Øiumsdalen, Timber Coulee

Written by Hjalmar R. Holand and

translated into English by Oivind M. Hovde.

Øiumsdalen about 50 years after Iver Øium

dammed up the river and built his sawmill.

Just after brothers Iver and Tjøstul Øium were reunited in Timber Coulee, Iver decided to build one of the first sawmills in the county: There was a stream on his property which he dammed up and thereby got a waterfall. Generally a lot of machinery and an iron wheel are needed when one build a sawmill. Iver didn’t have this and had no money to buy it, but he had great ingenuity. He went out in the woods and with ax and knife carved the whole contrivance out of oak. But he had to buy the saw blade, for that had to be of steel.

This was what one called an up-and-down saw. The saw blade was fastened to a frame which went up and down. Naturally sawing was slow. The saw master could sit on the log and could take it easy during the sawing, or he could run over to the cabin and have a cup of coffee while the saw worked itself through the log. But it was much better than using the hand saw.

Iver was a much better letter writer than Tjøstul, and soon there was a large immigration from Gudbransdal to Timber Coulee. Among these was Isak Dalen, a smith whose wife, Randine, was related to the famous Wise-Knut. There was a spring near the Isak Dalen house and this spring was often covered with a brown liquid. One summer Isak filled a bottle of this liquid which he intended to send to the state laboratory for analysis. But nothing came of that.

During the fall of that year he received a remarkable letter from Wise-Knut, which read about as follows:

“I see you have a bottle of brown water which you intend to have analyzed. But you don’t have to bother with that, because it has no meaning whatever. But if you need coal, it might pay to dig under the large stone slab which lies near the spring in the lower end of Small Coulee. It is, however, surer to try between the birch trees which stand upon the hill below the outlet from the field you have up on the ridge. It will not be worthwhile to spend much money or work searching for coal, for that would not pay.”

Isak Dalen and all his neighbors thought this a most remarkable letter for none of them had mentioned Isak’s bottle, or for that matter talked about the environment there. But Wise-Knut’s letter showed that he saw and knew the terrain as if he lived there himself.

Timer Coulee, the upper end of which belongs to Coon Prairie church, together with the other nearby valleys, is the most pronounced Norwegian area in America. The Norwegian language with the original old Norwegian diction is heard everywhere, and one finds here more of the Norwegian customs, fashions and household things than anywhere in America.

Oiumsdalen sawmill and pond.

The mill shown in this photo was built by Iver Oium in 1891. An earlier mill on the

same site was built by another Mr. Oium in 1855, but was torn down later.

At the busiest times the mill was going constantly day and night.

Here is what I now know about the Oium family.

By Sheri Neprud Ballard 

Tjostel Oium was one of the three recorded children of Amund and Marit Oium. He emigrated to America in 1849. He was one of the first settlers at Coon Prairie. A story is told of Tjostel. He got a piece of land a couple of miles northwest of where the city of Westby was built. Here he dug a hole into the hillside, put a door at the front and a chimney on top and this is where he lived. Back home in North Fron, Norway, relatives waited for word from America from Tjostel. Unfortunately, writing tools were scarce and there didn’t seem to be much to write about. A couple years went by with no word, so younger brother Iver decided to go to America on his own, thinking poor Tjostel had probably perished on the trip to America. Iver made it to America, then found his way to what is now Coon Prairie. He didn’t really like it there, so went northward a few miles and came upon a deep and sheltered valley which he called Timber Coulee, and here he settled, the first white settler in that valley. 

A while later, being nearly out of food, Iver was out hunting along the streams and valleys. He saw smoke in the distance, and thought that surely he must have a neighbor, possibly even a white person. Next day, he decided to meet this neighbor and when he did, he found it was his long lost brother Tjostel.

Iver was a better correspondent than brother Tjostel, and encouraged people back home in Norway to come to America. Soon there was a large immigration from Gudbrandsdal to Timber Coulee as well as Coon Prairie.

