Mr. and Mrs. August Steinborn came to this country on May 11, 1881. They came from Germany by steamboat and settled at Cleveland, Ohio, where they lived for two years.

In 1883, they migrated to North Dakota where they settled in Helena Township, homesteading there. A 14 X 10 foot sod house was built. Straw and buffalo chips were their main source of fuel. Wheat was hauled to Valley City to be ground into flour. It took two days to accomplish this as it took one day to get there and another day to get home.

They raised a family of eight children, Edith, Carl, Annie, Mabel, Willie, Fred, Herbert, and George, who have all passed away.

Mr. Steinborn passed away during one of the harvest seasons and Wilhelmina Steinborn and her children continued farming. They built a large home on this farm. This home was located on the farm presently owned by Lasse Hegvik.

One of their early means of transportation was a two-seated surrey with a fringe on top. It still stands out in my memory (Gertrude) of the fear I had of riding in it, as the sides weren't enclosed.

Mrs. Steinborn and Carl left the farm and moved into Cooperstown. Minnie Wells, a granddaughter, made her home with them and when she finished high school they moved to Fargo where Minnie attended business college. It was in Fargo that Mrs. Steinborn passed away. Carl returned to Cooperstown and continued with farming interests until 1947 when he retired in Cooperstown.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 320