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From: "Joan Dahl" <>
Subject: Excerpts from the history of the Wiota Lutheran Church, Wisconsin
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 11:59:28 -0600


Many of the settlers in this area of Wisconsin came from Land, Oppland, Norway.

Wiota Norwegian Church is the oldest in actual use among Norwegians of America. Early records indicate pioneers began work on the structure in 1847 and completed in 1851.

"The Norwegian Lutheran congregation at Wiota, the Rev. G.M. Gunderson, pastor, worships in the oldest Lutheran church in actual use among the Norwegians in America today. For the 90th anniversary of the founding of the congregation, celebrated September 9, 1934, H.O. Daehlin prepared the following account of the founding of the congregation."

"Chicago and Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan, were two distributing points for the Norwegian immigrants. It seems that most of the newcomers came through Milwaukee after coming by steamboat and canalboat from New York. From Milwaukee the people traveled any way they could, by horses, oxen or on foot. Some came from Chicago."

"These newcomers were soon looking for employment, and hearing of the Hamilton Diggings in southwestern Wisconsin in Lafayette County, directed their movements thither. The early prospectors became the beginning of our Wiota congregation. The first man, Peder Davidson Skjervheim, came here from Voss, Norway in 1837."

"In 1844, there were about 30 homes in Wiota. They had ministerial services from the Rev. J.W. Dietrichson, an ordained minister from Norway, who had arrived at Koshkkonong in August, 1844. That year he and Knudt Knudtson organized our Wiota congregation. In 1847, Dietrichson reports finding about 100 families around Wiota."

"Although we credit Rev. J.W. Diedrichson for being an early missionary minister here, we know by records of Mrs. Martin Johnson of South Wayne, that Rev. C.C. Clausen was here as early as 1843, and performed ministerial services. The Rev. C.C. Clausen, who was then located at Luther Valley, continued the services as missionary minister from 1843 until 1851, when the church was built. He married Peter Davidson in 1843."

"Land was cheap and the newcomers could buy land for about $1.25 an acre. After the Mexican War they could buy a 40 acre farm from the returning soldiers for about $25. These soldiers had received from the government a grant of 160 acres for their services."

"We come now to the chapter of actual church activity and we remember these beautiful lines written in "Landsmaal", which reads in Norwegian, as follows:
"Bygdda vi hjem i fremed land
Kjorcha de motte vi hava."

In English it reads:
"We built our home in foreign lands
And the church we had to have."

"Ole Monson, of whom we read that he had lost his wife and three children of cholera on the way over here, took the job of building the church for $80. The first half of the $80 should be raised equally between the farmers, and the other $40 to be assessed on each one according to his valuation."

"The original amount subscribed to the church, voluntary and assessed to the people was a total of $933. When a farmer furnished labor and material, it was figured in cash and deducted from his voluntary subscription and the assessed amount.
Some examples of this are given here:
Ole Anderson, 100 bushels of lime, $11.
Ole Anderson, a barrel for water, 75 cents.
Ole Knutson, hauled 1,182 feet of lumber from Galena, $6.98.
Asle Gunderson, two and one-half days labor, $1.56. A wheelbarrow, $2.
Anders Johnson worked five days, $3.12.
Iver Fenne, worked eight days, $5.
Arne Anderson Vinje hauled logs from his timber over the ford north of the old Knudtson bridge. One time the log was a big one and the good faithful oxen pulled it through the water and mud over the river, pushing high piles of mud in front of the load. It was sawed at the sawmill just north of where Mrs. H.C. Hanson lives: it made two good loads of lumber and Simon Anderson Bjork hauled it to the church. Iver Hendrickson of Lamont acted as water boy and tender for the masons at the church building. Anders Peterson Kalsrud also helped to wait on the stone masons."

contributed by:
Joan Dahl

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