The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1955, Síða 50

48
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Spring 1955
4. There was abundant land avail-
able for agricultural settlement.
There was no definite colony laid
out as was done at New Iceland. The
settlers took up the land mostly by
homesteading, although they had two
other choices, pre-emption and tree
claim settlement. By taking up land
either of the first two ways each set-
tler had to live on his farm for three
years to obtain permanent possession
of his 160 acres. By tree claim, the set-
tler had to plant six thousand trees
on his property and have a satisfactory
number of them living after three
years.16 The first home was built at
the present town of Hallson, in 1878.17
In 1879 about fifty families moved to
the new settlement from New Iceland,
most of which were without money or
belongings. It was through the untir-
ing efforts of Rev. Thorlaksson, by
soliciting money and agricultural sup-
plies from his Norwegian friends, that
the settlement survived. “Indeed with-
out the aid given by this man, who as-
sumed heavy personal liabilities in
obtaining provisions for the settlers, it
is difficult to see how they could have
secured the necessities of life.”18 In
describing the value of Rev. Thorlaks-
sons’ assistance, Thorstina Walters
said, “One fact not to be overlooked
was that there was neither work nor
credit to be had in the immediate area
of the settlement. The locality where
the Icelandic pioneers settled in the
Dakota territory was in an extreme
frontier state, therefore, contact with
firmly established, progressive Nor-
wegian settlements was invaluable.
Not only did the pioneers receive
16. ibid. pp. 66-67.
17. North Dakota, American Guide Series,
New York, 1950, pp. 227-228
18. History of the Red River Valley, op. cit.
pp. 254-255.
material aid from them but they also
learned many important lessons in ad-
justment to their environment.”19
Within the next two years large
numbers of the New Iceland settlers
arrived, and Icelandic people from
Nova Scotia, Shawano County, Wis-
consin and many from Washington
Island, Wisconsin20 were added to the
settlement, now comprising the towns
of Hallson, Mountain, Akra, Svolcl,
Hensel, and Gardar.21
The years from 1878 to 1881 were
the most trying ones. In spite of their
failure to raise grain and vegetables,
it was important for the pioneers to
live on the land they had settled in
order to prepare the soil for produc-
tion and to gather hay for their live-
stock.22 This was the beginning of
their agricultural endeavor.
*It was in 1880 that the newcomers
took the first steps to prepare for a
future based on agriculture. Cultiv-
ation of the soil did not begin until
that year, and the initial efforts were
very primitive; the homesteaders were
hampered by the lack of horses, oxen,
and farm implements. Many of the im-
migrants mortgaged their farms and
went in debt to buy this needed equip-
ment. The farm income was supple-
mented by selling cordwood, and
obtaining work on well established
farms.23
(Continued next issue)
19. T. Walters, op. cit. pp. 65-66.
20. ibid. pp. 62-63.
21. North Dakota, op. cit. p. 227.
22. T. Walters, op. cit. p. 64.
* Editor”s Note—The first attempt at agri-
culture was 1879. In 1878, on arrival, 2 acres
were broken, and these were seeded and
cropped, 1879. (Rev. F. J. Bergmann, Almanak
O. Th., 1902, pp. 23-25) -W. R.
23. Social Forces, “The Icelandic Community
in North Dakota,” Thorstina Jackson, Vol.
4, No. 2, Univ. of North Carolina Press
Chapel Hill, N. Car., pp. 356-57.