Iver had married Marit Jonsdatter Shinne in Norway in 1850. He emigrated to America in 1852. Iver and Marit had eleven children. Soon after settling in Timber Coulee, Iver Oium decided to build one of the first sawmills in the county, as there was a stream on his property. Iver had great ingenuity and managed to dam up the creek, thereby making a waterfall. He had no money to buy machinery to build the sawmill that he wanted, so with ax and knife he carved the whole contrivance out of oak, except for the saw blade, which had to be made of steel.

What an interesting family and yes, their descendants are all my cousins!

Leif Erikson Day — Westby

October 9 and 10, 2015 Westby will celebrate Leif Erikson Day with special mention to Ludvig Hektoen who along with a friend started Leif Erikson Day in 1925. President Calvin Coolidge

Leif Erikson Day and Ludvig Hektoen

‘America Not Discovered by Columbus’ by Rasmus B. Anderson was published in 1874. This book helped popularize the idea that Vikings were the first Europeans in the New World. During his appearance at the Norse-American Centennial in 1925, President Calvin Coolidge gave recognition to Leif Erikson as the Discoverer of America due to research by Norwegian-American scholars such as Knut Gjerset and Ludvig Hektoen, a native of Westby. In 1930, Wisconsin became the first U.S. state to officially adopt Leif Erikson Day as a state holiday, thanks in large part to efforts by Rasmus Anderson. A year later, the state of Minnesota followed suit. By 1956, Leif Erikson Day had been made an official observance in seven states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California) and one Canadian province (Saskatchewan). In 2012 the day was also made official in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

In 1963, the U.S. Representative from Duluth, John Blatnik, introduced a bill to observe Leif Erikson Day nationwide. The following year Congress adopted this unanimously. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson did so, as has each President since. Presidents have used the proclamation to praise the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery. In addition to the federal observance, some states officially commemorate Leif Erikson Day, particularly in the Upper Midwest, where large numbers of people from the Nordic countries settled.

October 9 is not associated with any particular event in Leif Erikson's life. The date was chosen because the ship Restauration coming from Stavanger, Norway, arrived in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825, at the start of the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States.

Ludvig Hektoen

Ludvig Hektoen (July 2, 1863 - July 5, 1951) was a noted American pathologist. Hektoen published widely and served as editor of a number of medical journals. In 1942, Hektoen received the American Medical Association's Distinguished Service Medal for his life's work.

Hektoen was born into a Norwegian immigrant community in Westby, Vernon County, Wisconsin. He was the son of Peter P. and Olave Thorsgaard Hektoen. His father was a Lutheran parochial school teacher. He attended the Monona Academy in Madison, Wisconsin and graduated with a B.A. degree in 1883 from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Chicago, receiving his M.D. degree in 1888. Between 1890 and 1895, he studied abroad in Uppsala, Prague and Berlin. 

In 1889, Hektoen was appointed as pathologist in the Cook County Hospital, where he served until 1903. In 1889, he was additionally made curator of the museum of Rush Medical College and in 1890 physician to the Coroner's Office of Cook County and lecturer in Pathology at Rush Medical College. In 1898, Hektoen became professor of Pathology at Rush Medical College and in 1901, professor and head of the Department of Pathology at the University of Chicago. He served in these dual capacities until 1932-1933, when he became professor emeritus.

In 1901, Hektoen was president of the American Association of Pathologists and Bacteriologists and in 1929 of the Society of American Bacteriologists. He served as chairman of the Division of the Medical Sciences of the National Research Council in 1924, 1926, and 1929. From 1936 to 1938 he was also chairman of the National Research Council. He also served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public, from 1935-1938. He was chairman of the Section on Pathology and Bacteriology in 1900 and 1901 and was a member of the House of Delegates in 1918 and in 1920 with the American Medical Association. He served the United States Public Health Service from 1934 to 1938 as a member of the National Health Council and from 1937 to 1944 as executive director of the National Advisory Cancer Council.

