FARM HOME OF M. B. LONG
Topography—This township is quite rolling.
Nearly all of the land is under cultivation, and very productive. A great number of the pioneers are still living on their farms, with fine groves and very creditable buildings, as shown by the pictures.
Homesteaders still living on their land are as follows T. E. Sveum, M. B. Long, A. T. Haugen, M. Darmody, Ole Amundson, Ole H. Lee, Mrs. H. H. Lee, Mrs. Claus Peterson, J. J. Dale, Frank Sheeler, G. M. Brady, A. G. Sannes.
The first child (now Mrs. John Fiksdal) was born to Mr. and Mrs. O. T. Haugen, October, 1884.
The first death was Wallace Clark, October 1st, 1883.
The first marriage was that of Mr. and Mrs. O. T. Haugen, November, 1883.
The largest family was born to Mr. Eric Froslie and the two Mrs. Froslie's, ten daughters and six sons; thirteen are still living.
The first school was taught by Fred Stone, in his shanty just across the road from Hallstrom's homestead and now owned by them.
This township was named by the early pioneers at a township meeting.
Dates of settlement of homesteaders:
1881—Thos. Johnson, first and only postmaster of Lonsbery postoffice, Matt Cavanaugh.
1882—M. B. Long, Emmit Forbes, H. W. Rowlee, John and Lloyd Blocker, D. B. and C. H. Compton, John
Boardman, S. G. Hallstrom, J. A. Ruth, Mrs. Anne Bye, O. T. Haugen, A. T. Haugen, John B. Welsh, Ed. Fay,
Clarence Cease, Tom. Ball, T. J. Otterness, Ed. Massey, Harvey Rice, A. E. and John Barker, Eph Beachy,
Frank L. Wallace.
1883—Mrs. J. C. Stone, Mrs. Dora Ryan, Miss Kate Darmody, Paul Pischke, Jacob Kreich, M. B. French,
Neil McAlley, Ole H. Hagen, M. Darmody, T. E. Sveum, Lars Evenson, Gust Arneson, Johanna Svien.
1884—E. S. Cotton, F. A. Swanson, T. H. Lee, Joe Pesall, E. Hanson, Ole Amundson, Claus Peterson,
A. J. Guandahl, Andrew N. Valsvig, K. Jacobson, N. K. Valsvig, M. K. Valsvig, Frank Sheelar.
1885—August Golnick, John Hjnowski, M. Thomas, Thora Lee, Byrngel Peterson.
1886—Adam Sass, Ed. T. Haugen, H. H. Lee, Paul Golnick, A. G. Sannes.
1888-89-93—Ole H. Lee, Knute Simonson, G. M. Brady, J. J. Dale.
In May, 1882, at the age of twenty-three, Mr. M. B. Long came from Minnesota and filed a preemption, a homestead and a tree claim. To this 480 acres he has added 193, making 673 acres in his home farm. He also has 580 acres in Wheatland township which he rents. He was married to Miss Emma L. Miller, March 21, 1884, and to them were born four daughters and two sons, all living. The children have all received higher education.
In 1925 Mr. Long took into partnership his son-in-law, Martin Sorbel, in order to manage the home farm. All of his real and personal property has been acquired through hard work on his farm. There is not a dollar of encumbrance, and he always has an ample bank account on hand.
Phone and R. F. D., Webster, S. D.
Note—Mr. Long's home is in the grove and don't show in the picture. Mr. Sorbel lives in large house shown.
Mr. J. J. Dale came direct to Webster from Bergen, Norway, May 17, 1888. His parents having been small farmers in the home land, he naturally felt drawn to a similar occupation and so he worked at farm labor until 1892 when he bought a tree claim relinquishment, filed a homestead and began farming for himself. Later he added to his farm another quarter section.
Mr. Dale was married to Miss Lena Heck, March, 1898, but she was called to her reward in 1904. Later, he was married to Miss Dena Kassa. He has six children, four sons and two daughters, all of these still remaining with their parents.
He has always practiced diversified farming, milking fourteen cows, markets about twenty-five hogs and some cattle, annually.
Phone and R. F. D., Lily, S. D.
Mr. Claus Peterson came to America from Stockholm, Sweden, 1882, landing in Wisconsin. In 1884 he came to Day county and filed on his present homestead to which he later added 240 acres.
