This is the story of how our Estensen family arrived in Minnesota before it became a state. I find it worth while to revisit why we are Minnesotans. Our Estensen family has been here for some 165 Years.
As you know, I am the keeper of our family history.
Here is my collection of books on Norwegian emigration from Norway to "Amerika". There are perhaps 100 books and pamphlets all told which were collected over 20+ years. But note the plaque on the shelf, the one shaped like the state of Minnesota.
There is a magnificent family story behind the plaque and it starts in 1850 in Vestfordallen (West Fjord Valley) located in Telemark, Norway.
This is in Norwegian, but you might just be able to work your way through this marriage record from 1850 recorded at Dal Kirke (valley church) at Rjukan, Norway.
The second to the last entry of the year 1850 shows where Ole Østensen Bøen (later Ole Estensen) marries Astrid Jonsdatter Bøen. It lists their fathers, etc. They are from farm Bøen and I have been there. He is 24 years old, and she is 19.
Here is their story, from one of my memos, and it lays out how we became linked to Minnesota in the 1850s.
Estensen Family History
May 3, 2014
Person: Ole Østensen Bøen (Ole Estensen)
Subject: Coming to America
It was 1851 in Tinn, Telemark, Norway. Ole Østensen was newly married to Astrid Jonsdatter Bøen.
Ole’s brother Torstein was an early pioneer to America (1842) who settled at the Muskego Settlement near Milwaukee, Wisconsin first, then moved over (seven weeks in a covered wagon) to St. Peter, Minnesota Territory. Actually, Torstein was a founder of Norseland, a town near St. Peter.
Ole was determined to follow Torstein there, and he did. Ole and Torstein would get caught up in the Sioux War of 1862, and I wrote a story about that. It got published in Telesoga and from time to time I am asked for permission to reprint it. But I want to tell you about the trip from Norway to Minnesota so that you get a feel for the sacrifice made by our ancestors from Norway.
They (Ole and Astrid) checked out of the Dal Parish (Valley Church) in 1851 as was the custom when leaving an area. I see by the records that their baby Aase (owe-sa) did not need a ticket for the trip to America. They were accompanied by Astrid's father, Jon Gunleiksen Bøen, and her brother Østen Jonsen Bøen. Apparently they made it to Muskego in Wisconsin safely. But cholera struck the Muskego Settlement in the early 1850s. From the family bible, I see that little Aase did not live to see her first birthday. Jon died too. Astrid lost her child and father. I searched for 15 years for the story of little Aase. It must have been devastating but they pushed on to Minnesota Territory.
In a railroad shanty near Galena, Illinois Astrid had her second child, her first boy child. By Norwegian naming conventions he should have been named Østen. However, in honor of Astrid’s father, they named the boy Jon. This change in convention was only done after a calamity. The next son would be Osten.
In Minnesota Territory Ole set up his farm. A second son was born in 1856 and he was named Osten Olsen Bøen, later Austin Estensen, my great grandfather. When it came time to claim the homestead for Ole’s farm, Torstein was witness for Ole. Torstein testified that “Ole has built a fine home for his family, it has two windows and a door”. Ole signed with his “x”.
The Sioux War came to their doorstep in 1852. A neighbor woman and her child were killed. Ole and Astrid were spared. When I was a youngster, my elderly Aunts spoke of a grandmother who baked bread for the Indians. Could it be that we are all here today because Astrid Jonsdatter Bøen made bread for the Sioux? Astrid did not live much longer. She died giving birth to a girl. They named the infant Astrid after her mother.
Below is a picture of a painting of Ole Østensen Bøen (Ole Estensen), and a picture of his home at Norseland near St. Peter. I am told the picture of Ole was painted by the wife of his brother Jon. Jon moved to near Hancock, Minnesota to be near a girlfriend, a girl from back home in Tinn, Telemark, Norway. Her father was the Postmaster at nearby Cyrus.
Thus it came to be that we were all born at Hancock, and in looking back in history, it was because of the love a girl from Tinn, Telemark, Norway.
Sisters, the name Astrid is quite bland sounding in English, but beautiful in Norwegian. Something like Awes-TREE with a silent "d". In America the name became Ester. You may remember an Aunt Ester who lived next door to grandfather Estensen.
I write this lest their sacrifice be forgotten.
The years pass and Minnesota becomes 150 years old. And they decide to honor those pioneers of Minnesota Territory. I registered Ole and Astrid. Here is the story that led to the plaque honoring them.
Norwegian Statehood Pioneer Project
IN HONOR OF MINNESOTA'S SESQUICENTENNIAL
NORWEGIAN STATEHOOD PIONEER PROJECT
There are more people who claim Norwegian heritage in Minnesota than in any other state, but most Norwegian immigrants came after the Civil War. This project seeks to acknowledge the pathfinder Norwegian immigrants who were here when the state was born, and offer information about the early immigrants and their significance both to the development of Minnesota's institutions and culture and as the foundation upon which successive waves of Norwegian immigrants built their new lives. Each participating organization has agreed to publish one or more articles about Norwegian settlements and/or settlers in Minnesota in the 1850's. These articles will remind their memberships about the Sesquicentennial and inform them about the Norwegian settlements in Minnesota at the time of statehood. As a thank-you for their participation, each organization will receive a Sesquicentennial medallion. The project's Recognition Program creates a personal connection to the project and Minnesota history. Descendant-applicants will receive a wooden plaque in the shape of Minnesota that includes an engraved plate bearing the name of their Pioneer Ancestor. Their shape alone will indelibly connect the stories of these pioneer ancestors with the history of the state of Minnesota for those who hold them for generations to come. In October, a Sesquicentennial gathering will be held in Rochester that will celebrate the contributions of Norwegian-Minnesotans to the state's development. The afternoon celebration will include recognition of Pioneer Ancestors, interesting educational displays, music, and remarks that make the past come alive and inform the future. An evening banquet will bring the day's activities to a close with good food, conversation, and entertainment. Through displays, presentations, music and remarks, the afternoon program and evening banquet should help create an understanding for and sense of pride in the unique history shared by Norwegian-Minnesotans. In November, the project will publish a Heritage Book that will include all of the articles printed in participating organization newsletters, the biographies and photos submitted with Recognition applications, and photos and a recap of the October Sesquicentennial Celebration. Not only the first Norwegian-Minnesotans, but also those who come together 150 years later will be remembered in this special volume. The Norwegian Statehood Pioneer Project looks back at the beginnings of the State of Minnesota and considers its ethnic forebearers in the context of the state's pioneer past. The historical articles published by participating organizations will put the first Norwegian-Minnesotans in the context of the larger immigrant community and the state as a whole. The recognition program personalizes the project by recognizing the individuals who were here and providing a keepsake that will remind generations to come of the connection between their family history and the history of the state. The gathering in October brings the past into the present as we celebrate 150 years of our heritage as both Norwegians and Minnesotans. The Heritage Book will bring together the stories, photos, and memories captured in the pioneer biographies and newsletter articles, and acknowledge the value placed on this history by those who attend the October Sesquicentennial Celebration. Visit our website (Telelaget of America). Help us celebrate the Sesquicentennial and honor the contributions of Norwegian-Americans to the Great State of Minnesota in 2008!
So there you have it Clare and Gail. As I rest here near the shore of Lake Minnewaska, I remember our linkage to the state of Minnesota goes back to the 1850s when Ole and Astrid set out for a better life in a place they called "Amerika".
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