later to Wildrose, ND] and Johannes [Olsen 1866 age 30] and Kristoffer Liknes (Kuerna Haugen) [1866 age 27, with family] were the first settlers. They came to America in 1866. Jon Olson Eide (Store-Jon) was also located there. He was a brother of the old Per Fagerland.
Knut Andreas [Knutson] Liknes emigrated to America about 1880 [1877 age 28] and settled first at Gardner in Kansas, but later moved to South Dakota and took land near Canton. Abel [Knutsen 1878 age 26] and Hans Olai [Knutsen] Liknes [1878 age 18] moved to Bellingham on the West Coast, and were some of the first Karmøy people to engage in the salmon fisheries.
In Alberta, Canada, some people also settled and took free land. Among others were Lars Knutson Liknes and his son Knut Andreas [perhaps Lars Knutsen b. 1842, don't have Knut Andreas in his family, perhaps b. Canada?], Lars Jonson Ferking-stad, Knut and Sivert Olsen [perhaps Knut Andreas b. 1864 and Sivert b. 1869, sons of Ole Larsen Liknes], and Albert Rasmusson Liknes [perhaps Albert Kristoffer b. 1882, who bought Øvre Liknes #10 from father and stepmother in 1920]. The land was considerable woodland, ash, willows, etc., so the land needs to be cleared for farming. This is best suited for raising cattle.
About 30 miles to the northeast there is another little settlement. They came mostly from Syre. At Monitu, Alberta, are there also Karmøy people. A little to the west were Martin Olson Liknes [perhaps Martin Kornelius b. 1860 who came back to Sandhåland #9 or his son Martin Kornelius b. 1901, don't think Martin Olsen Liknes b. 1902 was in Canada] and Hans Ole Vikre [perhaps Hans Olai Jakobsen or Hans Olai Helgesen mentioned above, but probably different] located.
There are many Karmøy people who are engaged in salmon fishing in both Prince Rupert and in Vancouver, B.C. In the early days the price of a salmon fish in British Columbia was 35 cents apiece, but in 1905, which was the poorest year for the salmon fisheries, they sold for 3 cents apiece. At that time we could buy 2 tins of salmon for 25 cents. Now they cost 70 cents apiece. Now the salmon is sold by the pound, and a salmon will cost several dollars.
[Translated by Gerda Mortensen 6/26/69]
[NOTE: many patronymics, dates, etc were added by Gene Nygaard using names in Gjersvik emigration lists or from the bygdebøker and are enclosed in square brackets; it is possible that a few of them are wrongly identified.]
[Gerda Mortensen was a daughter of pastor Jacob Mortensen from Ådland and she died in Minneapolis, James Olson has newspaper clipping about her. Probably the Gerda Mortensen b. 17 Nov 1895 d. Dec 1974.]
