What's Gone Before

  How pioneer families fared in their efforts to found the Buffalo river settlement near Moorhead and Glyndon is recounted in this series of pen and ink sketches by Orabel Thortvedt, Clay county artist and granddaughter of the founder of the colony, Olav Thortvedt, who led a caravan of prairie schooners to the area from Houston County, Minnesota, in 1870. 

  Previous sketches have described the departure of Norwegians from their native land, their trek to the Buffalo river, establishment of their homes, the first death and birth.  

  Today, in the last of the series, is pictures the arrival of more settlers, the early struggles with prairie fires and blizzards, the destruction of the largest log cabin in the colony, and the gay wedding of Leif Levi, son of Olav Thortvedt, and Ingebor Midgarden. 

He was to provide inspiration for a church ...

Bendik Gunderson, brother of Olav Thortvedt, had heard about the wonderful fishing in the Buffalo river and of the fertile soil along its banks.  The original settlement was then a year old.  Bendik sold his Houston county Minnesota farm, yoked his oxen to his "star" wagon, loaded up his family, and began the migration with other settlers in 1871.  Bendik Gunderson was civic-minded and later he was to work for the first church in the new settlement.  Bendik and his brother, Olav, were very fond of each other and shared a mutual love for horses.  Young Leif Levi, 10, Olav's son, was enthusiastic about the coming of the Gundersons.  It would give him an additional playmate in Bendik's son, Ovel, who had been his companion in Houston county.  One day the Thortvedts received word that the Gundersons had reached Alexandria.  The Buffalo river folk set out to meet them...

Happy meeting along the trail ...

Somewhere along the trail, approximately 10 or 12 miles south of Moorhead, the parties met in the late spring of 1871.  In the sketch Bendik Gunderson may be seen raising his ox whip in greeting.  His wife, Anne Bendik, waves from the wagon.  Leif Levi Thortvedt, sitting in the wagon behind his father, Olav Thortvedt, is excited and happy over the prospect of again seeing his cousins, especially Ovel, his pal of Houston county days. In the Gunderson party were their other children, Gunder, Joraand, Andreas, Olaus and Andrew; "Gamle" Jordan Gjeitsta, the mother of Bendik Gunderson; Ben Lee, brother of Bendik Gunderson and Olav Thorvedt, and his wife Asshar, and their three children, Gustav, Julia, and Olaus.  Also in the party were Vetli and Gunild Lisland and their children, Gonlaug, Guro, Aanon, Kjetil and Gunild.  Another daughter, Signe, came with her husband, Gunnar Svenkeson, and their two daughters, Caroline and Gunild.  Others of the travelers were Gunleik and Gonvor Spokeli, Talleid Nelson and wife, Sigri, and four single men, Gunder O. Lee, Ola Aanison Midgarden, Aani Breiland, and Tarjei Brevik.  Gunnar and Ingebor Muhle and their children came a few days later.  The youngsters were Ola, Chester, little Ola and Kari, who settled in Moland township.  Bendik Gunderson found upon his arrival that land reserved for him had been taken.  But he was able to produce $100 in currency and acquired the land.  There was rejoicing.  It was then possible for the brothers, Olav Thortvedt and Gunderson to live close to each other.  Trials and tribulations came and went...

Comment: Combined with the glowing reports to be found in the Norwegian immigrant press, the 'eyewitness' confirmation of rich land by Kassenborg and Kragnes in 1869 seemed to create "Valley Fever" among many of the Telemarkers in Houston County.  For most landholders who heard the stories about the Red River Valley over the 1869 winter, making the move in 1870 was out of the question. Land sales typically occurred at the end of the growing season, after crop payments were made to the farmers and their bills around town were paid. A number of other small parties made the trip from Houston County to the Buffalo in 1871. Like Bendik Gunderson, the ranks of these 'late arrivals' included those with Houston County land to sell to buyers who couldn't complete the property transfers until after the 1870 harvest.

Pioneer women fought prairie fires ...

One day Thone, wife of Olav Thortvedt, saw huge volumes of dark smoke to the south.  All the men were away for the day and fear filled her heart.  She began worrying over the fate of Gunhild Skrei nearby.  She was alone with her two small children, Signe and Theodore, first white child born in the colony.  Gunhild's husband Tarjei's precious haystacks were in the path of the flames, with no firebreaks plowed around them.  So Thone sent her daughter, "little" Thone, and her son Leif Levi, to the Skrei place.  courageous Gunhild with the help of the Thortvedt children began the fight to save the haystacks and cabin.  The sketch shows Gunhild carrying pails of water while "little" Thone and Leif Levi, with the resourcefulness of pioneer children, fought the flames with wet sacks.  "Little" Thone ran for a mop in the cabin.  This proved to be very effective too and after a hard struggle, the trio won.  Prairie fires were frequent as more and more settlers came, bringing their quota of pipe smokers and campfire builders.  It was a virgin prairie and the rank grass, never cut, had grown thick and high.  This thick mat of grass is no more to be found on the prairie and prairie fires are not common anymore.  But in the early days when a fire started, driven by a high wind, the flames often were 20 feet high.  Much time was spent by the settlers in plowing firebreaks, particularly around their buildings and hay stacks.  The railroad arrived, bringing with it a motley assortment of strangers. But cheaper transportation costs and the fact that the long trail trips to Alexandria were over meant a good deal.  The storms of winter proved terrible at times...

