Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-26

first log schoolhouse in the district
with group of school children and
their teacher, N. S. Orninggaard.
The other is a view of the first LOG
church.
We proceeded, still westward. A
view was secured of Sand Lake. the
beauty of which is in measure a
thing of the past. On the north bank
stood the first postofice in Colfax,
Sand Lake P. O., established in 1868
with Svenning Fjorseths as postmaste
1t afterwards became Warner post
Office and was recently discontinued
and the patrons served by Rural De-
livery Route No. l from Belgrade.
Proceeding in through 'sHauge-
landet" (The. Land of Hills) we ar
rived at the home of Mikkel Olson,
postmaster of Warner P. O. during
the last eleven years and four months
OF its existence. Nearby a number of
neighbors had gathered with loads of
oats and barley and were threshing
out supply of feed by means of an
old horsepower threshing rig. This
furnished a good subject for our ar
fist and he mounted load of barley
and took view of the rig and it's
crew.
We were courteously received at the
fine new residence of Mr.. Olson. Lewis
o. Mikelson, the Oldest son, is clerk in
Dist. No. 81, and he furnished US with
the records in his possession. A long
term of years are missing from the
same, but we are still hopeful that
more of the old records will be found.
Martin A. Nicholson, the second son,
is doing we'll in business at Belgrade.
Eveline, the Oldest daughter, was
formerly employed at the G.. N. Ex-
press office at Willmar but is now at
home. The father, Mr.. Mikkel Olson,
is an interesting old gentleman, with
a keen sense of humor. We spent an
interesting evening, Mr.. Olson relat-
ing the story of the arrival to this
country of Ole Mikkelson and Ole
Knutson with families and close neigh
bors from the estate of Grindhem in
Norway, arriving at St. Cloud July
above two heads of families now Eum-
Der eighty-three, most of them resid-
ing in this locality.
In the early morning we retraced
our way to the home of Edward Lar
son, the Oldest son of Lars Olson, de-
ceased, who in turn. was the oldest
son of Ole Knutson. Mr.. Larson is
town clerk of Colfax and secretary of
the Scandal creamery. We were busy
here most of the day in taking notes
from the records. Meanwhile our ar
tist was about taking views. He Sc
cured picture of the creamery dur
ing the morning hours. We were
very kindly treated by the widowed
mother, Mrs. Olson, and Mr.. Larson
gave US all the possible assistance.
In the afternoon we started south.
ward to visit the home of VIM. N.
Peterson, clerk of Dist. No. Ii, who
resides on Sec. 81 between Norway
Lake and Games Lake. The scenery
along this road is the widest and
grandest of that of any road we have
travelled in Kandiyohi county. If
any of our readers who have not been
through this locality and have some
what of a romantic nature aud not to
much of the practical, we are certain
that trip through this country would
be greatly enjoyed by them. We
would like to attempt a description of
our afternoons trip, but time and
space will not permit at this time.
We were hos pitably received at the
Peterson home, where we remained
until morning. Mr.. Peterson is 500
of Nils Peterson, one of the earliest
settlers of Colfax, but who now re-
sides in Norway Lake township. The
old Peterson claim, where our host
resides, was first taken by German,
who had a herd of about fifty cattle,
and had erected a block house of
generous dimensions there. Disap-
pointed in that no more of his own
nationality settled in the vicinity, he
traded off his rights for assistance in
moving back to Stearns county. The
woods north of Norway Lake are
among the heaviest in the county at
the present time, although now they
contain only an occasional sample of
the magnificent trees which were used
in building the log cabins and which
were split into fence rails and posts
by the early settlers. We spent a
pheasant evening. In the morning we