| Summary: | The settlement of Fort Ransom Township began in the 1870's. The Fort Ransom Army reservation which was ten miles square (100 sq. miles) was not opened for filing as soon as some of the nearby land. There were several squatters, some of whom lived in the abandoned buildings at the fort. Some left without filing claims, some filed in Springer Township, outside the reservation. Mr. Cummings and John Harris were both here at the time the fort was abandoned. Harris filed in section 18. He had operated an overnight stop at Harris Ford, on the Fort Ransom, Fort Abercrombie trail. It is evident that many who filed on claims were here but a short time. Some may have been speculators, selling their claim at the first opportunity. Others may simply have been unable to make it. A few filed on land that has never been fit for farming. In cases where it is known that they remained long enough to obtain title, their names will be listed, even though there is little or no more information about them. Those who left without obtaining title will be listed at the end of this story of settlement. Anton Anderson filed on the west half of the S\NVa of section 11 in 1894. He was a brother of LP. Anderson, Eric, Mrs. Oluf Anderson and Mrs. David Mikkelson. He died in 1927. Anton C. Anderson came to this area from Noverness, Norway at the age of twenty one. He first came to Paynesville with his brother Lars, before coming to Fort Ransom territory. He filed on a claim in section 2 and was the first permanent settler. In 1900, he married Inga Highness who came from Tromso, Norway in 1898. She was born Sept. 2, 1875 and Anton, January 20, 1853. They had seven children: Tilden, born April 22, 1901, a retired farmer; Astrid (Mrs. Erickson) born November 26, 1902; Ida (Mrs. Helseth) born December 2, 1904, has an apartment house; Nora (Mrs. Peterson) born December 6, 1906, a saleslady; Connie (Mrs. Hed) born December 12, 1910, who manages an apartment house; Frieda (Mrs. Savre) born March 24, 1913, deceased and Berenice (Mrs. Prenosil) born March 24, 1916. Tilden married Nora Sorby. They have three children: LaVerne (Mrs. Curtis Olson) has two children, Steven and Bradley. Steven married Dolores Ekhart and they have two children. Kit John and Candyce. Bradley married Vickie Hanson and they have a daughter, Stephanie. Tilden's second daughter, Lorraine, married Lowell Johnson. They had two sons, Joe, who married a Billing girl and Jerry who married Sherri Carlblom. Jerry and Sherri have two children, Michael Lowell and Cindy Lynette. Tilden's son, Virgil, married Betty Olson of Fort Ransom. They have four children: Noreen (Mrs. Bruce Fraase) who live near Fort Ransom with their children, Lea and Reeve; Terry, born October 7, 1955 married Karen Kostok; Jeffrey, born August 29, 1958 and Lynn, born September 13, 1968. J.M. Anderson came to this township in the nineties and settled in section 10. His sons, Hilmer and Arthur. They farmed until a few years ago. Arthur married Ragna (arson and they have two sons, Don and Jon. The store where A.J. Olson started in Kidville Hilmer married Onie Guttormson, daughter of Gregor Guttormson, and their children are Juella, Helen and Gerald. J.M. Anderson's daughter, Betsey, married Henry Martinson. They had two children, Marvin, who took over the management of the Martinson garage after World War II. He married Eugenia Collette and they had two children. Marvin died in 1957. Lillian Martinson married Lyle Hilde, an engineer. They have three children. Henry Martinson was one of the young men who started the village of Kidville, 2V2 miles southwest of Fort Ransom, where he had a blacksmith shop. Later he moved to Fort Ransom where he had a blacksmith shop and later on a garage and blacksmith shop. Lars Benoni Anderson was born in Overkjelen, Rana, Norway 2/11 /51. His father was Adreas Johanneson from Reinforsheia born 8/23/1800. His mother was Karen Larsdatter, born in 1812 and died in 1952. Lars had a brother, Nels, and twin sisters, Birgitte Christine (Mrs. Lars Thompson) and her twin who died in infancy. Lars married Dorthea Svenson who was born in Nord Sjona 7/1/1856 and died 10/28/1903. She was the daughter of Svend and Inger Jensen. Lars and Sara had five children when they left Norway in 1886. On the way they were exposed to scarlet fever and two younger children died while Inga became a deaf mute. Inga spent her life teaching other deaf mutes. They had seven children in this country, twelve in all. Alfred, Sven, Inga, Nels and Laura were born in Norway. Nels and Laura died of scarlet fever. Among those born in America who survived childhood were Nels, Nora, Carrie, Maggie, Sophus and August. The oldest son, Alfred, spent his early years in Fort Ransom then left for Montana and on 31 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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