In 1852, Betuel Herigstad was born to Baar and Karen Herigstad on a farm on Jaederen, near Sandness, Norway. He married Inger Thu, daughter of Oman and Margaret Thu from a nearby farm.
On April 10, 18SI, Betuel and Inger Herigstad, along with Ola Westley, Omon Westley, Knut Haaland, Karl Herigstad, Waldemar Klubben, Sven Loge and Sven Lunde, left Stavanger, Norway to follow their desire to live in America. They left England April 18, then had an eventful voyage across the Atlantic and arrived in New York, via Newfoundland on May 20. There they journeyed by train to Chicago, to St. Paul and on to Granite Falls, Minnesota. With Christian Aarestad as their leader, the men traveled to North Dakota by train as far as Fargo. With their ox teams, they set out for the Sheyenne River in Sverdrup Township.
Betuel chose to homestead on the NE of Section 30-145-58. The children of Betuel and Inger Herigstad were Karen, Bard, Margaret, Omen, Inga, Conrad, Emil, Henry, Theodore, Lydia, Sylvia and two girls born around the turn of the century who died in infancy.
The buildings are no longer occupied. Conrad Herigstad, the last surviving member of the original family, owns the homestead land.
Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial page 79