Home<Twin Lake

Benson County North Dakota Genealogy

Twin Lake Township North Dakota

Early Pioneers

Taken from Seventy-five Years Leeds/York 1886-1961 Jubilee book

and

"Early history of Beaver Township reprinted from Leeds News June 6, 13 & 20, 1935" Benson County Farmers Press March 10,2004

It was during the summer of 1889 that this territory was surveyed. The surveyors camped near the Dokken farm, now owned by A.E. Tufte, where there is a spring. Their camp somewhat resembled a road camp of today.  They used a long chain in surveying, and marked the section and quarter lines with stakes, mounds of dirt and rocks. The township lines had been marked previously.

A.E. Tufte, Henry Broe and Iver Bakken were the earliest settlers in Twin Lake Township. A.E. Tufte was born in Norway and came to this country at the age of 17. He worked on farms near Leeds and Churchs Ferry the first three years he spent in this county. In 1896, he started farming north of Leeds. Early in the spring of 1897, not being old enough to take a homestead, he squatted on land which is still a part of his farm. He tells us his first home was a wagon box. Mr. Tufte and family moved to Cando in 1912 to farm, but returned to this vicinity in 1916. A.E. attributes his culinary ability of today to his experience as a bachelor in those pioneers days.

Henry Broe was born near Ossian, Iowa. When he was three years old his parents moved to Buxton, N.Dak., where his father filed on a homestead. When Mr. Broe was 21 years of age, he was lured westward to seek home and fortune coming directly to Broe Township where he filed on his homestead in the year of 1897.

Iver Bakken was born in Norway and came to this country in 1885. He filed on his homestead west of the church (St. Petri) in 1897, where he lived in his sod house until 1919 when he moved to a farm in Butte Valley township.

Jens & Boletta Davidson Eide 50th Wedding Anniversary

J.R. Eide was born in Norway, immigrating to America in 1893. He went to Montana and here he related his thrilling experiences as a cowboy. He came to North Dakota and worked in the vicinities of Hope and Churchs Ferry. In 1901, he bought two quarters of land in Twin Lake Township.

Ole Blegen was born at Stewartville, Minnesota. When he was four years old, his parents moved to a farm near Churchs Ferry where he spent his boyhood. He came to this community in 1905, purchasing the four quarters of school land in Twin Lake Township.

Ole Froholm came to the United State on 27 April 1892. He worked on a farm near Benson, Minnesota for two years. He came to Churchs Ferry in 1894, purchasing land which he farmed for ten years. He came to Twin Lake Township in 1909 and farmed until his death in 1954..

George Jacobson was born at Glencoe, Minnesota. When he was three years old, his parents moved to Churchs Ferry and here his father homesteaded in 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson moved to a farm in Twin Lake Township in 1908.

Mathias K. Nybo was born in Norway and came to America in 1881 at the age of 16. He is one of the earliest immigrants to the area. He worked on the railroad in different parts of Minnesota and at other employment until in 1884, when he came to North Dakota. He lived at Churchs Ferry for eight years and here he had the dray line. He came to this vicinity in 1898 and filed on land in Twin Lake Township, on which he lived

Gabriel Lokken filed on a homestead in Broe Township in 1889. He sold this land and a few years later bought his present farm in Twin Lake Township. He had a well-digging machine, so did that line of work for some time.

If you wish to submit or correct data for this county, please contact Colleen Goltz Benson County Coordinator
If you have problems with this site, contact the State Coordinator or Assistant State Coordinator for the NDGenWeb Project