Nils Torbjornsen and Kirstine Orbek Ylvisaker

Emigration to America – What Led to it and What Came of It

by Don Ylvisaker

Norway

Preface. At the start of the nineteenth century, Norway had shared a king with Denmark for more than four centuries. Denmark held the dominant position in this union - the government was located in Copenhagen, and the public officials in both countries were almost entirely Danish.

Norway was forced into war with Great Britain and Sweden in 1807, as a kind of second-order ally of Napoleon’s, through Denmark. Under blockade it could no longer be administered from Denmark; the inability to import and export goods caused famine throughout the country.

At the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, Napoleon suffered a heavy defeat. Sweden wished to have Norway as a safeguard on its western border and Sweden's allies pledged Norway to it as one of the spoils of war. In January 1814, King Fredrik VI of Denmark handed Norway over to Sweden. Thus ended 434 years of union with Denmark.

Governing Norway at the time was Prince Christian Frederik, nephew of the Danish king, and he paved the way for a Norwegian revolt to prevent a Swedish takeover (and presumably to secure a reunion of Denmark and Norway). An assembly was formed and on May 17, 1814, it formally adopted a constitution, choosing Christian Frederik as Norwegian king. This signing is commemorated by its date in the joyous holiday that is Syttende Mai.

The Swedes nonetheless exerted diplomatic pressure and, when this proved to be insufficient, launched a military campaign that quickly beat down the Norwegians. In August, an agreement was signed at Moss, whereby the Swedes accepted the Norwegian Constitution signed at Eidsvoll, with the necessary amendments to it due to the union of the two kingdoms. They, along with King Christian Frederik relinquished claims to power on October 10, 1814, and left the country. Norway was thereby entered into another union.

By the end of the 19th century, clashes over the new union were rife. A Swedish demand that the union's foreign minister must be Swedish, and a Norwegian demand for its own consulates sparked bitter disagreement. Swedish troops prevented the Norwegians from forcing these issues, and the Norwegians spent the final years of the century building up their military power.

In 1905, Norway governing was placed in the hands of a Parliamentary Assembly and it, with amendments made necessary according to their laws and constitution, declared. the union with Sweden under one King be dissolved. A referendum on this was held and the Norwegian people passed this 368,392 to 184.

At mid-century, there had been many social forces at work in the country – in an awakening of the common people, in the cultural arena, in church life, in the nascent possibility of emigration to America. Over time, social inequities began to dissolve when national pride brought resentment in the common people against the "superior", largely Danish, upper class, and when emigration to America offered cheap land and equality to those who had little. A subordinated and class-conscious society just 100 years earlier, Norway emerged in the 20th century as a free and democratic country.

Ylvisakers

Nils Torbjorn Ylvisaker and Kirstine Orbek Hundere, ages 23 and 22, were married in 1855 in the Sogn region of Norway. Nils Torbjorn had grown up on the farm Ylvisaker, located on the north side of the Sogndalfjord, and Kirstine at Hundere, a few miles northeast along the fjord from there, and a short distance inland.

The young married couple lived at Hundere for five years, first occupied as school teachers but soon captured by a nascent movement to improve the morality and religion of the region, then at a very low ebb. They were joined in this by her brother Herman, already charged with several churches that had broken away from the Norwegian National Church. Nils Torbjorn and Herman grew close during those years and remained so for the rest of their lives. Increasingly, they were in demand for talking to people anxious to hear their message. Nils Torbjorn was first involved with Norway’s Temperance Society and then as a traveling missionary for the Norwegian Inner Mission.

The couple moved to Ylvisaker for one year. but left again for Trondhjem as Kirstine was uneasy about living where a landslide was possible on the mountain behind them. They bought a good and well built farm in the Glaushaugen area of Trondhjem and fell into a family routine for their five years there and throughout their lives together. Nils Torbjorn was in constant demand and traveled widely to preach to the people; Kirstine managed the farm, several servants and many dairy cows, and tended to the children. In 1863 they had two sons aged 5 and 2, and a daughter was born that year. The boys got some formal schooling but benefitted as well from the freedom to roam the streets of the town.

