Fort Ransom area history, 1878-1978

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library 2014
• Subjects: Norway; North Pole; Homestead; Cora; Stella; Archer; Avery; Mouse River
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/6017

Rock with incised cross and deep hole in center. At the time it was marked people thought that it pointed to the magnetic north pole. In 1891 he married Annie Hodgins. They lived in his brother George's claim shanty in section 11 until the Shiels family moved away. They then lived in the Shiels house. Abb was a freighter and sometimes carried the mail. He was clerk of the Fort Ransom school board for 44 years, resigning shortly before his death in 1943. George Avery settled in section 11. the fort site was part of his homestead. His wife's name was Jessie. They stayed on the homestead until 1886 or 1887 when they moved to the Mouse River settlement in McHenry County. G.L. Archer farmed the NE14 of section 21, from 1913 to 1930. Joseph Barrow homesteaded in section 28 in 1883. He sold the land in 1888, just after receiving his patent. Hans Berg came in 1882 and homesteaded in section 25. He added to his holdings. Hans died in 1912 and his wife continued operating the farm until 1925, when a son, Peter, took over. Peter bought the land in 1935. Hans had another son, August, who farmed in section 2. Hans also had five daughters: Mathilda (Mrs. Strub); Anna (Mrs. Bean); Lena (Mrs. Anton Haarberg); Cora and Emma unmarried. Peter's son, Harold, bought the home place in 1954. Harold was the first man in the township to have a plane and learn to fly. He was killed in an automobile accident. His son, Ronald, then took over and operated the farm (now much larger) alone until his son, Tommy, began to farm with him. Tommy is the fifth generation on this homestead. Ronald married a Slattum girl and they have two daughters: Shirley (Mrs. James Sorby) who has two children, Janelle Marie and Tyler James. Jody, the other daughter, is also married. Tommy married an Ekern girl from Lisbon. Rev. A.H. Berger was born in Norway, October 25, 1956. He settled in section 1 in 1898. His wife, Carrie Strinden, of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, was born September 6, 1875. She came to the county in 1898. They were married at Pelican Rapids in 1899. Mr. Berger was a Lutheran pastor. They had eight children, all of whom taught school at one time or another: H.J. Berger, born May 22, 1900, teacher and county superintendent. He married Wilma Anderson and they had two children: Stella (Mrs. Halvorson) and her husband were both teachers; Fred E. Berger, born December 25, 1904, educator; L.E. Berger, long time superintendent at West Fargo, later in legislature; T.K. Berger, born August 3, 1909, rural mail carrier and a 36 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.