The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2001, Side 21

Vol. 56 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
59
woods became larger as did the hay lands.
There it was more feasible to increase the
numbers of livestock, such as cattle, horses
and sheep, than it was by the lakefront. The
Icelanders had tried their hand at fishing for
thirty years, which had been unstable and dif-
ficult. Then, Jon SigurSsson was in his prime
and ambitious. At that time he turned from the
difficult and poor paying fishing job to farm-
ing, especially cattle farming. Then he looked
for a farmstead north of ArdalsbyggS. That
area was unfamiliar to both Icelanders and
people of other nationalities. Jon went to look
for land northwest of ArdalsbyggS and sur-
veyed a large area. Four men followed Jon
into that wilderness, which was unfamiliar to
most white men. Then it was the home of all
kinds of wild beasts: deer, moose, elk, black
bear, wolves, fox, and all kinds of smaller ani-
mals. Jon liked the land in the north, especial-
ly for cattle. There were good pastures and
decent out-fields. The main problem for farm-
steading was that the land was low lying and
there was not enough drainage, because roads
had not been built and draining had not been
done, but there was unlimited wood for fence
posts and firewood. Jon settled the northwest
Quarter, Section 30, Township 23, Range
2nd. east of Principal Equator. In the autumn
of 1905, Jon moved his family to the north-
west quarter and began farming his land. A
short while later he sold his other farm,
FlugustaSur.
When Jon and the other settlers had set-
tled their new lands, then many of their for-
mer neighbours were in a frenzy to move into
the district and claim lands there. And it was
settled more or less in 3 years and fully with-
in 5 years time. This story I have from Halldor
Austmann (Asmundsson, Bjorgvinsson,
Geirmundsson, from Sey5isfjor8ur). Halldor
arrived with his parents to the district three
years after Jon had settled there. At that time
all the Icelanders who now live there had set-
tled there. His parents moved to their land
which had been claimed in the winter.
6. Chapter
“Those who have the experience, know
best” is an ancient expression. It belongs to
those who settle new land and build new dis-
tricts. Most of those men who moved and set-
tled the district which now is called
Vl5ibygg3 were poor and some without any
means. Jon SigurSsson was considered to
have satisfactory livestock when he moved to
Vi5ir. He owned about 30 animals and didn’t
have much debt. At the beginning he built a
timber house with a flat roof and a barn made
of logs as was typical in the those early times
of settlement. The district was already popu-
lated by 1907. That summer was the wettest,
rainiest summer, ever in the district was and
still is to this day called “the year of the
flood.” The inhabitants had scarcely had time
to settle down and become content with what
they had. Many became agitated and felt that
it would be unwise to stay. And so it hap-
pened that many of the inhabitants decided
that summer that they would move out of the
district for good, because it was not to their
satisfaction and would make them destitute.
Then Jon was, as so often, courageous and
careful, but resourceful. He went over to his
neighbour who had decided it was unwise to
stay and was on the verge of moving away
along with some others.The man’s name is
SigurSur K. Finnsson, he is quite perceptive
and a man of action. Jon’s conversation with