Lögberg-Heimskringla - 19.04.1996, Page 1

The lcelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnaö 14. janúar 1888 Heimskringla Stofnaö 9. september 1886
110. Árgangur
110th Year
Publications Mail Registration No. 1667
Poetry ................................................2
Editorial..............................................3
Argyle Memoirs.........................................4
Strong heritage .......................................5
Memories from Vestfold ................................6
W Vilhjalmur Steffanson, explorer, cont'd...............7
Föstudagur 19. apríl 1996 Númer 14
Friday, 19 April 1996 Number 14
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The Manuscript
Collection —
150 years
❖ This year marks the 150th
year since the establishment of
the Manuscript Collection which
later became the Department
of Manuscripts at the National
Library.
The historical beginning of
this collection can be traced to
Rev. Jón Halldórsson from
Hítardalur (1665-1736) and later
to his son and grandson Finnur
Jónsson (1704-1789) and
Hannes Finnsson (1739-1796)
who both became bishops in
Skálholt. Steingrímur Jónsson
.bishop (1769-1845), became a
co-owner of the collection
along with his wife, Valgerður
Jónsdóttir (a widow of bishop
Hannes) and he added greatly
to the collection.
On June 5, 1846, permission
was granted — by royal decree
— for the collection to be
bought by the National Library.
That day now marks the official
birthday of the collection — at
that time 393 volumes. In com-
memoration of this event three
shows will be held this year. At
the first one, opened on March
15, manuscripts taken from the
original collection wi11 be on
display. The public will have a
chance to take a look at the
handwriting of people who left
their mark on lcelandic h'istory
from the 17th century to the
19th. In addition to the above
mentioned, writings by
Brynjólfur Sveinsson (1726-
1768) a poet and lawyer, Jón
Steíngrímsson (1728-1791), so-
called "fire pastor" (his prayers
stopped a lava flow from reach-
ing his church) and Jón
Sigurðsson, president, (1811-
1879). Also on display are many
manuscripts and letters as well
as printed pamphlets and pic-
tures connected to the above
mentioned people.
GUNNUR ISFELD
From the Diary ofSkapti Arason
(1850-1903)
The lcelanders
of Argyle
Submitted by Herman Arason
Iwas born at Hamri in
Laxardal Þingeyarsyslu,
September 10, 1850. My
parents were Ari Vigfusson, a
farmer at Hamri, and Guðrún
Asmundsdóttir, farmer at
Sorvollum in Bardardal
Davidson. My father’s mother
was Guðrún, daughter of Ari
at Skutustadum, near Myvatn.
Ari’s mother was Jorunn
Thorliefsdottir, professor at
Mula, Skaptason. My mother’s
mother was Gudny Jonsdottir
from Myri in Bardardal. She
was married twice, the second
time to Benedikt Indridason,
who lived at Sigurdarstothum
in Ljosavatnaskardi. Their
sons were Asmundur and Jon,
farmers at Stovollum.
My father died late in
October 1860. Two or three
years later my eldest brother,
Asmundur, died. December
28, 1865, my mother died. The
following spring, 1866, my
brother Benedikt went to live
at Hamri and I was with him
for two years and from there I
went to Hringveri in Tjornesi
to my sister, Gudny and her
husband, Sigurbjorn Johann-
esson from Laxamyri where I
stayed until I went to America
in the year 1874, the l,000th
anniversary year of Iceland.
In about the year 1870, a
few men were leaving Iceland
for America. It wasn’t actually
until the year 1873 that there
were many who left - but at
that time there was a ship
which came from England to
get people and horses. That
horses were taken to England
but the people were taken to
Canada and the United States.
In that group, I remember the
following: Fridjon and Arni
Frederickson, Olaf Olafson,
Fridbjorn Bjornson, Thorlak
Jonson, Baldwin Baldwinson,
Paul Johnson, Stephan G.
Stephanson and others. That
same year Sigfus Magnusson,
Sigurdur Kristopherson, my
Inside this week:
sister, Gudrun, who is now the
wife of Arni Sigvaldason, a
farmer in Minnesota, and a
number more left. The last
mentioned were on a buying
trip for Iceland.
In 1874 the Allan ship lines
sent a ship to Iceland which
carried people direct from
Iceland to Quebec. On that
trip were 360 people or a few
more, some of whom were as
follows: Brynjjolfur Bryn-
jolfson, Samson and Frederick
Bjornson, Thorlakur Bjorn-
son, Thorstein Jonsson,
Magnus Jonsson, (all now in
Dakota), Freeman B. And-
erson, Ami Johnnsson (now a
minister at Myvatn), Benedilít
Einarson (a doctor in Chi-
cago). Gudmundur Olafson
(Winnipeg), Bjorn Arnason
(Winnipeg), Johannes and
Gudlaugur Magnusson, Sig-
urdur Sigurbjornson, Johann
Straumfjord, Jonas Jonasson,
Jonas Stefanson, Benedikt
Arason, Johan Jonsson (now
all at Gimli), Bjorn Sig-
valdason, Gudmundur Nord-
man, Baering Hallgrimsson,
Kristjan Jonsson, Skapti
Arnason (now all in Argyle),
Gudmundur Jonsson (store-
keeper in Winnipeg), and my
sister Gudfínna (Mrs. Hjalmar
German, Chicago), my sister,
Gudny and her husband,
Sigurbjorn Johannesson (he
died at Gimli, January 22,
1877.)
These people went to
Toronto where the single girls
stayed but the single men went
to work throughout the
province. Many of the people
went to the Victoria district
and settled in four houses built
or roughly put up for them
near a railroad which was
being built near the village
ofKinmount.
Healthy men received $1.00
a day working on the railway.
Life was not good in those
houses as they were too small
for so many people and, too,
the people did not know how
to make use of what they had
to work with. There was much
sickness and many children
died.
Sigtryggur Jonasson who
has spent two years in Canada
was sent by the Ontario gov-
emment to meet us in Quebec
and act as our spokesman. He
came to Toronto with us. They
arrived there September 25,
after a 25-day trip from
Akureyri (Iceland). After a few
days in Toronto, we went to
Kinmount where Sigtryggur
set up a small store and a
short while later Fridjon
Frederickson came to work in
it.
There were quite a few
unspoken-for homesteads
around Kinmount and we
examined them in the fall and
again after the snow went in
the spring but were not
impressed. There was much
heavy timber and the earth
was rough with stones.
Late in the winter, work on
the railroad was finished so
the people began to move out
through the province and
some went to Nova Scotia at
the suggestion of Johannes
Arngrimsson. These people
homesteaded there but later
left and went to Manitoba and
Dakota.
In the spring the Canadian
government offered those who
were left at Kinmount, through
the representation of Sig-
tryggur and a Canadian named
John Taylor, to choose two
men from our midst along with
the aforementioned and send
them to Manitoba to see
whether they liked it better
than Ontario. This we accept-
ed. They chose Sigtryggyr
Jonasson and Einar Jonasson.
They left July 2, 1875. Kristjan
Jonsson of Hedinshofda and I
left at the same time.
We spent one and one-half
days in Toronto where I saw
Gudfinna, my sister, and sever-
al Icelanders. From there we
went to Milwaukee and spent
a few days with my sister,
Gudrun and saw some other
Icelanders. Sigurdur Krist-
opherson from Neslondum at
Myvatn joined us and we left
for Manitoba. We went by rail-
road to St. Paul and Duluth,
then west across Minnesota to
Continued on page 4
Brú Church — Argyle District South of Gienboro