Dear Family of Readers,
It's been a long time since I've sat down and written a blog preferring to do mini blogs on Facebook. I checked my blog stats and I still have readers from Europe and Asia so, if my purpose has been to share my heritage and faith across the globe, I need to get back to Blogspot.
On March 4, 1926, the local newspaper published a paper written by my Aunt Blanche Pederson Rooney about her grandparents, Anton and Caroline Pederson (my great grandparents). Sadly I haven't been able to locate any photos of Anton and Caroline which has left me wondering how I will recognize them in Heaven ~ somehow, I think they will find me!
Blanche interviewed her grandmother, Caroline and this is her story:
In May 1869, my great grandparents, Anton and Caroline Pederson, left their home in Solor, Norway setting sail in a small ship. They were on the ocean 14 weeks and 3 days. Many times the wind would change its course and they went backwards instead of forward. One day they would sail a 100 miles or more and the next day they would be pushed the opposite way about a hundred miles. Each day a certain number of people were allowed to come up on the deck of the ship. The people on board the ship were so happy when they reached Quebec, that they danced and jiggled everywhere.
Anton and Caroline stayed in Quebec for 3 days before boarding a train headed for Preston, Minnesota, a town in Fillmore County. At this place they worked for a farmer for two and a half years. One of their sons, Peter, died while they were at this place.
They soon purchased a team of oxen and a covered wagon and started their journey to Pope County. They drove for 3 weeks before they reached Minnewaska Township. On their way they experienced many hardships. It was difficult to find enough food for their oxen and also to buy food for themselves because the towns were father apart at that time than they are now. At night they would sleep in their covered wagon.
The story of their life in Pope County is interesting because it is very different from the life that we are living at the present time. (1926)
When they reached Minnewaska Township, they lived in their covered wagon sleeping on the floor. During the next 3 years, Anton and Caroline lived in a cellar house which was 14' wide and 16' long. It was located on the SW side of Lake Pelican. The house was dug into the ground and had mud walls and a mud floor. The roof was made of straw and logs. A bed was built on the side of the wall and the the cover from their wagon was placed over it during the night so they would be protected from rain and snow. A chest that was taken with them from Norway served as a table and their chairs and cupboard were made of boxes. At this time it was very difficult to obtain food as there was only one store in Glenwood. This was located where the present Fremad store is and it was owned by a man by the name of Mr Johnson. For several years Anton and Caroline didn't see meat. There was none at the store and they had no cattle to butcher. Anton said that they used large quantities of molasses. Many times when they didn't have time to go to town they made their coffee out of burnt potatoes.
When Anton and Caroline came to this territory, it was inhabited by quite a number of Indians. They would usually have their war dance on the hill where the present Glenwood Summer Hotel is now located. Their war cries, hoots, and banging on pans could be heard for many miles. At night, they would dance around a big fire. These Indians were not harmful but they frightened the people by their mean looks and sly ways. Many times they would steal grain and food from the settlers and would come almost every day and beg for food. One day a few Indians came into Anton and Caroline's cellar home when she was home alone with her 3 children. The Indians talked to her and pointed to the different articles about the room. Caroline became frightened because she could not understand them so she picked up her children and went to the next neighbor who lived quite a distance away. The Indians followed her with their guns and she was afraid that they might shoot her and the children any minute, but they did no harm.
Anton purchased a farm of 60 acres a few miles from their cellar house. He paid $5 an acre for it. The land was all covered with timber except a small strip on which they built their house. Logs were cut to build the house and until the house was built they once again lived in their covered wagon. The log house was 18' wide and 24' long. After the building was erected, a space of 7 acres was cleared for a field. Wheat was raised on this field and at that time it was sold for 75 cents to $1.00 per bushel. At that time butter was 5 cents a pound and eggs were 5 cents a dozen. Many times Caroline walked to Glenwood with her eggs and butter. One day she walked to town with her butter and asked the store keeper if she could not get 10 cents a pound for it because she had walked so far on that cold winter day, but she was only paid 8 cents for it.
For about 5 years after Anton and Caroline came to Minnesota, they attended church services in the farm houses. Then the Inherred Church in White Bear Lake Township was formed. It was difficult to get to a church during the winter months, so my they joined the Lutheran church in Glenwood because it would not be so far to drive to the services.
It was not long before more settlers arrived. Glenwood was also becoming bigger and more stores and buildings were erected. The first hotel was large enough for 20 roomers.
Anton kept increasing his farm until he had about 250 acres of land for which he paid about $20 per acre. A room 12' wide and 14' long was built onto the log house. At this time they were busy cutting down trees and clearing the land for fields. Many Indian mounds were found which contained bones and skulls.
In 1918 Caroline and Anton celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. About 200 friends and relatives spent the day with them. By this time, their 3 sons and 7 daughters were all married and had left home so the 2 old people moved to their home in Glenwood. They hated to leave the farm, but they were both quite old people by that time. In 1924 they sold 60 acres of land to their son, Hilmar and some lake shore lots to several men of Glenwood. At about the same time they sold some land to the state when the new state highway road number 28 was built. This road runs through one of Anton's groves which was once thick with gooseberry bushes.
At the present time (1926) Anton and Caroline are living in Glenwood. Anton is 79 years old and Caroline is 77 years old. Both are well enough to be up and do their work. They are the grandparents of 47 children and great grandparents of 10 children.
Ever since Anton sold his farm, he has walked a distance of 4 miles to his old farm several times a week. He says he gets lonesome if he can't come out to the country once in a while. Many times he is seen on the streets on a very cold winter day with just a suit coat on but he says he never gets cold without an overcoat on.
After telling me (Blanche) this story, Caroline said that she would sit many times and dream about olden days. She can hardly believe that they have gone through the many hardships of pioneer life. They also said that they could never forger the many incidents that happened on their journey to America, their trouble with the Indians, and the hardships they encountered while they lived in the old cellar house.
For some of you Readers, you might find this blog boring. For others, you might find it informative and inspiring. For me, it is a way of telling my children and grandchildren they come from some pretty awesome stock!!
Miss Dottie
PS "All of our ancestors give us the precious gift of life. Do we use it wisely? Do we use it well? Do we make a name for ourselves and for our children of which we can be proud?" ~Laurence Overmire, A Revolutionary American Famly: The McDonalds of Somerset County, New Jersey.
`
No comments:
Post a Comment