Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-10
Over 5000 People Celebrate the
Golden Anniversary Meet
ing Held at Cambridge
CAME FROM SOUTHERN NORWAY
These Hardy Pioneers Reached Iowa
In 1855, Starting Their Colony Near
Where the Town of Huxley Now
stands-Many Of First Settlers OF
Second Generation Present.
to Times-Republlcan.

| Special to Times Republican.
| Nevada, June 10.-On June Z, 1899.
8. little band Of 1O6 Norsemen, after
an overland journey, which lasted over
a month, arrived near where the TOWN.
of Huxley, in the south part OIL this
county, now stands. "Wednesday Oh
this week, the golden anniversary OF
this event was celebrated at Cam
bridge, by the sons and daughters ana
grandsons and granddaughters OF
these early settlers. over 5000 people
we're present at the meeting and it was
one OF the most successful events OF
the kind ever held in this part of the
state
Between the year 1s4s and 1854 these
people had enligrated from southern
Norway and made a temporary stop
ping place near Lisbon, ILL.,, but the
land was pretty well taken up there
and they decided to explore the then
almost unknown central Iowa. Dav-
export was then the nearest railway
station to this part of the state, and
it was decided to send out commits
tee of four to look up a suitable loca-
ton. On September %, 1854, the COM
mittee, consisting of Osmond Sheldahl,
Osmund johnson, Ole Apland and Loe
Fatland left Lisbon, across the Miss
issippi for Iowa. They travelled along
until they reached the spot where they
afterwards settled and decided that
there was the garden spot of the earth
and the best part of 1t was that there
was plenty of land, SO that they all
could settle in one neighborhood. They
returned to Lisbon, after an absence
OF thirty days, and impaired this In
formation to their friends.
Preparations were at once made for
the trip. A church congregation was
organized before leaving Lisbon and
pastor and a school master secured to
journey westward with them. On the
entire trip, which took several weeks,
they travelled not a foot on the Lords
day, neither did they neglect to hold
divine services. They left Illinois on
May II, 1855 in a train consisting of
eighteen teams of oxen, six of horses
and one SINCE rig. There were twenty
one families in the party, five unlnar-
ried men and one widow. The journey
was uneventful, and was concluded on
June Z, 1855. They landed at a point
about mile east of the town of Hulk
ley, where they pitched their camp
and rested a few days before starting
out to look up the location of what
was to be their future homes and
making the necessary improvements.
From this little colony, inspired by
the idea OF wanting more land and
better advantages, one of the finest
settlements stands today as a mark of
their intense honesty and integrity,
their Industrious habits and their
thrifty dealings.
The first child was born in the set
Element on the Fourth of July follow
ing their arrival and the first death
occurred during the following Septem-
Der. OF the entire colony there are
still sixty-one living, and while none
of the heads of those first families
were present at the anniversary cele-
bration, there were many of the first
settlers of the second generation pres-
ent and the stage was filled by about
eighty of these gray haired and wrink-
led proved pioneers, who have rais-
ed families and labored for the inter-
ests of their country. their home and