In 1868 the call came for Nils Torbjorn to come to America and preach to Norwegian pioneers. It was a time of heavy migration, in 1868 alone there were 13,200 such and a need for preachers was correspondingly large. After some goodbyes, the family sailed from Liverpool to New York City, took the train to LaCrosse and a steamboat on to Red Wing in Goodhue County**.

America

Nils Torbjorn and Kristine Ylvisaker, with their five children, formed a part of a large 1860’s emigration. They came to Red Wing, “a beautiful little city”, in 1868, he to minister to Norwegians in the county. The family settled into a drafty house on 4th Avenue not far from Barn Bluff, a 350-foot cliff at the south end of town.

Family activities were familiar ones: Nils Torbjorn spent most of his time away from home - the charge of four congregations in Red Wing, Goodhue, Minneola and Zumbrota necessitated a round trip of some 60 miles, and he regularly visited Minneapolis where he served as the founding pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church; Kirstine maintained the household, including the care of four boys and a girl at that point. The two older boys, 6 and 9, when not in school - a one-room school in the basement of the nearby Congregational Church - exulted in the freedom to discover the bustling port that was Red Wing, to run after the steamers that came through, and to explore the surrounding bluffs. They got to spend their summers at (separate) farms in the vicinity.

The summer of 1871 brought large changes to the family. They moved to a better house on 8th Avenue, another daughter was born, and Nils Torbjorn’s siblings – Johannes, Berta and Kari - followed him to Red Wing, staying initially in the same house. In the fall of that year, the 26-year old Johannes left for Luther College in Decorah, along with the oldest boy Johan, aged 13.

In 1872 Nils Torbjorn’s charge was reduced from four churches to just the Minneola church and the Lands Church just west of Zumbrota. His workload, including his mission work in Minneapolis and soon further west, would be more tenable. Kirstine would now to be closer to her duties as the minister’s wife and she could maintain a closer watch over the children.

The family left Red Wing in the latter part of August to live in a new parsonage at Lands Church that suited the family well. With Johan away at College, the younger ones were now 11, 9, 8, 6 and 1, with another son to arrive in 1874. It was a new county life for the family. For the 11-year old Andreas, “There I spent the happiest days of my boyhood”. Children went off to parochial or public schools and, when old enough, the boys entered Luther. Kirstine was heavily involved with the children, babies born in 1871 and 1874, and activities such as providing dinner and counseling for a family in the congregation.

Nils Torbjorn was impatient to be back to his missionary calling, and left shortly for Moorhead and the Red River Valley. Along the way he gave his farewell sermon at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on September 12th. Within a month spent in the Fargo-Moorhead area he met with numerous people, gave several sermons and organized four churches, serving as the first pastor of some of them. This was an arduous task, traveling as he did by horse, buggy, stage coach and railroad, but he wrote movingly of the peace he felt at the conclusion of his trip.

A consequence of his constant hard work was poor health for the remaining years of his life. In view of his condition he was given leave to return to Norway for a rest in the summer of 1876. There he was again under much demand for his time and energy and his health worsened. In January of 1877, the oldest son Johan wrote movingly (in English) from Luther of his desire to rather be back at Lands with his father. NIls Trobjorn took to his bed in January, and he died in April of that year.

Andreas Erstad, who farmed near Zumbrota, was an original member of Lands Church and active in its affairs. His wife died in January of 1877, leaving behind six children. He and Kirstine were married in January of 1879, with their combined families to live at the Erstad farm.

Erstads: Cornelius 19, Maria 16, John 15, Albert 13, Gustav 10, Selma 6.

Ylvisakers: Johan 21, Andreas 18, Sigrid 16, Olaf 15, Ivar 13, Johanna 8, Nikolaus 5.

