Dave Wood

When we first moved from fast-paced Minneapolis to what my wife thought of as the sleepy town of River Falls, I was frequently reminded of all the exciting things she was missing out on in this quiet burg. She’s since changed her mind and admittedly loves this community, but the charms of River Falls took time to be appreciated by her.

I think the same may be true of a distant cousin, Anders Jensen Stortroen, who came here in 1853, and wrote letters home that smack of the same resistant embrace of this area that my wife felt.

You’ll see from the quoted portions of his letters home that he was struggling to count up more positives than negatives while he was getting accustomed to becoming a farmer in nearby Pierce County, Martell Township. Some of the descriptions in his letters to Norway gave me a second-hand idea of what my great grandfather and the ancestors found when they arrived. Both were crofters—tenant farmers who worked for the Scandinavian landed gentry, who knew by that status that they could never be landowners. 

(The information was provided to me by a distant and kindly relative, Eileen Johnson, who has become an avid genealogist.)

Here’s what Anders wrote about what he encountered:

“We will first tell you about the country, and we can say at once that it is a very fertile land, as one can sow almost any kind of seed he chooses, and he will be certain that it comes up, and just as certain that it will not freeze down again. Neither is there any trouble with fertilizing for any farming, as it is unnecessary. In this area the water is as wholesome and good as in Norway. But as far as the woods are concerned, they are unpraiseworthy, where no trees but oaks can be found, and they on the farms Norwegians have purchased. Most of the Americans who settled here first have much woodland of the best quality and they naturally did not sell it but in the poorest places.

“The meadows bear large crops, yes, as large as the luxurious grass in Norway….What we call “gaard” in Norway is called “ farm” here….a large farm here consists of a dwelling house, a cellar and a stable… houses are mostly built of timbers (logs), but they do not bevel the logs as in Norway, but let the logs lay as they first fall, then they take stones or whatever is most convenient and chink between the logs, later working together clay and lime and plastering the inside walls. The roofs of the houses are boards, since here neither birch bark, sod or stone are used for roofs. Some of the Americans have houses which are made of sawed lumber, which are large and fine.

“Here may be found all sorts of animals…. two horses here, six or seven years old, cost from $25 to $30; two oxen four or five years old $75 to $100; a cow from $20 to $30 and the cow’s milk a little more here than in Norway as a rule, and the milk is just as good here as thee. A four-wheel wagon costs from $70 to $90; a plow costs $12 to $18. A harrow from $4 to $8. A bushel of wheat costs .50 cents, bushel of maize costs .25 cents, a bushel of oats.15 cents, a bushel of potatoes 12 ½ cents.

“One pound of butter 10 cents, one pound of pork costs 8 cents, one pound of coffee costs 16 cents, one pound of sugar 15 cents, one pound of tobacco 40 cents, a pot of whiskey 12 cents, a pair of boots $5, a pair of shoes $2, one pair of trousers of wool and cotton cloth, $3. More need not be mentioned.” (Talk about “affordability!)

And what did great grandad Carl and Anders suffer to embark on their entry into this New Jerusalem of western Wisconsin? Strange names, customs and the possible hostility from their new American born neighbors. Such challenges face any “newcomers,” (my wife excepted, for River Falls neighbors were nothing but friendly and welcoming!) but their bravery and gumption would see them through. Furthermore, back in the old days they realized they would be crofters, could never own their own “gaard,” or any dwelling made of sawed boards!