Mr. Amund Gilbertson was born August 22, 1857, in Valdres, Norway, the seventh child of a family of four girls and four boys. His mother's name was Sigrid Gulsdaughter and his father's name was Gulbran Mikkelson.
In 1880, he decided to come to the United States having heard of the wondrous possibilities in this land. He landed at Boston after 14 days at sea, and proceeded on to Kensett, Iowa, where all of the land was taken. Land there was priced too high at $10 per acre so he proceeded on to Dakota Territory to the Goose river vicinity where the land also was taken.
In 1883 the nine acres that were broke and seeded to wheat yielded about 130 bushels. Another few acres were broke in 1884 and an additional 30 acres were added in 1885. The total crop that year was about 1000 bushels of wheat and it sold for 38 cents per bushel. In 1883 three neighbors went together and purchased a regular cut 6-foot McCormick binder for $240. Each year brought various harvests. In 1888 an early frost destroyed the crop, and in 1891 there was a bumper harvest. The first four or five crops were threshed by Swen Olgaard, who charged five cents a bushel. Later Mr. Gilbertson purchased his own threshing rig.
At one time, Mr. Gilbertson told of a happening of particular interest. He went north of Portland, North Dakota to buy his oxen and when returning was caught in a blizzard and his cars were badly frozen. He and Arne Thompson later returned for the oxen on skis and became snow blind for two days, which was a painful experience. After recuperating, they returned with the oxen. A spring thaw had taken place so when crossing a creek they all nearly drowned. Darkness overtook them but they found a shack and camped over night without supper or breakfast. By noon the next day they found the Opheim farm where they were fed and were glad that part of the trip was over.
In 1886 he built a new log cabin 1/2 mile farther west on the same quarter Section but in a wooded area near the Sheyenne River. Here he lived until about the turn of the century when he built on the SE quarter of Section 3, 14558 and lived there until his death in 1945.
He married Mary Hagen in 1887, to them five, children were born, three of them living to adulthood. They were Mrs. M. M. (Sophia) Lunde, Mrs. Lloyd (Gunhild) Roen, and Mrs. Fred (Olga) Melgard. His wife died in 1897. Among the descendants are eleven grandchildren.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 427