Life was largely peaceful throughout the 1880’s in the Erstad home. There were no competitions between the two families, and the “old folks” could fashion, with time, a fine afternoon of their lives. This tranquility was disturbed in 1889 when Olaf died of tuberculosis, and again in 1890 when Johan died of Bright’s Disease. Olaf had graduated from Luther in 1888, and Johan, after finishing at Concordia Seminary in 1890, was teaching and preaching at Luther when he died.

There were two marriages between the Erstads and the Ylvisakers, leading to many double cousins: Cornelius married Sigrid and Andreas married Marie, both marriages in 1888. Cornelius and Andreas were farmers by nature. Their early efforts in this ultimately led Cornelius to take over the Erstad farm, where Kirstine could live out her days, and Andreas to establish the “Homewood”, a central gathering place for his six children with Maria, and for the family at large.

At the turn of the century Nils Torbjorn and Kirstine’s other grown descendants were well situated. Andreas’s branch of the family is the main focus of the website and material about his siblings is rather spare by comparison. Here are brief descriptions of the lives they led and the descendants that followed.

Sigurd Ylvisaker Erstad. Born in 1863, she was the third of the seven children of NTY and Bestemor. She grew up in the parsonage at the Lnds Church parsonage before moving to the Erstad farm in 1879 after her father died. In 1888 she married her step- brother Cornelius Erstad and took up life as the wife of a farmer.

After some poor farms and crops, they came into the Erstad farm and housed the parents there until Bestemor passed away in 1929; Andreas Erstad had preceded her in that, in 1908. Cornelius passed away in 1940, and Sigurd in 1948.

Subsequent to 1940, Sigurd lived with her daughter at the (what came to be famous in the family) house at 35 Mill Street in Zumbrota, and Johnny had lived with them for some years. Ruth was trained as a musician, studied at McPhail’s, and worked as an organist and piano teacher. She was married to Reeve Cornwall and, after his death, to Kenneth Benrud.

Cornelius and Sigurd, along with Andreas and Marie, ensured many family connections and a good number of second cousins. In particular, Cornelius, Sigurd, and Ruth could be found at many family functions in the 30’s and 40’s.

She and Cornelius had four children: Andreas Torbjorn, 1891; Olaf, 1892; Einar, 1894; Ruth, 1897.

Ivar Daniel Ylvisaker. He was the middle child of the seven born to NTY and Bestemor, a babe in arms when they sailed to America in the summer of 1868. He grew up in the parsonage at the Lands Church parsonage before moving to the Erstad farm in 1879 after his father died. At that point he was 13, his brothers were 15, 17, and 20, and his sisters 8 and 16.

After attending public and parochial school he went to Luther College, graduating in 1888, and then on to finishing seminary in 1891. The same summer he married Delia Davidson and served two parishes in Montana, subsequently had a ministry of 33 years in Mayville, ND.

He went to Luther alongside his brother Olaf and they maintained closeness when Olaf left for California. He wrote frequently, as was the norm in the family, to Bestemor.

He gained prominence during his life. He served as the President of the North District of his Church Synod and was an important contributor to the 1917 merger of the synods. He died in 1926.

He and Delia had six children as follows: Herman,1894; Dagny, 1895; Sigfrid, 1897; Erling, 1898; Hedvig, 1902; Lenvik, 1904.

Johanna Torino Ylvisaker Jordahl. Born in 1871, she was the sixth of the seven children and the younger of two sisters of NTY and Bestemor. She grew up in the parsonage at the Lands Church parsonage before moving to the Erstad farm in 1879 after her father died. She was known as Hannah in the family and it is likely that she had early responsibilities in watching over her slightly younger brother, Nikkel, and in lending considerable help to her mother. She went to parochial and public schools, learned the piano, and did some instruction on the instrument.

