WINCHESTER A HJARTDAL COMMUNITY IN WISCONSIN by Anne Haugen Wagn The year is 1847 and Hølje Hølje- son, from the small tenant farm Sviving in Lonargrenda, is getting ready to emi- grate to America. A few years later, he is among the first immigrants to settle as a farmer in Winchester, Wisconsin. (Win- chester is a town in Winnebago County in Wisconsin, 13 miles north of Oshkosh. It is shown by the red arrow on the map above. The population in 2010 was 1763.) Bob Helgeson of Winchester in the Midwest. Bob returned to Hjartdal in 2018, when he had contact with the ordfører (chairman of the county council) and suggested that the two communities should be friendship communities. Brief Emigration History It is best that we summarize Nor- wegian emigrant history to America in the 1800s to understand the emigration One hundred and eighty years later, story. Because Norway was a poor coun- in the summer of 2017, Bob Helgeson, one of Hølje’s great-grandchil- dren, came to Hjartdal in Telemark. Bob found only the abandoned site where his ancestors lived. He be- came absorbed with the historic connections be- tween Hjartdal in Tele- mark and the small town Telesoga — November 2019 — 25 try with a large population increase after tween 1845 to 1875, Wisconsin became 1814, many found opportunities for a the state with the largest population of better life and emigrated to America. The Norwegian immigrants. Hjartdal, togeth- emigration process occurred in waves, er with Tinn, formed important narratives depending on the living conditions in in Norwegian emigration history because their home communities and circum- they were communities sending the earli- stances in the United States. More than est groups of families over to America. 800,000 Norwegians emigrated to Amer- In 1839 the Lurås group, which included ica between 1830-1930. people from Hjartdal and Tinn, are an During the thirty year period be- example of this narrative. Many new Stained glass windows from Grace Lutheran Church in Winchester. Mathis Mathison and H.H. Juve, whose names appear on the windows are from Hjartdal. Photo by Bob Helgeson Telesoga — November 2019 — 26 settlements were formed in the Midwest of his brothers, Halvar and Kjetil, also and one of these settlements that had a came to Winchester. In the following significant number of people from Hjart- years many came from Hjartdal to Win- dal was Winchester, northwest of Chica- chester. Here are a few of these immi- go. grants: Søren Wilson and Anne Åsen, People from Telemark in America Halvar Olsen Lia and his wife Kari, Olav were very early engaged in preserving Uvås and his wife Aslaug Omnes. Fiddler their history. The formation of Telelaget Kjetil Skogen from Sauland and his wife in America and their publication, Teleso- Aslaug Sauar, Olav Saubø and Bergit ga, is an example of this. In a 1924 issue from Tuddal, Johan Saubø from Sauland of the Telesoga is written the following and his wife Thora Tråe from Gransher- about the Hjartdal settlers in Winchester: ad, John Olson Dalen and his wife Mari “The first people from Hjartdal who Løksli from Hjartdal, Olav Omnes from came to Winchester were Andres Funer, Sauland and his wife Tone Mørkholt, his wife Gro, and their son Halvor. They Hølje Sviving and his wife Gunhild.” The came sometime in 1846 or 1847. In 1850 last two people on this list are Bob many more people had moved to Win- Helgeson’s great-grandparents! chester which resulted in them forming a One can also learn much more about congregation and building a school. Winchester’s history by reading Wiscon- They organized the settlement to be sin – my home, written by a descendant a “town” with Johannes Baklistulen from of an immigrant from Sauland. Sauland Hjartdal, as mayor. Later, Baklistuen was is the neighboring community to the east voted into Wisconsin’s legislative assem- of Hjartdal. The map below shows the bly, being the first Norwegian. Later two location of Hjartdal, Sauland and Telesoga — November 2019 — 27 Gransherad in the Hjartdal Fylke. Sviving traveled with Gunhild Olsdatter The Hjartdal History Society is very Hjersøe (born in 1823) on the trip, but thankful for another source of Winchester they didn’t marry until two years after history - a case full of Winchester docu- they reached the USA. They are among ments that Bob Helgeson brought to the first people to settle as farmers in Hjartdal. Winchester, where they raised their six Hølje Høljeson’s Trip children. When Hølje died in 1897, this Hølje Høljeson traveled with a large tenant farmer from Sviving in Lonar- group of emigrants from Hjartdal in grenda had spent fifty years in his new 1847. It is probable that at least 165 peo- homeland. ple left this community that same year. Why Winchester? All of them are listed on the “Emigrant There are several reasons why so List” that the Hjartdal pastor wrote in the many Norwegians came to Winchester church record book. We find them again during these years. Many moved there on boat passenger lists and other various from Muskego (where John Neilsen Lu- sources where they settled in the USA. raas and the Telemark group came in Why was there such a large number of 1839), which is farther south in Wiscon- people emigrating in 1847? Poor harvest sin because the conditions in Muskego is one reason, but the total “picture” of were difficult. There were diseases there reasons is often more complex. such as swamp fever, ague, and malaria, In 1847 sailing ships transported plus rattlesnakes. Historians often men- passengers to the USA. It was a fatigu- tion a community phase in Norwegian- ing trip with more than two months on American settlement history. Folk who the ocean. What do we know about Bob emigrated together, settled on land near Helgsons’ great-grandfather, who is in each other, and then “pulled” others from this group of passengers? Hølje Høljeson their home communities in Norway to From left to right: Trudy (Mrs. Bob) Helgeson, Anne Haugen Wagn, Bob Helgeson, Arid Særsland, Diane Helgeson, local historian Leif, mayor of Hjartdal Bengt Halvard Odden Telesoga — November 2019 — 28 also settle near them. This is how Win- between these to communities that can chester became a Hjartdal community in create a community and contribute to Wisconsin. development. One example is that Win- It is 180 years since the first group chester has given those of us in Hjartdal from Hjartdal emigrated to America so something to reflect over; that Norway the ties over the Atlantic Ocean are not as was once a poor land and through emi- strong anymore. In Winchester we now gration to America got rid of a rapidly find only ties to Hjartdal on the grave- growing population. Luckily, there was a stones in the cemetery. Establishing a continent that was ready to receive Eu- friendship contract between these two ropean people. Otherwise, emigration communities can, however, recreate and reminds us of the choices of existence strengthen the historic ties. It is clear that that people continually make during their there are some common characteristics lives. Should we go or should be stay? About the author: Anne Haugen Wagn (67) is a retired teacher from secondary school, Notodden in Telemark. She has written books about the emigration from Hjartdal and Telemark. Anne is one of our Telemark Liaisons. WORLD WAR I, REMEMBERED By Jim Skree At this time one year ago we as (although in the past few decades histori- Americans, together with a large part of ans and documentarians have made us the world, commemorated the 100th An- much more aware of it). I wonder how niversary of the blessed Cease-Fire many of you who are reading this have Agreement which brought to a halt that never before heard of the great Spanish great global conflict known as the First Flu pandemic. World War. Now days people refer to I don't remember hearing a thing World War I as “the forgotten war,” and about it growing up, but when I heard the researching that era I found out why. It full story as a young adult from my Dad’s was ugly and horrific, and a very shock- double cousin, Gladyne Houge, whose ing introduction to the modern warfare of father Charles Kragness had died from the 20th Century. the flu when she was a young girl, I was Far more forgotten though, is the amazed. I wondered why I hadn’t heard curse of so-called Spanish Flu and the about it before and would later come to devastation it caused around the world learn that the most likely reason was that Telesoga — November 2019 — 29.