IAALLAMA-L Archives

Archiver > IAALLAMA > 2001-01 > 0978903477


From: "Mike or Sharyl" <>
Subject: [IAALLAMA-L] re: Norwegians in Allamakee Co.
Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2001 12:37:57 -0900


Ann wrote>>> When your ancestor came to America via Quebec did he settle any
place before he arrived in northeast Iowa or did he go directly to NE Iowa
after arriving in North Ameirca???<<<

I will abstract some of Evan Swensons memoirs:
After arriving in Quebec, Canada from Christiana, Norway in 1868, Evan
Swenson wrote (in 1925): "....the next morning we were loaded in box
cars....$10 paid my way to Chicago.....I remember going through Montreal and
Detroit, here the company that had come thru this long trip broke up, some
going to Milwaukee..... the trip to Chicago took 10 days.....at Union
Station I met a cousin from our home in Norway, he loaned me $5 which took
me to Madison, Wis...from there I went to Black Earth, 20 mi. west of
Madison and then walked to my destination about 20 mi. from there [he
doesn't say the location, but I believe it was still in WI and 37 mi. from
Madison] .....there I hired out to a farmer living in a large Norwegian
settlement....they had come from the north central part of Norway, and they
talked a queer sort of dialect that was hard for me to understand.......in
Nov. 1869, I left Wisconsin and by chance happened to Postville, Iowa.......

Hopefully this will give you a few clues of where to look for your people!
Sharyl



This thread: