FARM HOME OF MR. AND MRS. OLE H. STRAND
Topography—The land is very rolling in this township, which in the eighties had a number of sloughs but these have all dried out and many are now under cultivation, and some are used for hay.
When the township was first settled it had not been surveyed so that each settler had to squat on his claim to make sure of having it when it came into market. It was settled in 1881 by a colony of two families, Hanse and Bakke. Ninety per cent of the original settlers were sons of Norway, and a very few of them are still tilling the soil. Quite a number of them have moved into the town of Roslyn, and their descendants are now carrying on the farms. It is safe to say that fifty per cent of the farming is done by the descendants. Stars indicate old settlers still residing on their land.
The first child born here was Alfred Hanse, to Mr. and Mrs. Ole L. Hanse, May 2, 1883.
The first death came to a child of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson.
The first marriage was that of Ole L. Hanse and Miss Belle Bakke, October 26, 1881.
The largest family was born to Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Hemmah, parents of eight boys and four girls, all living but one, and that one died after marriage. This family of children were all born and reared to maturity without ever calling a physician.
This township was named by petition of the settlers and approved by the county commissioners.
Dates of settlement of homesteaders:
1881—Ole L. and Hans L. Hanse, June 15, 1881, Aase
and Ingeborg Bakke.
1882—Herman Jensen, Mrs. A. N. Johnson, Ole and
Jens Hauge.
1883—J. E. Ray, John Hendrickson, A. E. Hemmah,
*Ole H. Kleven, *Peter Hanson, *Ole A. and Anton Skaaden,
Anton C. Dokken, Delois Fish, Ole Helgeson, Nels Dahl,
John Kleven, Henry Sorenson, Martin Johnson, H J. Halbeslaben,
Frank Buitner, U. F. Barth, H. J. Bergseng,
R. B. Singelness, Mrs. M. Skaaden, V. J. Granger.
1884—Peter, *J. G., Albert and Aug. Johnson, E. 0.
Ronshagen, L. A. Larson, Jacob Paulson, Amund Paulson,
Peter Baukol, Aug. Blank, Sr., *John Brandmoen.
1885—Louis Amundsen, 0. T. Westgard, Iver K. Holm,
E. H. Nygaard, *A. 0. Opsahl, John Monshagen, *A. E.
Johnson, C. E. Stenberg, John Lund, E. H. Nyvold, Even
Gunderson, Even Kleven, John and Adolph Lorensberg,
Grandpa Johnson, Ole Peterson.
1886—Wm. and Carl Krause.
In 1883 Miss Mina Johnson and her mother came from McFarland, Wisconsin. In 1903 Miss Johnson filed on a forty acre homestead, the last left in the township. This piece of land joined her mother's tree claim.
She was married to Ole H. Strand on Thanksgiving day, 1908. They made their home on her homestead. To this Mr. Strand added the tree claim of his wife's grandmother.
Soon after her marriage Mrs. Strand began the raising of chickens and selected as her brand the single comb White Leghorn. She always has from 800 to 1000 layers on hand. Her sale of eggs amounts to about ten cases per week, receiving No. 1 grade and price. They milk ten cows and the milk is used in feeding the chickens.
The grove shown in the above picture contains ten acres. Buildings shown in picture were made possible by the result of proceeds from the sale of eggs.
Phone and R. F. D., Roslyn, S. D.
Mr. Ole A. Skaaden and his parents came from Guelbrandalen, Norway to Starbuck, Minnesota, July, 1830. His father died in 1882. In May of the following year he, with his mother, a brother and sister, came to Day county in a covered wagon drawn by ox team. Since Mr. Skaaden was not of age, his mother filed the present homestead and tree claim. He never married and so continued farming with his mother and sister until their death. The sister died in 1916 and the mother, May, 1923 having passed her ninety-fourth year. Since their death he has continued on the farm, hiring a man and wife for help.
Mr. Skaaden has always practiced diversified farming; milking about ten cows, marketing twenty fat hogs, about ten head of cattle and some poultry, annually. He has persistently shown good judgment and so has avoided the necessity of a visit from the sheriff in order to pay a note or other account. Although he is now fifty-two years of age he has never had to consult a physician. His only great loss was sustained from the failure of the Security Bank of Roslyn.
The grove shown contains ten acres of fine ash. The granary and hog house are north of the barn.
Phone and R. F. D., Roslyn, S. D.