One hundred-fifty years of recorded settlement in Freeborn County. Are the details fact or fiction? In any case, it’s a good reason for a party.

What we do know for sure is that a man named Ole Livdahlen, or Ole Livedalen, or Ole Hall, or Ole Gulbrandson moved with his family to what is now Freeborn County in 1853. Written accounts describe this first settlement in various ways.

From the 1882 &uot;History of Freeborn County, Minnesota,&uot; Shell Rock Township chapter, page 529, we read: &uot;This township witnessed the first actual settlement ever made in Freeborn county, and contained for about one year the only inhabitant of the same. The settlement first began in the southwestern part of the town, the first man being Ole Gulbrandson, or as he was often called, Ole Hall, a Norwegian, who, through the influence of a brother in Northwood, was induced to come to this locality in search of a place, arriving in June, 1853, and locating upon a large farm in section thirty-three. He was accompanied by his family, and at once erected a log house, the first dwelling ever erected in this then unbroken county. This house is still standing, and at present is, and has been for years, the residence of P.J. Miller, Esq., one of the well-known old settlers of the county.

&uot;He (Livdahlen) also commenced improvements, and by the time the government survey was made, in 1854, he had broken seven acres of land, put in a crop, and had it fenced. This plowed and cultivated field being the only one in the county it was entered by the surveyors upon the government survey map. In the fall of 1855, Mr. Gulbrandson and his wife, having had trouble and discouragements, finally separated, and it is said her father gave him, in the words of our informant, a ‘h— of a lickin’ for treating his wife so. The following spring Gulbrandson sold his place and moved to Decorah, since when he has been lost trace of.&uot;

Now I would call that a lively beginning for our county. However, page 274 of the same book we read: &uot;Up to the spring of 1853, as far as known, no white man had planted a home in this county, now so well filled with a thriving population. The expansive prairies and beautiful groves bordering the placid lakes and beautiful streams, up to that time were in a state of repose, and only occupied by animal life and perhaps a few of the aboriginal race…

&uot;At the time above mentioned, Ole Gulbrandson, whose name reveals his nationality, with his family, entered in and took possession of a moderate portion of this goodly land in section thirty-three in the township of Shell Rock, and rolled up some logs in the form of a cabin, which still stands on the farm of P.J. Miller, who is himself a well known old settler. Mr. Gulbrandson went to work, and when the next settler came along, two years afterwards, he had provided for himself and family, and could also supply his neighbors with the necessities of life. A passing notice should be made of the courage of this man, to thus plant himself so far beyond the confines of civilization, where, for aught he knew, they were liable to be devoured by wild beasts, and where the savages might have blotted him and his family from the face of the earth, with no one to follow on the avenging trail. And some credit is also due the Indians themselves, that they did not molest him as they certainly were aware of his presence. In the fall of 1854, a daughter was born in their little log house, which must have been the very first, whatever rival claims may be put in.&uot;

A third article, describing, Mr. Gulbrandson/Hall/Livdahlen/Livedalen’s wife comes from one of the county’s early newspapers. &uot;Mrs. Astri O. Mellem Livedalen, who with his husband were the first settlers in Freeborn County. They arrived in the spring of 1853 with Mrs. Livedalen’s 3 year old daughter Christi K. Quarve (Astri Livedalen’s first husband had died.).

&uot;Mrs. Livedalen’s brother, Gulbrand Mellem, and wife settled at the same time at what is now Northwood, Iowa. The Livedalens immediately set to work. They built a log home, broke some sod and planted a crop of corn, potatoes and rutabagas. They were miles from any other inhabitants except the Mellems. After three years, working alone, they had some seven acres under cultivation, had built some fences and were able to supply a new settler with some necessities of life.

&uot;A son was born to the Livedalens on Nov. 28, 1854 and was christened Kolbjorn Olson Livedalen …. Shortly after 1860, Freeborn County’s first settler, Ole K. Livedalen, again moved to a new county, taking with him his oldest son (Kolbjorn). This time he settled on a claim three miles south of the present Glenwood, Pope County, Minnesota. His home was on the shore of Lake Minnewiski. He died there, a well-to-do-farmer, in 1884…

&uot;In the meantime, Astri Mellem Livedalen again became a pioneer, this time in the newly settled Norway Township, Winnebago County, Iowa. With her daughter, Christi, and son, Ole, they made their home on the prairie-like land with oak openings. An extra large log home was built and from then on Mrs. Livedalen was to be known by her maiden name Astri Mellem … She died at her home March 12, 1897 and is buried at the Lime Creek Cemetery where a monument was erected and is inscribed, ‘Erected in memory of our dear Grandmother.”‘

Exactly what is the history of our first settlers? Is the log cabin at the FCHM village really their home, as has been recorded in the museum’s historical accounts? Conversations with museum visitors have suggested that Ole Livedalen was a claim jumper and the cabin was actually built earlier by a pioneer who had gone back east for his family. In any case, each one of the written accounts states that the first settlers arrived here in 1853, and since that’s 150 years ago, we figure that it’s a good excuse to have a big birthday party in September. Consider yourself invited.

Bev Jackson is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum.