From Canaan to the Promised Land
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FROM CANAAN TO THE PROMISED LAND Pioneer Migration from Hommedal Parish (Landvik and Eide Sub-Parishes), Southern Norway, to St. Joseph, Missouri and East Norway, Kansas by Erik Aalvik Evensen A Dissertation Presented to the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages University of Oslo in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2008 © Erik Aalvik Evensen, 2009 Series of dissertations submitted to the Faculty of Humanities,University of Oslo No. 383 ISSN 0806-3222 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. Cover: Inger Sandved Anfinsen. Printed in Norway: AiT e-dit AS, Oslo, 2009. Produced in co-operation with Unipub AS. The thesis is produced by Unipub AS merely in connection with the thesis defence. Kindly direct all inquiries regarding the thesis to the copyright holder or the unit which grants the doctorate. Unipub AS is owned by The University Foundation for Student Life (SiO) 3 Present-day photograph of the Igland homestead, Landvik Parish, in winter. By courtesy of Anna Igland Bendixen. Front page: Moray (formerly East Norway), Doniphan County, Kansas. Own photo, 2006. 4 Roubidoux’s Landing in St. Joseph, MO. Own photo, 2006. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks are due to a number of people who have pushed me along and acted as the good helpers in the long haul towards finishing this project. It has been a solitary work and a marathon run, but a particularly demanding race since I have been in a freelance position, basically outside academia and a university environment, and forced to use vacations and short and irregular periods of spare time to research and write this dissertation. In the little township of Grimstad, several kind and helpful natives have joined me in my search for material concerning the “Landvik-group” of 1846: Anne Møretrø who is still in contact with the descendants of the Igland tribe in Missouri and has an ocean of experience from her work at the County Archives; Anna Igland Bendixen who has willingly shared information about her own family with me; the members of Landvik Historielag/Historical Society; the Public Library in Grimstad, represented by Odd Johnsen who has worked miracles in obtaining often rather obscure books and articles; and in the neighbouring town of Arendal, the adept staff at Aust-Agder Arkivet/ County Archives. Also in my quaint little hometown on the seaside, former Associate Professor at Agder College, Bob Baehr, has for years been a pillar of support and encouragement in my academic endeavours. His steady hand on finances in The American Studies Association in Norway gave me the opportunity to travel to Missouri and Kansas in 2006, and spend the summer in St. Joseph and Troy. It was in ASANOR that I met Associate Professor David Mauk who agreed to give me advice, and who has been a constructive critic of my work from his base in ILOS at the University of Oslo. I should also mention the great inspiration obtained through participation in a seminar on “Learning Migration” in Oldenburg, Germany, in 2005. Associate Professor Dan D. Daatland from the University in Stavanger patiently listened to my plans for having a try at a dissertation on migration, and put me on course with accurate guidance. Once in St. Joseph, Missouri, I was overwhelmed by the friendly reception given me by the Nelson family, descendants of the pioneers of 1846. Mort Nelson, Jane Nelson Thompson, and Catherine MacAdams opened their arms, homes, and hidden genealogical treasures, and guided me into the nooks of family history. Co-ordinating my search of contacts and material all the time was Jackie Lewin of the St. Joseph Museum. The moment I ventured into the open spaces of Kansas, other helpers took over, and Pete Duncan of the Doniphan County Historical Society put me in contact with people who were of Norwegian origin. My headquarters was in the Public Library in Troy, and indeed the 6 whole town seemed to be at my disposal. On my return to Norway, Seth Smith of the Missouri State Historical Society and the friendly members of the staff at the Kansas State Historical Society have carried on the valuable assistance. I have for a rather long period been involved in the kind of work which devours time and mind. Members of my family have showed me great patience and encouragement. My two sons have expressed faith in my progress, and Magnus has offered me precise and intelligent readings of the many pages. Ingeborg, my dear, has stood by my side, and lovingly accepted my many dimly-lit hours alone with my computer. I thank you all! Grimstad, July 29, 2008 Erik Aalvik Evensen 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 PREFACE 15 INTRODUCTION 21 1.1 The Context 23 1.2 On a Different Course 33 1.3 A Series of Limitations 35 1.4 A Modest Place in the History of Norwegian Emigration 36 1.5 Uprooted or Transplanted? 