In his book Nordmaendene i Amerika Langeland gives a circumstantial account of his coming to Spring Prairie. He says that in August of 1845 he and Niels Torstensen, equipping themselves with a cook stove, provisions, bedding, and all the necessities for camping out, drove with oxen and a wagon from Racine via Koshkonong, following the regular road to Madison (presumably going by West Koshkonong Church). But Madison did not attract them. He says: “Madison had nothing remarkable about it except its natural beauty and the big Territorial Building, which looked very imposing among the small frame houses.” These sons of the land of mountains “were scared away by the big hills” where the University is now situated, and turned east, driving almost as far as Fort Winnebago, where Amund Rosseland, a friend of Langeland’s, from Norway, had recently settled. Not finding the marshes here very inviting, and failing to meet Rosseland at home, they decided to turn back. Camping out over night, they drove back twenty miles the next day; then upon the advice of an American by the name of Young, they turned east, and driving on a few miles, came upon an American by the name of Gilbert, who was just engaged in erecting his log hut. The prairie here was to their liking and they selected a site and in due time entered a claim on land.

Langeland says there came no other Norwegians there that fall, but as we have seen, three others did locate in other parts of the prairie, about the time Langeland came there. That same fall Langeland went to Milwaukee to take out pre-emption papers and he stopped at Koshkonong, and told his countrymen there of the beauties of the prairies to the north, and a little later he wrote letters to friends in La Salle County, Illinois. From Milwaukee he says he brought back to Spring Prairie with him a plow, a harrow, and other farm tools.

In the spring of 1846 Peder Fröland[369] came up there from La Salle County, bringing with him two ox-teams and a wagon and farm tools, but he seems to have been the only one who came from La Salle County; a number of settlers, however, came from Boone County and Jefferson Prairie to Spring and Bonnet Prairie in 1847–1850. In June, 1846, Norwegian immigrants began to come in hosts from or via Koshkonong, says Langeland. He and Fröland plowed about one hundred acres of prairie land for the newcomers that season. Two years later Langeland sold his claim and moved back to Racine County.

So it happened that also Spring Prairie became settled largely from Koshkonong, and as this was the period in which immigration from Sogn was taking place on a large scale, it was especially Sognings who took possession also of this region; though a considerable number of Vossings also gradually moved in. Reverend L. S. J. Reque writes me that Spring Prairie is today almost exclusively a Sogning-Vossing settlement, and the former predominate.

The Spring Prairie Settlement, whose beginnings have here been briefly sketched, rapidly expanded north to Bonnet Prairie, this part of it coming to be known as the Bonnet Prairie Settlement. The settlement is located principally in Otsego Township, but partly in Hampdon and surrounding towns. The first Norwegian settlers in this locality were John Anderson and Kjel Anderson, who came in 1846, having immigrated from Saude, Telemarken, that year.

The following is a list of the founders of the settlement as submitted to me by Samuel Sampson of Rio, Wisconsin. Mr. Sampson (b. 1839) is the only survivor of those who settled there at that time, being the son of Thorbjörn Skutle. The year to the right of each name indicates the year of immigration to America. All except the last two settled at Bonnet Prairie in 1846; these two settled there in 1848.

NameWifeWhere from
John AndersonAnneSaude1844
Kjel AndersonIngeborSaude1844
Hans Jörgensen KjösvikKariHolden1847
Peter Halvorson ValöenKirstiHolden1846
Augon AarnessIngeborgSaude1843
Leif Johnson DahleLiv MarieSaude1843
Tollef Olson HawkosIngeborBö1846
Iver VangenMarthaAurland1844
Gunleik Olson SvalestuenIngeborSaude1844
Knut Gunnelson TvetenMargitNumedal1844
Even Tostenson IndlæggenGuroSaude1844
Hans Hawkos AaseAnnaBö1846
Hans TollefsonHeleneSaude1846
Johannes FrondalRagnildAurland1845
Eilif OlsonJohanneSogn1845
Mikkel KnutsonSogn1845
Johannes Johanneson GvaaleKariSaude1845
Halvor ShelbyIngriSaude1848
Thorbjörn Sampson SkutleAnnaVoss1848

Since the above was written I have received from Reverend L. S. J. Reque of Morrisonville, Wisconsin, further facts relative to the earliest settlers there. The earliest records of the Bonnet Prairie Church kept by Reverend A. C. Preus show that the testimonial of emigration was issued to “Eivind T. Indlæggen.” April 5, 1843, to “Johannes Johannesen” April 10th, 1843, to John Anderson and wife May 3d and 6th, 1843, to “Hans Olsen Haukaas” May 7th, 1843. Also to “Thorbjörn Samsonsen and wife Anna Ellingsdatter” May 13th, 1844. As it is probable that these emigrated at the time of issue of the testimonial of emigration the table should be corrected with reference to these names. During the intervening three years most of the above had lived in Boone County, Illinois, whither also some of the later settlers came en route to Bonnet Prairie. Thorbjörn Skutle and family who came from Voss, sailing on the ship Hercules, located first at Jefferson Prairie. T. Skutle and his wife both died in 1897, age 88 and 91 respectively.