Claus Jackson was born March 14, 1860 in Vestre Totten, Norway. When a lad of 12, the family emigrated to America, settling at Coon Prairie, Wisconsin and later at Sparta. On April 20, 1880, Claus, together with his brother Chris, came to Volga, Dakota Territory where they worked freighting with mule teams on the construction of the railroad from Volga to Pierre. The Indians, watching suspiciously and averse to the railroad being built through their reservation, were a real and threatening menace. Guards were on duty all night while the railroad builders slept.
Hearing about a new town being started north of Sanborn and wishing LO start an enterprise of his own, on February 23, 1883, the two brothers came by team as far north as the track of the new railroad had been laid - to about the "Halfway House," so-called because it was about halfway between Sanborn and Cooperstown. Chris Jackson stayed at Thomas Stee's while Claus went to Cooperstown by team to buy a village lot. After buying the lot, he rejoined his brother, but returned again to Cooperstown in April of the same year and established a business with Thomas Knudson of Sparta, Wisconsin.
Claus married Ida Hegg on November 20, 1886. She had been born in Decorah, Iowa, October 4, 1861 and had come to Dakota Territory in 1884 settling at Cooperstown. Their first home was in Cooperstown above the present Allen's Jewelry Store. Five children were born to them, Clara, who became Mrs. A. F. Kencke, Ella, who became Mrs. George Epler, Chester, and twins, Inez and Edna, Mrs. Melvin Markuson.
Claus proved up on a homestead on Section 4-144-61 and lived on the land for a few years. In 1892 he started a machinery -implement business in Cooperstown. In 1890 he was appointed deputy sheriff and in 1894 was elected sheriff, which office he held for two terms. The family was living in the courthouse the winter of 1896-97 when the snow in the county was so deep that when walking along in Cooperstown you were liable to walk on somebody's roof. Tunnels were made in the business Section and youngsters slid on their sleds out of the courtroom windows. The last week in November, Sheriff Jackson was out summoning jurors for the District Court when the storm caught him 12 miles from town. He was forced to take refuge on a Thursday staying at the Martinius Wallum home south of Hannaford. Saturday morning Mr. Wallum drove him as far as Hannaford, but the horses floundered and plunged in the drifts until they had to give up and Claus struggled on foot to Cooperstown reaching home at 11 PM He said if he had another mile to go he didn't see how he could have endured it.
In 1899 Claus purchased Thomas Helland's share of the mercantile business of Aarestad-Helland in Hannaford and the family moved into their newly built home there. This general store was well-stocked with groceries, flour, fruit, shoes, dry goods, ladies' and gents' furnishings. Two years later he purchased Halvor Aarestad's share of the business and in 1906 he built the concrete block building, which still bears his name. Machinery was added to the line of merchandise that he sold.
Claus Jackson was a director and vice-president of the First National Bank at Hannaford, president of the Board of Education from 1912-1921, served as postmaster for 14 years (1899-1913), and was a member of the Village Board of Trustees.
Mrs. Jackson passed away February 15, 1948 and Mr. Jackson February 12, 1952.
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson's twin daughters were born August 30, 1896 in Cooperstown while Claus was sheriff of Griggs County. Inez spent her entire life in the Cooperstown- Hannaford area. She was employed in her father's store and for 27 years in the Hannaford post office. She also served for many years as superintendent of the Hannaford Sunday School. Inez passed away November 5, 1958.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 page 138