Miss Anna Steen came to Brookings from Gulbrandsdalen, Norway. Later she paid her aunt who was living in Day county, a visit and there she was discovered by Mr. Peterson. They were married October 2, 1891, and to their union were born three boys and two girls, all living.
Mr. Peterson passed away in 1916 and since that time Mrs. Peterson and her children have continued on the home farm. The oldest daughter, however, had married the eldest son of Mrs. Halver Lee. To this daughter Mrs. Peterson gave eighty acres, making the young couple a farm of 160 acres.
Mrs. Peterson holds to diversified farming, milking about ten cows, and marketing poultry and poultry products.
Mr. and Mrs. Peterson started out with good health but no wealth, and all that they own has been gained through hard work on the home farm.
In spite of heavy losses sustained by Mrs. Peterson and her children from the failure of the Bank of Lily and the First State Bank of Bradley, the entire property is without encumbrance.
Phone and R. F. D., Lily, S. D.
Mr. Halvor H. Lee came to America with his parents from Numedal, Norway, landing in Iowa. His father died soon after their arrival and so in 1884 the mother, with two sons, came to Day county, where they joined two other sons who had preceded them. The mother filed on a homestead. When Halvor Lee became of age in 1890 he bought a preemption relinquishment from Miss Johanna Svien and filed on it as a homestead.
In February, 1893, Mr. Lee was married to Miss Dale, who came to Day county from Bergen, Norway, 1889. To this union were born three sons and one daughter. Mr. Lee died, however, June 25, 1910. Since then Mrs. Lee has continued on the homestead with her children.
Before his death, Mr. Lee added to the original home farm 240 acres, all of which Mrs. Lee now farms, with the exception of 80 acres, which she gave to her married son. She holds to diversified farming; milking about ten cows, and markets about fifty hogs, annually.
Although she has sustained losses from both the closed banks of Lily, there is no encumbrance.
Phone and R. F. D., Lily, S. D.
Mr. T. E. Sveum with his wife and two sons came from Lillehamer, Norway to Yankton, Dakota Territory, July, 1881. He worked as section hand for the railroad while there. In February, 1882, Mrs. Sveum died, leaving him the care of the two sons. In April of the following year he came to this county and filed his present homestead. He built a shanty eight by eight, opened farm with an ox team and breaking plow. In November, 1885 he was married to Miss Engbor Jesme and to them were born four daughters and two sons, all still living. Miss Jesme possessed a homestead before her marriage, which Mr. Sveum has farmed in addition to his own. Mrs. Sveum passed to her reward in 1919.
Mr. Sveum having been raised on a farm in Norway, has always practiced diversified farming in a very thorough manner. He milks 10 cows, markets 50 hogs, about 10 head of cattle and some poultry, annually. He has always figured closely in all business dealings and has managed to keep his accounts well clear of the red. He has, however, always been very liberal to the church and claims that it has proven of great profit and comfort to him. The only heavy financial loss he has ever suffered was sustained in the failure of the Bank of Lily.
Phone, Lily and Wallace; R. F. D., Webster, S. D.
Ole H. Lee came to America July, 1880, from Nomedal, Norway, with his parents and landed in Worth county, Iowa, where he worked out by the month on farms. He came to Day county July, 1893, and joined his mother and brothers who had preceded him. He worked one year for his brother Tom, then he began farming for himself on his mother's claim. In 1896 he bought a tree claim relinquishment and filed on his present homestead and has continued living on same ever since.
He was married to Miss Rondina Markerud in October, 1897. To them were born two sons and one daughter. He has added four hundred and forty acres just over the line in Clark county, all of which he and his two sons farm, except one quarter which his son-in-law farms on shares. He has always practiced diversified farming, milking ten cows, marketing about eight head of cattle, and an average of a hundred hogs, one hundred to a hundred and fifty chickens and seventy-five turkeys annually. He has fifteen acres of alfalfa, twenty-five acres of sweet clover, from which he cuts two crops of hay for his cows and calves. The trees shown in the picture are all evergreens surrounding his home. He always pays cash for what he buys and says that is the safest way. He has no encumbrance and maintains a very respectable bank account.
Phones: Lily and Wallace, R. F. D., Lily, S. D.