ENGEBRET KRISTIANSEN HAUGAN / His Story Engebret Kristiansen Haugan was a Minnesota pioneer from Norway. Engebret was born on September 8, 1834 at Haugan, his family farm in Sigdal, Buskerud. Engebret was the eldest son of Kristian Engebretsen (1804-1880) and Boel Olesdatter (1808- 1871). His parents had married during June 1833 in Sigdal and subsequently moved onto the Haugan farm. Engebret Haugan was descended from generations of farmers and small land owners in Sigdal. Among others, he was a descendant of Jens Pettersen Volgast, a sexton from Denmark, who moved to Sigdal during 1724 and became a local farmer. Sigrid Pedersdatter was born at the nearby Reistad farm in Sigdal on September 29, 1832. She was the daughter of Peder Torstensen (1800 -1871) a husmann in Sigdal and Anne Nilsdatter (1802-1831). Engebret Haugan and Sigrid Pedersdatter were married November 20, 1857 in Sigdal. Together Engebret and Sigrid had four daughters all born on the Haugan farm: Boel born in 1858, Anne born in 1864, Christi born in 1868 and Julia born in 1874. According to the “1865 – Telling for 0621 Sigdal”, by the year 1865 the Haugan farm supported three generation of the same family: grandparents Kristian and Boel, son Engebret, his wife Sigrid, their two eldest daughters, Boel and Anne, son Ole and his wife Berte, their son and daughter Kristian and Ragne. Ownership in the farm transferred to sons Engebret and Ole during 1878, just prior to the death of their father. In 1881, Engebret and Sigrid Haugan sold their interest in the Haugan farm and moved to the United States. Engebret and Sigrid Haugan left Kristiania (Oslo) harbor on May 18, 1881 on the Wilson Line SS Cameo together with their three youngest daughters, Anne, Christi and Julia. They entered the Port of New York on June 13, 1881 on board the Monarch Line SS Egyptian Monarch . Eldest daughter, Boletta (Boel) had been married in 1878 to Anders Torsen Haugan from neighboring Krødsherad. The couple first established residence on Lykka, a leasehold on the Haugan farm. Here their first two sons Theodor and Edvard were born. Boletta, Anders and their sons left Oslo harbor on October 23, 1882 aboard the Danish registry ship, SS Hekla of the Thingvalla Line. The ship left Kristiania and entered New York harbor with 147 Norwegian passengers on November 7, 1882. 1 Both sets of immigrants were processed through Castle Garden in Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. Today this area is located within the Castle Clinton National Monument in New York City. Castle Garden, the site of the first official United States immigration center, was in operation from 1855 until 1890 at which time immigration processing was transferred to Ellis Island. Following immigration to America, the members of the extended Haugan family first settled in Section 35 in the Township of Leaf Lake of Otter Tail County. Engebret Haugan and his son-in-law Anders Haugan jointly operated a family farm. Here the seven younger children of Anders and Boletta were all born. Here also infant Edward died within the first year following the immigration. The three younger Haugan daughters all were married in Leaf Lake. In 1887, Anne Haugan married Even Nyhus, an immigrant from Buskerud, Norway. Also during 1887, Christi Haugan married Christ Olson, who was born in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin to immigrant Norwegian parents. In 1894 Julia Haugan married Louis Hanson, who was born in Rice County, Minnesota. Louis Hanson was the son of Norwegian immigrants and Fox Lake pioneers Ole Hanson Korsdalen and Kristi Uggen. The younger Haugan daughters, Anne, Christi and Julia together with their husbands and children started relocating to Hubbard County near the community of Becida early in 1897. At that time, the three couples had a total of 13 children all born at Leaf Lake. Sigrid Pedersdatter Haugan had died in Leaf Lake Township on April 9, 1897 at age 65. Shortly thereafter, Engebret joined his family in Becida and helped them with their enterprises. Boletta Haugan died following childbirth in July 1898 at age 40. Anders Haugan suffered from debilitating hallucinations following her death and was committed for life to the Fergus Falls State Hospital during 1900. At this time, their eight children ranged in age from Theodore age 22 to infant Bolette. The family farm was subsequently sold and the family members moved out. The older children were called upon to become self supporting. The younger children lived with neighbors and friends in Leaf Lake. During August 1903, Christen Olson and Even Nyhus purchased the general store and post office in Becida. Christen Olson was named Postmaster and Justice of Peace. Louis Hanson served as Constable. Becida School District was organized on June 27, 1898. Julia Haugan served as first treasurer of the school district. The School District Clerk was Even Nyhus and the Treasurer was Christen Olsen. 