Svein O. Homme was born March 6, 1856 in Seterdalen, Norway near Chritiansand. His parents were Ole O. Homme and Aase Dale. Mr. Homme came to America in 1870 at fourteen years of age with his family. They made Granite Falls, Minnesota their home.
In the spring of 1882, Svein came to North Dakota where there was a boom at that time. Mayville was the nearest town he could reach by train since his destination was the Sheyenne River, five miles east of what is now the city of Cooperstown. He traveled 32 miles on a pair of skis, which he made in Mayville. The only land - marks to guide him were Section stakes. His claim was the northeast quarter of Section 22-146-58 in what is now Washburn Township.
After staking his claim, he started walking back to Mayville. He got to a sod shanty with his feet so swollen he could not remove his boots. Next day he arrived at Mayville and caught the last train for Fargo, which did not run again for three weeks because of high waters.
In the latter part of May, Mr. Homme and another man hired an immigrant train car from Benson, Minnesota to Portland, North Dakota. They took their farm machinery and livestock to their homesteads arriving June 1, 1882. Everything was black since there had just been a heavy frost.
Mr. Homme hauled lumber from Portland, North Dakota with oxen and built a 14 by 16 house, 8 feet high. This room is still the living room used on the farm where Albin Carlson now lives.
The town of Mardell, about one and a half miles from his claim, was started that same spring. This is where he got his provisions. He used oxen the first five years and his machinery consisted of a walking plow, drill, drag, self-binder, mower and hay-rake. He raised wheat, oats and later barley. He received 400 to 75~ a bushel for wheat.
Mr. Homme married Belle Norgard in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota. They had two children, Willie Olai and Agnes. His wife and children all died at the turn of the century.
In 1905 Anton B. Carlson rented the farm and later bought it from Mr. Homme. Mr. Homme moved to Granite Falls, Minnesota and later remarried. He died some time in the 1930's.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 483