Fighting a prairie blizzard in 1873 ...

Few of the Buffalo River folk experienced a worse winter storm than that of 1873.  It came in the early part of January.  The day dawned beautifully and Gunder Lee and Ola Midgarden took the Olav Thortvedt horses, Jim and Roudy, and drove to the J. P. Farmer homestead to help thresh grain with the flail method.  Tarjei Skrei also was in the party.  In the afternoon the sky became leaden.  Soon heavy snowflakes began to fall.  The three men laid aside their flails and set off for home.  It was none too soon.  The temperature dropped fast and the wind came in from the north with biting ferocity, the icy blast all but taking the breath of the men.  Their eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards became stiff with icicles.  They could not ride fast (see sketch) for Tarjei Skrei was on foot and they were afraid of losing him.  It was not long before they lost the trail, but they kept on doggedly and finally recognized a familiar landmark, the Skrei "slua" or slough.  They followed the timber and were home, a thankful group of men.  Despite the ferocity of winter storms, there is no record of any Buffalo river folk losing their lives.  They were alert to changes in the weather and frequently glanced skyward as they went about their tasks.  Their warm homespuns kept them comfortable and they struggled on.  One of the most exciting events in the colony occurred December 17, 1899....

"Biggest" log cabin on Buffalo burns ...

In 1874, Olav Thortvedt had found his small cabin inadequate and in that year built a new log house, large for those times.  It was 26 by 23 feet, and 16 feet to the eaves.  He felled the straightest and tallest trees.  These he hewed, then engaged the four best timber-cutters in the settlement: Gunnar Svenkeson, Lars Svenkeson, Johan Danielson, and Olaus Kristoferson.  They each had a corner of the house to build and there was keen competition.  From the then booming town of Moorhead, Olav brought the rest of the materials, such as 26 windows with 12 panes each, six-inch floor boards, bricks, tin stove pipes, square-headed nails, etc.  Olav made one mistake.  Instead of having the brick pipe reach from top to bottom, he had it extend only to the floor of the attic.  From there on and down, tin pipes were installed.  On the evening of December 16, 1899, Olav Thorvedt brought in some wood.  It was used for fuel the morning of the 17th, and Ingebor Midgarden, who had become the wife of Leif Levi Thortvedt, had no difficulty in frying the pancakes to a delicious brown.  The chidlren caught the odor of teh "pannekaker" and came downstairs.  Alpha and Dora had pushed their bed and straw-filled mattress against the tin stove pipe, and blithely left it.  The mattress caught fire. Goodwin, a lad in his teens, started up with a pail of water.  Little Ole ran to the stable, bridled a bay morgan mare, Gamle Steady, and galloped to the Gundersons and Skreis for help.  Neighbors came running on foot, by sleigh and on horseback. A brisk south wind sprang up and soon the house was an inferno.  Burning shingles blew a mile across the fields to the Nikalsen homestead.  Only a few heirlooms were saved.  But there were happy events...

When Leif Levi and Ingebor were married ...

This was the wedding of Ingebor Midgarden, who left home and mother in Norway in 1866, and Leif Levi Thortvedt, who came to Buffalo river in 1870 from Houston County, Minnesota with his father, Olav Thortvedt.  The marriage took place February 22, 1883, the sketch showing the wedding dance, in Olav Thortvedt's commodious two-story cabin.  Old Buffalo river folk will easily recognize the participants, who, left to right, are Bendik Gunderson; Osmund Thomas, the best man, dancing with Signe Thortvedt Miller, now residing in Canada; Jorand Bendikson and Ole Midgarden; Leif Levi Thortvedt, the bridegroom, fondly swinging his bride, Ingebor; Mitchell Daly, playing the flute (he later gained prominence as a nurseryman and created Moorhead's smallest beauty spot, little Daly park, which until 1940 was located at the junction of Third and Fourth streets on the south) [name missing in article] playing the violin; the late Mary Grover, the little girl standing alone; Ingeborg Muhle, holding her young daughter, Carrie, later Mrs. Tom Fitzgerald of Moorhead, and Thone Thortvedt, mother of Levi.  For the guests there was an abundance of homemade ale and large quantities of food, with everybody having a good time.  Every member of the settlement attended.  Leif Levi and Ingebor Thortvedt reared a fine family of children.  They lived to see the prairie country completely civilized and modernized and in their later years saw such miracles as airplanes.  The well-loved couple died a few years ago.

Orabel about 1920

Orabel (center) with sisters Stella and Eva, about 1973

The Forum series reproduced here shows Orabel's artistic talent and eye for detail.  Her vivid descriptions of life in the Buffalo River Settlement focus on her family's experiences and are by no means a complete history of the early years of the settlement. 

We are deeply in her debt, however, for this rare and fascinating glimpse into the lives of our ancestors in the Buffalo River Settlement. 

   Back to Concordia Church