The Hans Olsen family left their home in Nannestad, Akershus, Norway in April 1867, with plans to travel to America. THIS IMAGE on the Norwegian Digital Archive website is from the church record in Nannestad that lists people who had left the parish. Lines 16-22 show Hans Olesen, Maria, Olava, Thea, Johan, Marthea, Lauritz and Inge Maria. Lauritz (who will eventually be known as Lewis) is listed on line 21, which also includes his birthdate.
The family is also listed in the passenger list of the bark (a type of sailing ship) Argonaut that departed Kristiania (Oslo), Norway on April 8, 1867 and arrived in Quebec, Canada on May 23, 1867. THIS IMAGE on the Canada Library and Archives website shows one page of that passenger list, with the Dahl family listed on lines 249-255 as follows: Hans Olsen Dahl, Kone (wife) Marie Olsdatter, Datter (daughter) Olava, Datter Thea, Son Johan, Datter Marthea, Son Lauritz, Datter Marie.
Their route and mode(s) of transportation are yet to be discovered, but they traveled from Quebec to a location near the village of Leroy, Minnesota, in Fillmore County. The family is listed in the 1870 US Census, living near Newburg in Fillmore County (lines 22-29). Like most new-comer pioneer settlers, they eeked out a living for eight year before they found a farm they could purchase near Spring Valley, which they did, in 1875. They are listed here in the he 1875 US Census in Mower County. Between 1867 and 1882 they had three more children: Herman, Martin, and Albert, who passed away in infancy. The 1880 US Census shows the family continuing to live in Bennington Township in Mower County. (NOTE It is in this census that the family name is first shown as “Dahl” rather than the patronymic “Olesen”, which was used in previous documents, with the exception of the ship list in Quebec.)
It was in 1882 that the Hans Dahl family moved to Norman County, Minnesota. The 1885 census lists the family in Rockwell Township. By 1892 he had “proved up” land for himself. THIS IMAGE is of the US Land Grant document showing that Hans O Dahl had claimed, under the Homestead act, 160 acres of land in Rockwell township and it describes the exact location. It is dated May 3, 1892.
Hans died May 13, 1893. Burial was in the “Old Jevnaker Cemetery” in Hagen Township, Clay County, Minnesota.
Maria is listed alone as Head of Household in this 1890 census record from Rockwell Township.
