[436] Iverson died in 1887, his wife in 1890. Iver Larson, well known merchant and for many years treasurer of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church, who died in 1907, was a son of Iverson.
[437] They were the first emigrants to America from this district.
[438] For the facts on Hesper Township I am indebted to Mr. J. A. Nelson of Prosper, Minnesota, a student in the State University of Iowa.
[439] At least eighteen persons from Hardanger and two from Voss.
[440] And from Nordland not until after 1875. It is to be observed also that the emigration from the older inland districts was very heavy clear down to 1890.
[441] In 1891 Hallingdal had a population of 12,900, Valdris 17,000, Sogn 37,050, Söndhordland 34,750, Hardanger 25,900, Ryfylke 46,000, Telemarken 44,000, Sætersdalen 8,380. The population of each is much larger now.
[442] In Winneshiek and Worth Counties, where also natives of Hallingdal have settled in large numbers.
[443] Similarly the “Norwegian” county of La Salle in Illinois was the leading county in that part of Illinois in the same period, its population in 1850 being 17,815, that of Grundy 3,023, and De Kalb, 7,540.
In the year 1900 the principal Norwegian counties among those that fall within the scope of the discussion in this volume were in order: Cook County, Illinois; Dane County, Wisconsin; Winneshiek County, Iowa; Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; Rock County, Wisconsin; and La Salle County, Illinois.
[444] Barring the relatively very small Norwegian factor in the cities of the East, which stands practically isolated from Norwegian American life.