Jefferson Prairie Settlement
Encyclopedia
Jefferson Prairie Settlement was a pioneer colony of Norwegian-Americans located near the village of Clinton, in Rock County, Wisconsin
. This site and the nearby Rock Prairie settlement outside Orfordville, Wisconsin
served as a center for both Norwegian immigration and developments within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
.
and Ansten Nattestad, two brothers from the valley of Numedal
in southeastern Norway
, emigrated in 1837. Numedal is a traditional district located in the county of Buskerud
, Norway. Together the Nattestad brothers played a key role in promoting immigration from Norway and for directing immigrants to southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Ole Knutson Nattestad first came to the Town of Clinton in 1838. Ansten Nattestad returned to Norway to have the letters of Ole Rynning published. Rynning had been an early immigrant living in Beaver Creek, Iroquois County, Illinois
. Rynning's work was published as True Account of America (Norwegian: Sandfærdig Beretning om Amerika).
The return trip of Ansten Nattestad to Norway was instrumental in promoting interest in America. Ansten Nattestad organized more than a hundred emigrants and led them to Wisconsin, arriving in September, 1839. Some joined Ole Nattestad at Jefferson Prairie; others settled in nearby Rock Prairie. The Jefferson Prairie Lutheran Church was organized in 1844. Pioneer Lutheran Minister, Claus Lauritz Clausen
, accepted a call during 1846 from Norwegian-settlers at Jefferson Prairie. He relocated from the Muskego Settlement
and made Rock County the center for his activities among the settlements in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, remaining until 1853. Clausen based part of his efforts from Rock Prairie, which he rechristened Luther Valley.
During 1846, the Eielsen Synod
, a Norwegian Lutheran church body, was founded at Jefferson Prairie by a group led by Elling Eielsen
. In 1853, the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the "Norwegian Synod") was organized at Luther Valley. The organizing meeting of the Augustana Synod was held at Jefferson Prairie in June 1860. Today a historic marker near Wisconsin Highway 140, four miles south of Clinton, marks the former location of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement and highlights the role of the Nattestads in its development.
Rock County, Wisconsin
-Unincorporated communities:-Further reading:* . Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908....
. This site and the nearby Rock Prairie settlement outside Orfordville, Wisconsin
Orfordville, Wisconsin
Orfordville is a village in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States, at the intersection of Highway 11, Highway 213, and the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. The population was 1,272 at the census, with an estimated population of 1,302 in 2003.-History:...
served as a center for both Norwegian immigration and developments within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
.
Background
Ole Knudsen NattestadOle Knudsen Nattestad
Ole Knudsen Nattestad was a Norwegian-American leader and pioneer immigrant settler. Together with his brother Ansten Nattestad, he played a key role in promoting immigration from Norway and for directing immigrants to southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.-Biography:The Nattestad farm was in...
and Ansten Nattestad, two brothers from the valley of Numedal
Numedal
Numedal is a traditional district and valley Buskerud, Norway. Running north–south, it extends between Kongsberg in the south to Rødberg in the north, passing through the municipalities of Kongsberg, Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal.. The river Numedalslågen, the third-longest in the country,...
in southeastern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, emigrated in 1837. Numedal is a traditional district located in the county of Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
, Norway. Together the Nattestad brothers played a key role in promoting immigration from Norway and for directing immigrants to southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Ole Knutson Nattestad first came to the Town of Clinton in 1838. Ansten Nattestad returned to Norway to have the letters of Ole Rynning published. Rynning had been an early immigrant living in Beaver Creek, Iroquois County, Illinois
Iroquois County, Illinois
Iroquois County is a county located in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Illinois along the border with Indiana. It is the third largest county in the state in terms of area, covering over . According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 29,718, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 31,334...
. Rynning's work was published as True Account of America (Norwegian: Sandfærdig Beretning om Amerika).
The return trip of Ansten Nattestad to Norway was instrumental in promoting interest in America. Ansten Nattestad organized more than a hundred emigrants and led them to Wisconsin, arriving in September, 1839. Some joined Ole Nattestad at Jefferson Prairie; others settled in nearby Rock Prairie. The Jefferson Prairie Lutheran Church was organized in 1844. Pioneer Lutheran Minister, Claus Lauritz Clausen
Claus Lauritz Clausen
Claus Lauritz Clausen was an American pioneer Lutheran minister, church leader, military chaplain and politician.-Biography:...
, accepted a call during 1846 from Norwegian-settlers at Jefferson Prairie. He relocated from the Muskego Settlement
Muskego Settlement
The Muskego Settlement was one of the first Norwegian American settlements in the United States. Situated near today's Muskego, Wisconsin, the Muskego Settlement covered areas within what is now the town of Norway, Wisconsin.-History:...
and made Rock County the center for his activities among the settlements in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, remaining until 1853. Clausen based part of his efforts from Rock Prairie, which he rechristened Luther Valley.
During 1846, the Eielsen Synod
Eielsen Synod
The Eielsen Synod was a Lutheran church body. It was founded in 1846 at Jefferson Prairie Settlement, Wisconsin by a group of Haugean Lutherans led by Elling Eielsen.-Background:...
, a Norwegian Lutheran church body, was founded at Jefferson Prairie by a group led by Elling Eielsen
Elling Eielsen
Elling Eielsen was an American minister and Lutheran Church leader.-Background:Eielsen was born on the farm of Sunve in Voss, Norway and brought up in the religious tradition of Hans Nielsen Hauge...
. In 1853, the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the "Norwegian Synod") was organized at Luther Valley. The organizing meeting of the Augustana Synod was held at Jefferson Prairie in June 1860. Today a historic marker near Wisconsin Highway 140, four miles south of Clinton, marks the former location of the Jefferson Prairie Settlement and highlights the role of the Nattestads in its development.
Additional sources
- Ulvestad, MartinMartin UlvestadMartin Ulvestad was an American historian and author whose writings focused on Norwegian-American immigration. Ulvestad was a pioneer in documenting the early history of the first Norwegian settlers in America.-Biography:...
Nordmændene i Amerika (translated by Olaf Kringhaug as “Norwegians in America“. History Book Company’s Forlag, Minneapolis, MN. 1907). - Blegen, Theodore C.Theodore C. BlegenTheodore Christian Blegen was an American historian and author. Theodore Blegen was the author of numerous historic reference books, papers and articles written over a five decade period...
Norwegian Migration to America, 1825-1860 (reprinted: Ayer Co Pub. 1969). - Anderson, Rasmus BjörnRasmus B. AndersonRasmus Bjørn Anderson was an American author, professor, and diplomat. He brought to popular attention the idea that Viking explorers discovered the New World and was the originator of Leif Erikson Day.-Biography:...
Scandinavians in America (reprinted: Arno Press 1979).
External links
- http://www.nb.no/utlevering/contentview.jsf?sesamid=e6bd6ae272950a0c379e6f355987ecc0“National Library of Oslo: Ole Rynning's True Account of America translated and edited by Theodore C. BlegenTheodore C. BlegenTheodore Christian Blegen was an American historian and author. Theodore Blegen was the author of numerous historic reference books, papers and articles written over a five decade period...
]” - “History of the Augustana Lutheran Church”
- ““History of Clinton and the Surrounding Area” (The Clinton Community Resources Guide. Village of Clinton, Wisconsin 1998”
- Jefferson Prairie Settlement Historic Marker
- Jefferson Prairie Cemetery
- Ole Knudsen Nattestad, Wisconsin Historic Society