A glimpse into her young adulthood is found in a letter to her brother Olaf from a Luther classmate of his when Olaf was in California looking to recover from tuberculosis. The letter offers some details of a get-together of Luther boys in Minneapolis in 1889. Her brother Ivar would be there for the occasion as he had been driven away from home by the scarlet fever, others were to include “Kittlesby” and “Jordahl”. Hannah and the hired girl were invited for an evening visit and, ignoring the quarantine and yellow card on the wall, came. According to the letter writer, “Hannah had been enclosed for a week and not allowed to mingle in society and by then she felt kind of lonesome I think because she is a girl that can enjoy some fun once in a while. About all the students are more or less, especially more, stuck on her and I think she has had a very pleasant time”

Johanna was married to Daniel Jordahl in 1893. He had been the minister in a Norway Lake church for twelve years when she died. In their twelve years of marriage she bore him seven children: Dagmar Kirstine Leikvold, 1893; Esther Hortensia, 1895; Harald Conrad, 1897; Verner Trygve, 1898; Christian Scriver, 1900; Nils Ylvisaker, 1902; Helga Solveig, 1904.

She is a sympathetic figure in our history - a true mother of her era. In her married years she was isolated some 180 miles from her Minnesota family and, it seems, she had to rely on visitors - her older sister for example, and on her sister-in-law Marie. Moreover her husband often traveled out of town tending to the Lord’s business and not so much on his family business.

She was devoted to her mother in particular – writing to her faithfully, and poignantly when she came to her final days. Jordahl took a second wife i n 1906 and, to his credit, maintained contact with Bestemor. He had a full career in Norway Lake and then a parish in Iowa.

Skak Joakim Nikolaus Ylvisaker. Born in 1873, he was the youngest of the six children of NTY and Bestemor. He grew up in the parsonage at the Lands Church parsonage and moved to the Erstad farm in 1879 after his father died. He was known as Nikkel in the family and it seems that he was everyone’s favorite, watched over by his slightly older sister Johanna. He followed his brothers to Luther, graduating in 1896, then to the Seminar, graduating in 1898.

He married Emile Estrem the summer after graduation and took the call to Hayfield, MN that year, leaving for a Zumbrota parish two years later. He was called to Fergus Falls in 1908, remaining there until 1928 when he moved to Minneapolis for a position as Financial Secretary for Luther College.

In 1931 he accepted a call to Stanwood, WA. He served the church there until he died, in 1948, while “tending to his rose garden”. He was much beloved by those to whom he ministered.

He left his widow and their six children. She survived him along with all six children, albeit one son died but six months later. The children were Walter Olaf, 1900; Lois Gudrun Kannenberg, 1902; Harald Joakim, 1906; Valborg Johanna, 1907; Helga Magdalene McNeill, 1909; Rudolph Einar, 1913.

While in Fergus Fall the devastating 1919 tornado struck, killing 56 people and demolishing the town, necessitating a rebuilding of the church edifice. In Stanwood and a second parish of his, he was involved with extensive remodeling projects, contributing to his becoming known as the “Builder of Churches”.

He remained in contact with his family for the rest of his life, especially devoted to his mother. Bestemor’s collection has some 45 letters of his to her, mostly from his school days of course. He visited Zumbrota often, easily managed when the family was in Minneapolis, stopping through the Twin Cities on some of those occasions he took the train from Fergus Falls, and even traveling from Stanwood.

In all Nils Torbjorn and Kirstine had seven children, and twenty eight grandchildren, the last being born in 1913. Going further down the Andreas branch, we can count twenty great grandchildren

** Some Early History of Goodhue County

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the land that came to be Goodhue County was very much the province of Red Wing, a Mdewakanton Chief. The Mdewakanton tribe were hunters and, for protection, warriors. With the Wahpekute, the Wahpeton and the Sisseton, they were known as the Sioux of the East.

Red Wing (1750, 1829) led his tribe through his fearsome presence as a warrior who, legend would have it, never lost a battle. Just as importantly, he was an influential spokesman for his people. After the War of 1812, Red Wing switched his allegiance from the English to the Americans and he led a delegation in the signing of a treaty of friendship with them, in 1815.

