In 1881, three families from Ettrick, Wisconsin came to homestead on the land near where the Ness Church now stands, in Washburn Township. They took along everything they owned - except the farm, which they rented to friends. They rented two or three freight cars, brought all livestock, pigs, chickens and one sheep. The families boarded another train that took them as far as Blanchard, North Dakota. There they had to unload all their freight belongings and drive to their homestead in Washburn Township. Lizzie, 10-year-old daughter of Syver Halvorson, led the one sheep from Blanchard to the homestead, which was between 40 and 50 miles. They had to stop one night at a farmhouse. The ladies and children were invited to sleep in the house and the men slept in the barn. In the morning they were told there had recently been deaths from diphtheria in the home. If they had known they could have driven further that night. When they came to the homesteads, the only house that was completed was the Elling Nelson family's. This is where they stayed. After a few days some of the children came down with diphtheria. Nelson's daughter and two daughters of Syver Halvorson's died.
OLE HALVORSON, his wife, Petra, and their one year old son, Anton, and Mrs. Halvorson's father, a widower, was one family. Ole homesteaded on the quarter straight south of Ness Church. His father-in-law also filed claim on one quarter in the Section. They built a little log house on that for the older gentleman. Ole Halvorson donated 2 acres for a church site and cemetery and one rod a mile long, north and south of the church, for a road. Ole lived on his homestead until his death in 1907 and is buried in the Ness Cemetery. His family moved to Montana in 1910. There were nine children:
Anton, Halvor, Laura, Bertha, Syver, Oscar, Henry, Melvin and Pauline.
SYVER HALVORSON, wife Anna and children had a sod house just west of where the Ness church now stands. Syver died in 1883 and left his widow with a heavy load to bear with four children to raise. Another child, Severina, was born one month after her father passed away. How well Anna Halvorson managed could be a story in itself as the land is still in the family. Her only son, Halvor, left home quite young to go into business - real estate and banking. There were four girls
Lizzie
Mary, who became Mrs. Arne Arneson and mother of Albin and Clarence Arneson, Lillian Hilstad and Mildred Berger
Caroline
and Severina. One child born before Lizzie died in infancy and Laura and Sina died from diphtheria in 1881. The family lived just west of the Ness church until 1896 when they moved one mile northwest to where the buildings now stand.
One day a visitor came to Mrs. Halvorson and introduced himself as Charlie Swenson. He was hungry and looking for work. Anna Halvorson fed him a meal - told him she was looking for a hired man. Charlie was hired and lived with the family until his death in 1927.
The family lived on the farm until they moved to Cooperstown in 1917. Caroline died in 1923
Halvor died in 1926
Mrs. Halvorson and Lizzie died in 1930. Severina worked in banks in the area until 1946 when she moved to Minneapolis where she resided until her death in 1971.
The ELLING NELSON family homestead was in the SW quarter of Section 36. Besides their one daughter, who died from diphtheria in 1881, they had another daughter and one son, Peter, who owned and operated a hard - ware store in Cooperstown for many years.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 482