The Homesteaders: Nameless in North Dakota

The homesteaders. At least that is what I call them. I don’t know their names, but I can guess a little of their stories.

When I inherited my parents’ photographs, I took on the task of scanning and cataloguing them. Through research and my knowledge of family history, I have been able to identify many of the unlabeled photographs. Unfortunately, there are many that continue to elude me. I will likely never know the full story behind this photo, or the identities of the men and women. But to me, this photo represents more than just these nameless individuals. It is also a small glimpse into the life of settlers of the northern plains in the early 20th century.

The photographer was named Anderson. The name of the town under the photographer's mark is very faint, but it appears to be "Larimore".  The town of Larimore (located in Grand Forks County, in the eastern part of the state) was organized in 1881, prior to statehood. It was created when the railroad was built in that part of Dakota Territory. Like most of North Dakota, Larimore was settled by homesteaders, men and women who filed claim to 160 acres under the Homestead Act of 1862. In North Dakota, there were two Homestead “booms”, the Great Boom (1871-late 1880’s, which was prior to statehood), and the Second Boom (1898-1915), with the economically depressed 1890’s sandwiched in between.

This photograph was found among my paternal grandparents’ possessions, leading me to believe that these couples were fellow Norwegian immigrants, probably from the Vestfold region, where my grandparents were born and raised. The subjects appear to be three couples of roughly the same age, with a little boy standing off to the side. Based on their clothing and the timeframe of settlement by homesteaders in Grand Forks County, I estimate that the photo was taken circa 1905-1910. The small wooden building behind them is a typical Homestead shack of that time period, a simple building that allowed the homesteaders to meet the residency requirement and that provided (minimal) shelter from the elements. The lack of vegetation makes me think that the home was newly constructed, and that someone had just began a new life on this land.

The Homestead Act of 1862 was signed by President Lincoln in an effort to settle the West and to allow individuals to own and operate farms. The Act drew Easterners westward, but it also attracted immigrants. And in the Dakotas, many of those settlers were Norwegians. The requirements were fairly simple: be the head of a household, at least 21 years of age, have the ability to pay a filing fee, build a home, make improvements, and farm the land for five years. The reality was a lot harder. Less than 40% of those that filed claims “proved up” their claim and gained title to it. It is a great source of pride to me that all four of my grandparents succeeded. Their hard work, grit, and determination paid off, and I am the better because of that.