The American government began pursuing the Indian lands of the region at as early as 1805. This brought peace treaties and payments to the Indians, with promises. For one, the 1837 Treaty ceded land in southwestern Iowa for certain monies, but with an agreement that the Indians came to regard as unfair. Not surprisingly in such matters, the offered funds were trimmed, the promises not kept. In 1851 the Sioux of the East were talked into ceding the lands west of the Mississippi with a portion set aside for the Mdewakantons. This reservation clause was removed from the treaty before being certified by the government. Henry Hastings Sibling, later the first governor of Minnesota, opined: “From beginning to end - the tactics used to get the treaties in the first place, the bad faith of the Senate in amending them, the devices employed to accept the amendments, the whole nefarious business of the traders paper - it was a thoroughly sordid affair, equal to anything else in the long history of injustice perpetrated on the Indians.”

The Minnesota Territory (1849 - 1856) was segmented in 1853 and Goodhue County was taken to encompass the area then occupied by the Red Wing Mdwakentons. This was an attractive location for immigrants with its plentiful land for growing crops and its convenient access to the Mississippi.

In the 1850’s the number of immigrants to the region quickly grew. Among them were explorers from New England and the news of what they had found brought others from the East. A notable excursion came in 1854 when a party of 1,200, including former President Fillmore, arrived in Rock Island, Illinois on the newly completed to St. Paul, Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, from which five steamboats carried them up the Mississippi to St. Paul. The trip from Washington could then be made in four days. What the travelers had experience enticed others from the Northeastern states to follow their example. With problems abroad and the prospect of land in America, immigrants also arrived from Germany, Norway, Sweden, and other countries. A land rush was a natural result. The requirements for filing a claim were loosely enforced and there was abundant speculation and claim jumping. There was a down side to this as a market crash in 1857 caught many people with debts to pay and no money to pay them. Overall, immigration to the area left Indians with little of their ancient lands and housing.

Red Wing, formally founded in 1857, had been designated as the seat of the County. It prospered as a port on the Mississippi while the rest of the land was agricultural in nature. Other settlements were crystallized in the late 1850’s, among them Cannon Falls, Dennison, Kenyon, Wanamingo, and Zumbrota. These early townships were often situated in conjunction with the Zumbro and Cannon collection points for the bounteous wheat crops that were to follow.

In those early years, beyond the need for supplies, roads, transportation, postal service, banks, and such, inhabitants took education and religion to be priorities. Mission schools set up for Indian children led to public schoolhouses in the early 1860’s, while people gathering for fellowship and sermons came together to build substantial churches. In such developments there were many differences that had to be accommodated, in language, custom, and religious doctrine. There left ample room for misunderstandings and disputes between people.

Race relations in the States were brought into sharp focus in 1857 by the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision holding that Blacks could not be citizens. This controversial stance conformed well with a split between the southern and northern states according as slavery was allowed or not. Sentiment in the north was heavily against slavery and the Minnesota Territory and Goodhue County were in line with that. Thus, when the call went out in 1861 for volunteers to fight in the Union army, men in the area hastened to do so in considerable numbers. By the end of the war, in 1865, some one-third of the men in Goodhue County had served during the conflict. At that juncture the question of relations with the Indians was more relevant and much closer to home, the Indian war of 1862 testifies to those tensions.

This photograph from 1895 shows the "Old Folks" surrounded by most of their family. Andreas is the bearded dominant figure in the back with Marie seated in front of him, pregnant with Nils; to his far right are John and Nellie Erstad; Andreas's sister Sigrid with husband Cornelius Erstad; Ivar and Delia sit in front of them. To Andreas's far left is his youngest brother Skak Joachim Nikolaus, continuing to Josephine, Johan’s widow, and two Erstad men. Johanna and Daniel Jordahl sit next to the "Old Folks", and there is a host of offspring out front.