Trond Paulsen

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Thron Paulson - born January 26, 1825, at Sagstuen, (Øyer) Oyer, Norway. His wife Christine Margrethe Olsdatter was born at the farm Jevik (Gjevik) Ansnes, island of Hitra, Sor Trondelag county, Norway. Throughout his life his occupation was farming. Married July 11th, 1850 at Fillan church, Hitra.

In about 1850, moved 200 miles north, to to northeast shore of Hitra Island, near Fillan, west of Trondheim, and lived there nine years, until about 1859. In about 1859, decided to come to the United States, but for some reason - perhaps the approach of the American Civil War - did not go at that time, but instead moved southwest 60 miles to Kornstad, Norway. It is a village on Kvernesfjord, on the south side of Averoy Island, 10 miles southwest of Kvernesfjord. Were in the parish of Kvernes. (Kvernes is the largest town on Averoy Island and is 3 miles northeast of Kornstad.) Lived there for 11 years, until 1870.

1865 Census for Kvernes, Moere and Romsdal county: http://digitalarkivet.arkivverket.no/ft/person/pf01038300004194 Thrond Paulsen and his family. His brother Erik Paulsen was 46 year old in 1865.

Decided to come to the United States, so as to obtain some of the free homestead land everyone was hearing about and to earn more money for his family. Was corresponding with a former neighbor, Mr. Kolstad, who had a homestead in the United States, near which in later years the town of Elk Point, S.D., was founded. Mr. Kolstad's farm was Thron's destination.

People moving (utflyttede) to other places in Norway or emigrated was registered in the church books. See church book (ministerialbok) for Kvernes year 1870, page 441, right side, lower, person number 5 - 13. http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?urnread_imagesize=full&info=i...

In April or May, 1870, Thron and family left Kristiansund for America. There were 18 persons in the group (including his brother, Erik Paulson, and his sister, Ingbor, and her husband and children). Thron paid for tickets for several other persons besides his own family.

Traveled by boat from Kristiansund south to Bergen, Norway. Remained in Bergen two weeks, because the sailing ship in which they would cross the ocean has just arrived from America and needed repair. In May, 1870, five weeks after leaving England, they landed at Quebec, Canada. From Quebec, traveled by train along the Canadian side of Lakes Ontario and Erie, passed through Lansing, Michigan and reached Lake Michigan. Crossed over by ship to Milwaukee. Traveled by train to Missouri Valley, Iowa. On the station platform there, Erik's tool box broke open and he lost some of his small tools between the boards of the platform. Changed trains and traveled north to Sioux City, Iowa, the terminus of the railroad. Eline and Chris separated from the group here and went to work for a family named Oakes in a town near Sioux City. The remainder of the group traveled 20 miles northwest by wagon to their final destination, the Kolstad farm, reaching that point on July 21, 1870.

Lars was weak and ailing from the long trip. The family lived with the Kolstads while Thron began his homestead (160 acres), at a point 25 miles to the northwest. Thron's homestead was a few miles southeast of where Centerville, SD was founded in 1883. The homestead was five miles from the nearest house.

In the summer of 1870 Thron bought lumber to build a house on the homestead, but this lumber was destroyed by a prairie fire. Therefore, during 1870 - 1871 they lived in the cellar of their future house. During a blizzard that winter they sheltered their cow in the entranceway to the cellar. Construction of the house was completed late in 1871. Later the cellar was used for chickens. Annie recalls that in the winter of 1875 or 1876 the family anxiously waited for the return of Thron, who made the slow two-day trip by ocean and wagon to Vermillion for supplies, while Indians roamed the area.

When the children started to school in this country, some of them Anglicized their Norwegian first names. Olous (Peder) became Ole, Eline became Ellen, Ananias became Andrew, Elen became Ellen, and Lars became Lewis. Two sisters now had the same first name, Ellen.

In the early 1880's Thron returned to Norway, alone. The purpose of the trip is not known, but when he returned to Dakota Territory, he brought with him from Norway a group of young men. When Martin married in about 1885, Thron gave him Thron's homestead and bought another farm for himself.

Andrew came to Seattle early in 1889 and wrote back favorable accounts of the area. The years 1889 and 1890 were years of drought in South Dakota. Thron wanted to get away from the prairie fires, grass hoppers, and blizzards of the Dakotas. The death of his brother, Erik, August 25, 1888, probably relieved him of responsibility and left him more free to move west. People wrote Thron that the, climate of Puget Sound was similar to that of Norway. Ole wanted to move to Seattle too, but he stayed in Dakota because his wife did not want to leave her parents. Eline was married and living in Elk City, Nebraska. Chris was married and living in Sioux City, Iowa.

In the Spring or Summer of 1890, Thron auctioned his farm, and two days later Martin auctioned the homestead. The house Thron built in 1871 burned down in about 1900. The homestead is now owned by the Lyman Anderson Estate. The second farm was sold to Tuve Hanson, a Swede, and the house burned down in about 1918-1920. Thron, Christine, and their five youngest children, plus Martin's wife and two children, traveled together by train to Seattle and by boat to Poulsbo, Washington, a Norwegian community.

Settled three miles north of Poulsbo. With his son, Lewis, Thron (now age 65) cleared and farmed 30 acres. Had 12 cows, 4 horses, sheep (from which Christine made wool), hogs, chickens a big orchard, and a creek flowing through the farm. Christine and Lewis did the milking. Twice per week lewis took three gallons of cream to Poulsbo for shipment to Seattle.

Thron was orderly, meticulous, and a hard worker. Got out and met most people. Sometimes loaned money to strangers. Harsh and strict to his family. Kind to children. Spoke English fairly well.

Final illness lasted a few months. Daughter-in-law, Ida Paulson, took care of him continually during the last several weeks of his illness, in his house on the farm. On his deathbed, he saw in the doorway of the room a vision of his brother, Erik, who had died 16 years previously. Died of stomach cancer, on his farm near Poulsbo, September 5, 1904, at the age of 79. Buried in the Old Poulsbo Cemetery, Poulsbo, Washington.

http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?show=236&uid=330235&urnread_i...

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