An immigrant of Stavanger, Norway, Endre Aarested arrived in Ball Hill Township in 1882, having walked from Valley City, North Dakota. He proceeded to build a sod hut about four miles south of Cooperstown.
A year later, his wife, Anna, and two sons,
stepped off the train where it turned around by the old Swen Haaland place. She took one look at the waving, treeless prairie, sat on a suitcase and cried, "Let's go back to Norway!" Endre soon came, however, and they walked home to the sod hut.
In 1890 Endre, who had been a carpenter in Norway, added a 14' x 16' frame room to the sod house. While they lived there, four more boys were born,
During the spring of 1899, the frame house was skidded by oxen one-half mile northwest to Section 15, and it is now the central room of the home on the present Aarestad farm. Casper, the youngest child, and his mother rode in the house as it was being moved to the other place that summer.
In 1905 a major addition was built to the frame room, making a two-story home. It has been remodeled countless times as ideas changed over the years.
The barn was built in 1916. Endre contracted with Chris Rudd to build the barn for the sum of $300. When Endre saw the good job that was done, he gave a bonus to the carpenter. The barn still stands straight in its original condition.
There is a hill on the farmstead that still has the excavation where John Aarestad had his icehouse in 1905. He would cut ice from the Bald Hill Creek in winter and cool beef in the summer. During this time, he had a meat business and delivered meat on three routes. His day began at 4:00 AM, so that all his customers could have their meat by noon. He continued this business for about ten years and decided to buy a meat market in McHenry, which is still in operation.
As the other brothers elected to live elsewhere, Casper started farming in 1919. He took time out in 1922 to finish his education at the agricultural college in Fargo and then he returned to resume farming. He married Caspara Carlson Strand in 1926. She had lost her husband Haf Strand a few years before and had two children, Harland and Lorraine (Mrs. Russell Barr).
Audrey (Mrs. William Hammer), Sally (Mrs. James Thompson), Everett and Janice (Mrs. David Vigesaa) were all born while Casper was farming. Then, in 1938, they rented out their land and bought a Red Owl Store in Pillsbury, living there for five years. Casper Jr. was born while they lived there.
The family returned to the farm in 1943 where Casper farmed until he retired in 1965. They moved to Cooperstown in 1967 when Casper Jr. began farming at the old farmstead.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 193