Former Hektoen house, now the location of the
Bekkum Memorial Library

From 1904 until 1941, he was editor of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. In 1926 he became editor of the Archives of Pathology, serving until 1950. For many years he edited both the Transactions of the Chicago Pathological Society and the Proceedings of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago and served as editorial writer for the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 1894 he wrote a book on post-mortem examination and in 1901 he was co-editor of a textbook of pathology.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Our Savior’s Choirs

By Minnie Holman in 1938

About the time when some of the older members of the present choir were born, and long before the birth of its younger members, the first choir of Our Savior’s Church was organized.

Lenore Stenslien 7/13/11—2/25/98 — 70 years church organist

It was in the year 1889 that the late Theodore Saugstad was instructed by the congregation to organize and conduct a choir. As he was the church organist at the time, under the pastorate of Reverend Christian Nodtvedt, it was only natural that he should also be asked to assume the responsibilities of a choir.

When they first met they had sixteen members, all Norse pioneers. They included the following: Mina Saugstad (Mrs. Anton Running), Ellen Bratlie (Mrs. Andrew Lee), Josie Skaugh (Mrs. Carl Hagen), Clara Saugstad (Mrs. Albert Spellum), J.P. Flugstad, Anton Running, John Sinnes, Andrew Hagen, P.J. Vigdal, Peter Hagen, Hans C. Smerud, Even Saugstad, Søren Larson, Christian Skaugh, P.J. Flugstad, and Bernt Saugstad. In this earliest choir we notice that there were so many more men than women, which isn’t the case with the later choirs. Mrs. Albert Spellum was the soloist at this time.

During the years that Reverend Martin Gulbrandsen was pastor, Theodore Saugstad continued as the director, and the membership increased, the personnel added being as follows: Julia Hagen (Mrs. Ole Leum), Hilda Hagen (Mrs Nordahl Bergum), Julia Saugstad (Mrs. Gerhard Reque), Anna Sinnes (Mrs. Eddie Hanson), Inga Moen (Mrs. Henry Rentz), Olga Moen, Anna Moen ( Mrs. J.A. West), Stella Bratlie (Mrs. Frank Haley), Mrs. Mathias Frederickson (Mrs. Herbert Duxberry), Paula Vassend (Mrs. Melvin Bakken), Willie Bratlie, Joseph Flugstad, Albert Flugstad, and Olaus Flugstad.

In reminiscing some of these members, Anna Hagen (Mrs. Carl Anderson), Clara Hagen (Mrs. Herman Galstad), Millie Larson (Mrs. Neil Dahl), Lettie Larson (Mrs. L. Peterson), Ella Hagen (Mrs. Elmer Blihovde), Olga Lium (Mrs. Pete Swiggum), Martha Lium, Emma Lium (Mrs. Harstad), Mrs. Bernt Saugstad, Nora Bratlie (Mrs. Albert Hallingstad), Malla Holte (Mrs. John Peterson), Hannah Bratlie (Mrs. Harry Foster), Sina Nestingen (Mrs. Even Erickson), recalled that on the 17 of May, in 1897, the horse and buggy age, they drove to Coon Valley to sing at the celebration there at the parsonage. They sang out of the good old books “Frydetoner” and “Harpen.”

In 1907, when Reverend Sybilrud became our spiritual leader, his wife, Mrs. Sybilrud, became the director of a small group of singers, who sang only on special occasions. Those in this choir were: Clara Hagen (Mrs. Galstad), Josie Hagen (Mrs. Bennie Johnson), Stella Bratlie (Mrs. Haley), Mrs. Ole Leum (Mrs. Reuben Hagen), Mr. and Mrs. Bernt Saugstad, Pete Mickelson, Luther Roseland, and Nordahl Olson. Mrs Sybilrud had this choir meet at her home, the parsonage, which was then the home at 216 West State Street, now occupied and owned by Ole Brettingen. 

When Reverend and Mrs. Hofstad were here, there was also a choir. The pastor directed and Mrs. Hofstad accompanied on the organ.

During the pastorate of the Reverend S. O. Rondestvedt, the writer of this article became a member of the choir. Successive directors took charge during this time. We had Swanhild Rondestvedt, Agnes Rondestvedt, Rudolph Fjeldstand, and Blain Running.

