The Minnesota territory opened for settlement and in 1853 Tarje and Ole, their sister Aase and mother Kristi left Wisconsin and took up residence in Houston County.  By 1855 they were firmly established there.

Excerpt from the 125th Anniversary History of Trinity Congregation Spring Grove MN   Where they settled in Houston County Thanks to Jim Skree for the plat maps showing the farmsteads of the "Buffalo River Folk" back in Houston County

In 1857, Tarje married Geline Kassenborg in a civil ceremony in Houston. His sister Aase and either her father or her brother Gilbert were their witnesses.

The 1857 Territorial Census shows that Tarje, Galene, Kristi and Aase were living in the town of Houston. Tarje's occupation is listed as merchant and hotel manager. According to a biography of their son Edward published in 1902, Tarje and Geline "engaged in commercial pursuits in Houston county, retiring to farm life about the date of the birth of Edward G. Grover in 1861." The homestead document for Tarje's Sheldon Township farm shows that he registered his farm on April 2, 1857. In 1859, land records show that Tarje and Geline purchased a city lot in Le Crescent and sold part of their holdings in Sheldon Township to Tarje's brother Ole. The reason for purchasing the city lot and its use are not yet known. It may have been intended as a home for Kristi and Aase, or it may have been a commercial building of some sort. Although 1860 Census records indicate that Tarje and Geline and their family were living with her parents in Yucatan township, we know that Tarje and his family lived on their Sheldon township farm for most of the 1860's.    Tarje's brother Ole filed homestead documents on two pieces of land on the same day as his brother - April 2, 1857. He and his family were living in Houston township, post office Looneyville, in 1860 according to the census.  A 12 year old girl, Ann Nelson, was living with them either under their care or as hired help. The Hendrickson family, recent immigrants, also lived on Ole's farm place.    Tarje's Civil War Registration   Ole left his wife and children to enlist in the Wisconsin regiment. Oral tradition reports that he sent his soldier's pay home to Tarje to purchase additional land for his farm in Sheldon township.  Until Tarje moved his family to the Buffalo River Settlement in Clay County, the brothers were neighbors on what is now Township 9.   Tarje's farmstead no longer exists.  Ole's dairy farm has passed out of the family but is still in operation, although the original house and barn have been replaced.     The 1999 township map below shows the location of Tarje and Ole's farms in section 14, along with the cemetery in section 23 where Ole's family graves sit atop a hill. Asterisks designate other residences in the area. Houston "E" Directory - Sheldon Township T-103-104-N       R-6-W   History of Sheldon Township (pdf)

As early as 1860 there were published reports of the flat fertile land of the Red River of the North in both the Norwegian-American and Norwegian press. The fear and uncertainty caused by the Sioux Uprising of 1862 caused a delay in migration to this western frontier.  In the late 1860's, The Decorah (IA) Posten published a series of articles that once again created interest in the Red River Valley. Although the topography and climate of Houston County reminded the immigrant Telers of the Norway they had left behind, there was great interest in creating a Norwegian settlement to the North. Geline's brother Andreas Kassenborg, Aanund Kragnes, and Tarje Grover saw opportunity in the reports about the valley.  From an account from the Clay County Historical Society: "A. Kragnes, Andreas Kassenborg and his brother-in-law Targie Grover, and a Mr. Homme went to Clay County in 1869.  They went to Alexandria by train and hired a livery for the rest of the trip. The first night out near Rothsay, they turned the horses loose to graze.  The horses disappeared during the night and the men started walking.  Grover and Homme played out and Kragnes and Kassenborg kept going until they found water.  They returned to the others and all started again.  They walked until they reached the Red River Valley fur cart trail and were rescued by them."   The story among the families is that Mr. Homme was a carpenter with some training as a surveyor, and he and Aanund continued their journey while Andreas and Tarje returned to Houston County.  Ole Thortvedt and his family became the first Telemark settlers in what would become the "Buffalo River Settlement" in 1870.