Nelson County history, Volume 1

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library
• Subjects: Annala; Blanche; Carr; Marian; Myra; Norway; Svalbard; The Lodge; Tufte; Wood Lake
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/41852

• ' ' :,'--S ''. Harry Johnson and the boys 4-H club. Front: Norman Brodal, Kenneth Johnson, Les Rainsberry. Back: Peter Skjorseth, Jack Rainsberry, Donald Johnson, Conrad Brodal. S-» Knt' ft I 4' *fciiji ■i "1 *"" I*' js if_ est ^^ Em* p£i w Myra Swingdoff and 4-H girls camping at Wood Lake. Marian Pederson, Joyce Swingdoff, Clara Olson, Doris Mickelson, Alma Brodal, Jeanette Johnson, Blanche Johnson, Ruby Tufte, Karen Anseth. Sons of Norway Svalbard Lodge No. 288, Brocket, N.D. was organized in the mid-1920's by a Mr. Svidal from Starkweather. Knute Peterson served as its first president, a job he held for most of the lodge's lifetime. Mrs. Anna Spagrud was secretary and as time passed, several members held office. Martin Anseth served as president. Gerhard Anseth and Art Anseth held office. Thelma Lillegren served as financial secretary for many years. The lodge was composed of Norwegians from Brocket, Lillehoff, Newbre, Lakota, Clara and Enterprise Townships. There were both social members and insured members. All the meetings were conducted in the Norwegian language. They usually met once a month at either Norse Hall or in a member's home. Lunch was always furnished by the host or by a committee when they met at Norse Hall. There was a business meeting followed by a short program and on special occasions they held a social meeting open to the community. May 17 was almost always celebrated. Prominent members of the Nelson County courthouse who belonged were Judge Carr, Alvin Nelson, Pete Jorgenson, LP. Quam and Mr. Tiegen. The lodge continued until 1945-46 when it was decided to dissolve and the insurance members were transferred to the Supreme Lodge. Membership in those days was limited to only Norwegians or those married to Norwegians. Family Histories The Annala Family In 1895, when Toivo Annala was three years old and Arvi Annala just two weeks, there was a movement of Finns from Frederick, S.D. to Nelson County, N.D. On a beautiful September day, a wagon train of six covered wagons headed due north for Nelson County. Zachary Annala drove a wagon carrying his wife, Hilma, and their children Toivo and Arvi. This wagon also carried grandmothers Maria Annala, Mariana Hukari, and Hango, as well as Elizabeth Annala, wife of John, and their daughters Lempi and Selma, Amanda Hukari, wife of Alex, and their children Helmi, Lempi and Arvo, and Selma Seppa, who later married Jacob Annala. This wagon also carried the lunches and a water barrel in the rear. John J. Annala drove a wagon carrying his sons John, Zachary and Waino and necessary household goods. Jacob Annala's wagon carried machinery. Alex Hukari's wagon carried household goods and trailed an ornery white mare, property of John Hukari. It got loose near the town of Hanaford and made tracks. Jake Annala jumped on brother John's sorrel and went in hot pursuit, to no avail. Nobody was very sorry. John Hukari's wagon carried machinery. Charley Hango's wagon carried household goods and farm implements. This trek took a week, but the weather was pleasant except for a rain that kept them an extra day in Cooper's Town. Having left that town, heads were counted and it was found that the two young Lempis were missing. With horse and buggy, John Annala hurried back and found the two six-year-old girls happily visiting with some local residents. Usually ranchers would gladly let the travelers use what facilities were available for overnight existence, but at one farm the owner charged $20, an unheard of amount at that time. This farmer spoke neither Finnish or English, just demanding German. The immigrants homesteaded in Nelson County, not too far from the towns of Brocket and Lakota, and were hardly settled when a prairie fire threatened to wipe them out. The Zachary Annalas' and Grandmother Annala were living with the Jacob Lingrens until they could build a house of their own. The day the fire came, Zachary was at the house because he had suffered a broken foot when his team, in attempting to run away with a load of lumber, pulled him off the keg of nails on which he was riding. He fell under the wagon with a wheel going over his foot and crushing it. Alex Hukari, driving another team, helped control the horses and helped Zach to mount the wagon again. When the fire was observed at a distance, Zach hopped on one foot to the barn, harnessed the horses, hitched them to a plow and plowed furrows around the buildings. Bundles of wheat, stacked for threshing, lit up like giant candles. The women, with buckets of water and wet sacks, helped to keep the fire at bay. Just before the fire got there, Zach unhitched the horses, gave them a swat on the rumps and pointed them away from the coming fire. About five miles away, Jacob and John Annala, Alex and John Hukari, Jacob Lingren and Charley Hango were building a house for the Alex Hukaris'. The men just had time to plow furrows around the house when the fire raced down on them. Soil had been scattered around the house when the basement had been dug, and this also discouraged the fire. A building containing oats for the horses and several sets of harnesses could not be saved. Zach's covered wagon containing his precious woodburning stove, bed clothes, dishes and many hard earned household articles were destroyed. Lost, too, was Jake's gold watch and the water 30 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited in Multi-page TIFF Editor.