In 1924, Mrs. Blanche Hagen became the choir director, and remained faithfully in charge until her death in 1935. She directed the mixed choir and organized a men’s choir, which was very much in demand at that time. A ladies’ sextet was also very active, a group consisting of the following members: Mrs. Phillip Hagen, Mrs. Minnie Holman, Mrs. Ole Leum, Maud Onsrud (Mrs. Norman Nelson), Mrs. Helen Thoreson, and Mrs. Rob Hagen (Blanche Hagen). This sextet sang at the opening program of the WKBH broadcasting station. In the year 1932 Mrs. Hagen became a paid director.

No choir can successfully continue without an able pianist and organist. And, since the year 1918 it was always found necessary to have an accompanist as well as a director. Our Savior’s Church has had for the past six years an able pianist and organist, Mrs. Pearley Stenslien, who never misses a service, funeral or choir practice, and much credit is due her for her faithfulness to duty. Other accompanists have been Olive Hagen, Helen Thoreson, Swanhild Rondestvedt (Mrs. Harry Hoidahl), Harriet Hagen (Mrs. Carmen Olson), Elna Lee, and Mrs. M.A. Egge.

Following Mrs. Hagen’s passing, Mrs. Helen Thoreson became the paid director of all the choirs. She also created a new singing organization, “The Ladies Chorus,” which really did some very fine work. She remained the director of all the choirs during the two years of Reverend Gornitzka’s pastorate up to 1937, when Reverend M.A. Egge came. He then assumed the direction of the mixed choir and the men’s choir, Mrs. Thoreson remaining the director of the Ladies’ Chorus.

Under the Reverend Egge, the choir took on new life and the 1937-1938 choir boasted of fifty-two members as follows: Sopranos, Mmes. Roy Running, Edwin Storbakken, D.M. Langve, Theophil Thoreson, Minnie Holman, Philip Hagen, Earl Evenstad, Orville Traastad, Cyrus Leum, Carl Sherry, and the Misses Beatrice Nundahl, Margelyn Masrud, Almyra Lyhus, Cora Lyhus, Vivian Struxness (Mrs. Manuel Steffrud), Pearl Olson, Jane Saugstad.

Altos: Mmes. Søren Nundahl, M.A. Egge, Victor Bakke, Reuben Hagen, Helen Thoreson, Victor Olson, and Evelyn Lyhus, and the Misses. Elna Lee, Violet Silbaugh, Jane Saugstad, Beulah Bakken, Lilah Flugstad, Ruby Flugstad, Evelyn Rude, Dagny Schee, Pearl Johnson, Mary Ann Peterson, and Dorothy Sherry.

Tenors: Harold Fredericks, Arthur Flugstad, Victor Olson, Neil Nelson, Melvin Lindvig, Hubert Werner, Chester Swiggum.

Basses: Olaus Flugstad, Grant Flugstad, Raymond Flugstad, Taylor Holman, Roy Running, John Erickson, Blaine Pederson, Orbeck Johnson, LeVerne Masrud, Reidar Pederson.

Now these choirs did not remain constant—as there were changes made from time to time, due to change of residence, to attending schools, and other reasons. some who sang at one time or other have not been recorded, as it happens that the particular choir in which they sang was not listed. Among these are the following: Mrs. Alma Bratlie, Mrs. Christian Froiland, Mrs. Erling Holte, Mrs. Myron Thoreson, Arlene Johnson, Stella Barstad, Burdella Berger, Eleanore Swiggun, Esther Swiggum, Stella Swiggum, Ada Hallingstad, Dagmar Lee, Esther Hallingstad, Gladys Hallingstad, Gertrude Dahle, Hjordis Gornitzka, Rachel Sveum, Nellie Olson (Mrs. Peterson), Lois Hagen, Olive Leum, Gladys Olson, Archer Funk, Dick Grimsrud, Harold Ostrem, Joel Ostrem, Harold Erickson, Elton Thoreson, Kenneth Flugstad, Rolf Gornitzka, Reuben Gornitzka, Clarence Justin.

