Our Historical Play
The characters in the play are historical, as well as most of the plot. But the people we meet are ordinary citizens that we do not know a lot about. How did they feel about coming to America? What did they think about events unfolding and issues being discussed? It is mostly impossible to know. We have attributed opinions and attitudes to them that they may not have held, using them to voice different points of view.
The Story Begins
In the spring of 1869, a party of Norwegian Americans in Galesville, Wisconsin, migrated west to Belmond in Wright County, Iowa, traveling in covered wagons drawn by oxen. The party of 12 consisted of three families and one single man:
Hans Hansen Faråsen (1823-1901) and Ingeborg Olsdotter Haugli (1826-95) with their children Hans, jr. (1848-1933), Ole (1852-1939), Alis (1854-1927) and Johannes (1865-1950). Another daughter Hilda (1870-1929) was born in Belmond. The family used the surname Hanson. Hans and Ole used their given names, but Ingeborg was Americanized to Isabelle, Alis to Alice and Johannes to John.
Newlyweds Christian Børresen Sæter (1846-1912) and Agnete Tommesdotter Hjemli (also written Jembli) (1847-1930). They took the surname Johnson and were called Christian Borresen or C.B. Johnson and Agnette or Nettie Thompson Johnson.
Fredrik Simensen Molstad (1839-1928) and Pernille Larsdotter Bratten (1836-1912) and their son Simen (1868-1944). He was born in Wisconsin. The family used the surname Simenson for a while but changed it to Simerson. Fredrik became Fred or Frederick Simerson and Pernille became Pernella.
Bachelor Christian Johannesen Hulleberg (1843-1912) from Moelv. He took the name Christ or C.M. Johnson. He married Alis Hanson in 1874.
Most of the party were from Brumund in Veldre parish in present-day Ringsaker kommune. The Faråsens, Agnete Hjemli and Christian Hulleberg emigrated in 1866, traveling together. Fredrik and Pernille Simerson emigrated the next year, in 1867. Christian Børresen Johnson was the first in the group to come to America, as a 4-year-old in 1850. His family traveled with a party of 126 people from Ringsaker, the first mass emigration from this area.
After leaving Galesville, the party traveled to La Crosse along the Mississippi River, where they crossed by ferry into Iowa and proceeded west to Belmond. The journey is supposed to have taken only 8 days (which does not seem probable).
Each family and Christian Hulleberg had purchased their farms at auction, land that originally had been given to veterans of the Civil War (1861-65) in thanks for their service.
The first summer in Belmond, the pioneers lived in their covered wagons, placing them in a circle on one of the farms, while they set about digging wells and constructing shelters for the winter. During the fall, they began felling trees in Hickory Grove and started construction of more permanent houses. Conditions in Belmond were excellent, and soon Agnete’s parents, Tommes and Johanne, arrived from Wisconsin. Family and friends followed in their wake.