39 1.6 A Model: A Multidisciplinary Approach 48 1.7 Three Levels: Macro, Meso, Micro 50 1.8 Decision vs. Process 51 1.9 A Migration System 53 1.10 A Comprehensive Concept 53 PART ONE: EMIGRANTS 57 Chapter I: A Passage to America, 1846-1847 59 Chapter II: The Leaders and Their Families 69 2.1 Family Sketches 70 2.2 Peder Nielsen Dolholt Kalvehaven 71 2.3 Osul Nielsen Enge 74 2.4 Anders Nielsen Igland Holte 75 2.5 Maren Nilsdatter Løvaasen 76 Chapter III: A Family Exodus 79 3.1 A Family Migration 80 3.2 The Family Web 86 Chapter IV: The Emergence of Modern Norway, 1800-1850 93 4.1 Introduction 94 4.2 A New-Born Nation 94 4.3 A Troublesome Freedom – the Aftermath of 1814 96 4.4 King – Government – National Assembly 97 4.5 The Power of the Bureaucracy 99 4.6 Economic Development 101 4.7 The Rise of Peasant Power 103 8 4.8 Into Modern Times – the Growth of the Population 104 4.9 Life Expectancy 105 4.10 The Metamorphosis of the Countryside 106 4.11 The Safety-Valve: Emigration 108 Chapter V: Main Features of Nedenes County, 1800-1850 117 5.1 Introduction 118 5.2 Administrative Organization 118 5.3 Demographic Development 118 5.4 Detached Views? 122 5.5 The Five-Year-Reports 123 5.6 Political Development 125 5.7 Political, Religious and Idealistic Challenges 127 5.8 Kristian Lofthus 130 5.9 Hans Nielsen Hauge 135 5.10 Marcus Thrane 137 5.11 Farming 139 5.12 Industry 145 5.13 Shipping 146 5.14 Communications 149 5.15 Education 150 5.16 Emigration 152 5.17 Reliability of Sources 153 5.18 The Course of Emigration 154 5.19 Inland Communities vs. Coastal Communities 156 5.20 Volume and Destination 156 5.21 Statistical Analysis 158 5.22 Occupations 161 5.23 Transportation 163 5.24 Summing up 165 Chapter VI: The Development of Hommedal Parish (Landvik and Eide Sub-Parishes), 1800-1850 169 6.1 Introduction 170 6.2 Demographic Development, 1801-1855 172 6.3 Visitors from Abroad 174 6.4 Summing up 180 6.5 Schools and Education 181 6.6 Recollections of a Teacher 181 6.7 School Commission Protocols 184 6.8 “Public Libraries” and Private Book Collections 187 6.9 Religion 191 6.10 Summing up 193 6.11 A Report from the Parish Council in Landvik 194 6.12 A Report from Neighbouring Eide Parish 200 6.13 Census Returns, 1845: Occupations 204 9 6.14 Age-Groups 206 6.15 Farm Production 209 6.16 A Comparison with Other Parishes: Froland and Tromøy 212 6.17 A Further Comparison: Dovre and Tinn Parishes 214 6.18 Fishing 215 6.19 Forestry 218 6.20 The Hub: The Igland Farm 220 6.21 Shipbuilding and Seafaring 222 6.22 The Economic Base: The Emigrants and Their Farms 228 6.23 The Emigrant Farms 234 6.24 Agricultural Change 237 6.25 A Parallel Case? Early Emigration from the West Coast 241 6.26 Paving the Way for Emigration? 245 Chapter VII: Forerunners and a Pathfinder 253 7.1 A Sponsored Pathfinder 254 7.2 Johan Reinert Reiersen 258 7.3 Christiansandsposten (1839-1843) 261 7.4 A Scouting Expedition (1843-1844) 268 7.5 Pathfinder for Norwegian Emigrants 277 7.6 “To My Sponsors in Eide, and Adjacent Parishes” 281 7.7 Preparations in Hommedal Parish 282 7.8 The Texas Settlement 284 7.9 Elise Wærenskjold 286 PART TWO: IMMIGRANTS 289 Chapter VIII: Heading North 291 8.1 At a Cross-Roads 293 8.2 Heading for Missouri 294 8.2.1 A German Bait? 296 8.2.2 Victorious Missourians 297 8.2.3 A Jeffersonian Arcadia 298 8.2.4 The Mysterious Weddles 301 Chapter IX: The Settlement in St. Joseph, Missouri 305 9.1 Roubidoux’s Landing 306 9.2 The Settlers 309 9.3 A Chain Migration 312 9.4 Statistical Surveys 318 9.5 Celebrating the Exodus 324 9.6 The Hunger for Land 327 9.7 The Agricultural Schedules, 1850 331 9.8 A Case Study: Peder Nelson – the Farmer 340 9.8.1 Peder Nelson’s Will 351 9.8.2 The Nelson Cemetery 356 9.9 School 359 10 9.10 Immigrant Churches 362 9.10.1 Congregations in Buchanan and Doniphan Counties 365 9.10.2 Peter Laurentius Larsen – Their First Pastor 374 9.11 The St. Joseph Settlement: Summing up 377 Chapter X: The Settlement in East Norway,Kansas 383 10.1 Across the River 385 10.2 Doniphan County 389 10.2.1 Communications 394 10.2.2 Wolf River Township 394 10.3 East Norway 395 10.4 New Homes – New Possibilities 399 10.5 School 401 10.6 Church 403 10.7 A Case Study: Osul Nelson – an Aging Farmer 411 10.8 N.O.