Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-09-09

Wednesday morning we drove up to
the home of Lars johnson to secure
additional information regarding
Dist. No. 81. Mr.. Johnson arrived
in the county in 1868 and was the first
settler in his part of the town. There
were no settlers south or west of him
at that time. SAT Willmar there
stood one log house and at Kerkhoven
pole where the depot was to stand.''
Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson have raised a.
family of eight children, three of
whom live at Kerkhoven We next
drove to Ole Solie's place and took
a view of his granary-the first
schoolhouse of Dist. No. 81.
Then we proceeded towards Negord.
which is located on corner of Ing
valid Hanson's farm next to the county
line. The store, owned by Moen,
Gandrud & Co., is managed by Ole
Knapp, but this worthy gentleman was
visiting the State Fair and so we
missed making his acquaintance. The
West Lake Creamery is located here
and is in fourishing condition.
We found the secretary of the cream
cry, Mr.. Ole S. Reigstad, at work in
Mr.. Hanson's granary emptying fax
into bin as it was hauled in from the
threshing machine, and had pleas
ant chat with him. Mr.. Reigstad
stated that there will shortly be an
other church erected in that neighbour
hood, two acres of ground having
been purchased from John Georgeson
to be used as a site and church yard.
He promised to furnish all Informal
ton desired as to the creamery and
we drove on. In the field a steam
threshing rig was knocking out flax
as fast as five or six teams could pick
it up from the held. The rig was
owned by johnson Bros. of Mamre.
Mr.. johnson stated that fax was turn
ing out we'll. One job they had fin
ished turned out 20 bushels to the
acre. Wheat is proving light crop,
the average of that threshed being
about 10 bushels to the acre. We
drove eastwardly and came to the
home of G. T. Skindelien, who is Sec.
rotary of the Norwegian Lutheran.
Synod church located within the Lake,
Andrew line. He kindly assisted us.
in securing the facts regarding the
church organization, and Mrs. Skin
delien treated us to good dinner.
A drive of about a mile and a half
took us to the pleasant home of Mr.
F. P. Lien, clerk of Dist. No. %. We
found the records of this old district.
fairly complete and soon finished our.
work there. We were very kindly
treated and Hospitality urged to par
take OF refreshments. Mr.. Lien first
arrived in the county in 1869. His
mother Mrs. Berthe Lenehaugen, lives
on the next place north and is IS years
old. We drove on to the Ole Knut-
son homestead in Sec. 2. Here was
all excitement over a new threshing
machine that was to be given it's first
trial. 1t was the new Huber rig pur-
chased by W. N. Peterson and Carl
and Hans Johnson of Colfax. They
had just brought the rig from Kerk-
hoven, to which point it had been
shipped. They were slipping on the
belt for the first time and as we came
up proceeded to timber up the bear
ings preparatory to the first run. We
had brief chat with Mr.. Knutson.
who was one of the early settlers of
the town. His daughter Mile was the
first white child born in Arctander
township-Aug. q, 1861. She is now
Mrs. John Skare Later we had the
pleasure of an interview with Mrs.
Skare herself as we stopped to take a
view of tie old abandoned church site
and cemetery with grove and lake in
the back ground which is near by the
Skare house. The fine grove near
this historic spot is a favorite place
for picnics. A notable one was held
| Continued on mage d