Among the places where the choirs have sung are conventions in La Crosse, Viroqua, Cashton, Westby, Mt. Sterling and Esofea. Smaller groups have from time to time sung at Luther Leagues in the circuit, and at funerals. The choirs have rendered several cantatas, the most recent of which is the “Reformation Cantata,” sung on April 3, 1938, as a concert in the church and the same evening repeating the performance over station WKBH, La Crosse. This cantata is being presented again at our fiftieth church anniversary.

To Agnes Rondestvedt (Mrs. Alvin Snesrud) goes the credit for organizing a Junior Choir in the year 1928, which she directed up to the time of her marriage and subsequent leaving for Los Angeles, California, in 1931. The Juniors were then taken over by Mrs. Minnie Holman, who was the director for four years. It was during these years that this choir each year presented in story and song “The First Christmas Night” at the Christmas Sunday School programs. Mrs. Helen Thoreson was organist for the choir during these renditions.

Among the members of the Junior Choir at that time were the following: Elna Lee, Frances Lee, Ada Hallingstad, Evelyn Hagen, Stella Barstad, Elaine Larson, Eleanore Swiggum, Grace Brothen, Gertrude Dahle, Alvina Johnson, Stella Swiggum, Evangeline Nestingen; Arlene Johnson, Avonelle Swenson, Myra Haakenson, and Clara Evenson. Mrs. Helen Thoreson directed the Junior Choir from 1935 to 1937 when Mrs. M. A. Egge assumed charge up to and including the present time.

No records have been kept except for the past few years, so we had to rely mainly on memories for the data. So if we inadvertently left out someone, it was because those names were not brought to our attention, and we beg your pardon.

WCCU Celebrates 75 years

Eddie Saugstad and son leaving the REA
office that included office space for the
new Westby Cooperative Credit Union

On August 23, the Westby Cooperative Credit Union (WCCU) marked their 75th Anniversary.

WCCU has experienced many changes during the past 75 years in business. They were organized in 1939 by a group Vernon County farmers, H.O. Melby, Orville Lunde, Aloius P. Thelen, Carl Freitag, Mandel Olson, N.F. Leifer and H. S. Halvorson.

The first WCCU organizational meeting was held at the Westby Opera Hall and its articles of incorporation were signed on Aug. 14, 1939. Richard Grimsrud was elected the first board of director president and WCCU’s first ever monthly meeting was held on Sept. 29, 1939, at REA, later named Vernon Electric.

The Fashion Cellar moved into the former

WCCU building that was at one time

the Dr. Bland Clinic and today is the

entrance to the Vernon Telephone Company.

The first WCCU branch operated out of a rented space at REA, now part of Organic Valley, offices at 100 West State Street in downtown Westby. As membership grew they purchased the former Bland Clinic at 110 North Main Street, located north of Vernon Telephone Cooperative. A few year later, WCCU constructed a new building in downtown Westby on the corner of Main and Melby streets, where Westby City Hall is currently located.

In 1965, Larry Anderson was named the WCCU president and the new building was built in 1976, which provided extended service with a drive-up and a parking lot. In 1992, WCCU purchased a piece of property in the Westby Industrial Park on the north end of the city and constructed its current facility. Anderson passed away in 2003 after spending 38 years as president and Kevin Hauser was hired to replace him. WCCU expanded its Westby building in 2006, doubling its size and added an atrium.

WCCU built in 1976, now Westby City Hall

Today, WCCU operates eight branch offices in Westby, Viroqua, Cashton, Reedsburg, Lake Delton, Baraboo and two offices in Richland Center. They have $379 million in assets and continual growing pains, as shown by the recent purchase of a building in Coon Valley. The financial organization currently employs approximately 150 people and serves more than 27,000 members. The Westby office serves as the operation center and provides support to all of the branch offices. October 2014, Coon Valley was added as the ninth branch office.

The current WCCU Board of Directors includes, Bob Dickman (Chairperson), Ron Larson, Bob Devine, Marilyn Hauge, Bruce Stefferud, Monte Torgerson and Alan Berg.

Current Westby Cooperative Credit Union located on North Main Street