2 By 1905, the local school teacher was Inga Christine Uggen who had re-located from Fox Lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Inga taught primary education at Sunny Hill School in Becida. Inga was related to two of Engebret Haugan’s sons-in law, Even Nyhus and Louis Hanson. Inga lived with the family of Louis Hanson and Julia Haugan, the youngest daughter of Engebret Haugan. Louis Hanson was the uncle of Inga’s Hanson cousins including her best friend, Emma Hanson. Inga taught a number of the Nyhus, Hanson and Olson family members who were the younger cousins of her future husband, Carl Edward Haugan, grandson of Engebret Haugan. Sigrid Haugan was buried together with her daughter Boletta Haugan and her husband Anders Haugan in the family plot at Norderhaug Cemetery in Leaf Lake. Additional relatives buried at Norderhaug include the youngest daughter of Anders and Boletta Haugan, Bolette Amanda, together with her husband Selmer Allenson and their son Byron Allenson. Norderhaug Cemetery is on County Road 132 off Minnesota State Route 108, north of Henning in Leaf Lake Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Engebret Haugan died at age 71 on July 2, 1905 in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Engebret, his three younger daughters and their husbands, together with many family members are all buried in the Fern Township Cemetery, Hubbard County, Minnesota located off County Road 9 at exit 2621, southwest of Becida. 3 ENGEBRET KRISTIANSEN HAUGAN / His Ancestry Kristian Engebretsen Haugan (1804 - 1880) On June 27, 1833, he married Boel Olesdatter Rolstad (1808 - 1871). Boel was the daughter of Ola Tollevsen Rolstad and Else Olsdatter Gren. Ola Tollevsen was the son of Tollev Olsen Rolstad and Åse Andersdatter Hoffart. Kristian and Boel established residence at Haugan farm in 1833. The family appears in the 1865 – Telling for 0621 Sigdal. In 1878, Kristian transferred Haugan to his two sons, Engebret and Ole Haugan. EEEngebretEngebret Fredriksen Kringstad (1771 - 1850) Engebret married Eli Sjulsdatter (1769 – 1848) during 1799. Engebret and Eli first resided at the Kringstad farm. During 1833, they acquired lower Haugan in an exchange for a part of the Narum farm. Their son Kristian Engebretsen inherited the Haugan farm. Johan Fredrik Jensen Kringstad (1735 - 1774) Youngest son of Jens Pettersen and Helge Halvorsdatter. In 1771, Johan Fredrik Jensen married Marit Engebretsdatter (1741 - 1832) of Sund. The family established residence at the Kringstad farm. The family appears in the 1801 Census for Sigdal. Listed as living at Kringstad are Fredrik Jensen, his wife Marit Engebretsdatter, daughter Karen Fredriksdatter, son Engebret Fredriksen and his wife Eli Sjulsdatter. Their son Engebret Fredriksen inherited their interest in the Kringstad farm. Jens Pettersen Volgast Jens Pettersen came from Denmark as a Sexton, an assistant to a pastor and school master. Volgast (in modern German Wolgast) was a village in western Pomerania on the Baltic coast of Germany. This area had formed a part of Swedish Pomerania from 1648-1815. Today Wolgast is located within the Germany federal state of Mecklenburg- Pomerania. Jens was born approximately 1700. In 1724 he moved to Norway where in 1725, he married Helge Halvorsdatter. The couple resided at the farm known as Slette in Sigdal raising a family of five children. In 1953, Jens Pettersen was the subject of a publication titled “Slektsminner fra Klokkeren Jens Pettersen Volgast” (Lineage Record of Sexton Jens Pettersen Volgast). The author was O. O. Bakken. The book was published by Trykt hos Harald Lyche of Drammen, Buskerud. #227948 BAKKEN. O.O: (VOLGAST) Slektsminner fra klokkeren Jens Pettersen Volgast i Sigdal og Eggedal Bygdemuseum. U.st. 1953. 8vo. 7 p. Illustrert. Orig. omsl. Fint eksemplar. 4 ENGEBRET KRISTIANSEN HAUGAN / His Family Boletta (Boel) Haugan was born on January 22, 1858 in Sigdal. On October 9, 1878, at age 20, Boletta married Anders Torsen Haugan in Sigdal. Anders Haugan was born on Humlegaard farm during December, 1850. Humlegaard was located on the west side of Krøderfjorden in Krødsherad, Buskerud. Anders and Boletta settled in Leaf Lake Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Following childbirth, Boletta Haugan died in July 1898 at age 40. Anders died at the Anoka State Hospital on November 26, 1926 at age 76. Together Anders and Boletta had nine children: Theodor (1878) and Edvard (1881) born in Sigdal, Norway. The younger son, Edvard died following the crossing of the Atlantic. Carl (1883), Anna (1885), Albert (1888), Christian (1890), Mabel (1893), Wilhelm (1896), and Bolette (1898) all born in Otter Tail County, MN. Anne Haugan was born October 21, 1864 in Sigdal. In 1887, at age 23, she married Even Knudsen Nyhus in Leaf Lake. Even Nyhus was born in Soknedalen, Buskerud, Norway on November 15, 1862 and died June 23, 1921 at age 58. Anne died at age 71 on February 3, 1935.