Johan (John) Michelet

Johann Michelet Home
Postmaster, Mayor, businessman
Community Action on North Main Street (corner of Main and Melby streets)
is the location today of where this house once was  

On May 3, 1850, Johan Michelet, at age 19, boarded the Incognito in Christiania, Norway bound for New York. He joined the large migration of Norwegians coming to America looking for productive farmland. With gold in his pocket from his father, Johan traveled the waterways to the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. According to an article by Charles Miller, “Michelet arrived in Bad Ax (Vernon) County from Norway in 1850 where he attended Even Olson Gullord’s wedding at Christmas time of that year. He purchased land from Ole Syverson in section 35 but did not settle immediately.” He wrote a letter home informing his parents of his land purchase. He then spent a year working for fur trade magnate Hercules Dousman in Prairie du Chien.

His Parents, Jacob Post Michelet and Gregine Grythe Olsdatter along with their children: Sophie (7), Emil (5), Charles (2), and Johana (4 months) left their home in Lillehammer. On June 27, 1851 they sailed from Christiania arriving in New York nine weeks later. After a long journey they settled on Coon Prairie, where they had two more children Christian, and Elise. On February 19, 1857 Jacob and Johan registered their land, Jacob for 40 acres in section 35 and Johan for 40 acres in section 24. Jacob Post passed away 19 October 1866. Gregine died 5 March 1879. Both are buried in Coon Prairie Cemetery.

Jacob Post was descended from the Michelet family of Metz, France who were French Huguenots. In 1644, two Michelet brothers, Paul and Jacques fled to Norway to avoid Huguenot persecution. Jacob, who was descended from Paul, was the second oldest of four sons and two daughters of Johan Wilhelm Michelet, a Lutheran minister, and Sophie Amalie Tuchsen. Jacob attended military academy in Copenhagen, Denmark and in Oslo, Norway. He settled in Lillehammer as a business man where he met and married Gregine Olsdatter.

Johan (John) Michelet

Johan married Johanane Kværnsturen (daughter of Joe Larson Kværnstuen and Ingeborg Gullord). In 1861 he brought his bride to the home he had built in section 24. There they had seven children: Josephine Georgine, Emilie, Wilhelm Johan, Adela, Charles Jacob and two who died in infancy. Johan became a prominent business man on Coon Prairie. Eventually he also owned land in sections 5, 26 and 35. He farmed until 1881 when he moved his family to a new home in the newly platted Westby Station. He build a warehouse and became the first grain buyer. He was postmaster from 1884-1888 and at the age of 75 operated a general store located at the corner of First and Main. He served as township chairman, assessor, treasurer and represented Westby on the Vernon County Board of Supervisors until 1894. Johan died in 1918 and Johanna 10 years later. Both are buried in Coon Prairie Cemetery.

Sophie Amalie married farmer Thurston Finkle (son of Finkle Finkleson and Anne Tostensdatter). They settled in Viroqua Township where they had three children: Frederick Cecil, Theresa, and George. Around 1900 they moved to San Bernardino, California after purchasing an orange grove. Sophie died March 7, 1924 and is buried in California.

Emil Wilhelm Julian (W.E.J.) attended Northwestern University and Rush Medical College in Chicago. He married Puline Winnifred Kohtz in 1882 and had three daughters: Winnifred, Lillian and Edith. He practiced medicine in Chicago until his death in 1921.

Charles attended Northwestern University and became a lawyer in 1879. He settled in Chicago where the two brothers bought houses next to each other and raised their families on the shores of Lake Michigan. They continued their ties to Westby for many years, where they jointly owned land in section 35. Charles married Annie Gertrude Warder and had three Children: Gertrude Evelyn, Charles Jules, and Elizabeth Warder.

Johanna married Christopher J. Sollie in 1874 and had one daughter, Joanna Christine. Both Johanna and Joanna died in 1878.

Christian Frederick, who was named after Jacob’s brother, died as an infant and is buried in Coon Prairie Cemetery.

Elise married John Johnson and settled in La Crosse.

Today there are seven generations descended from Jacob and Gregine living throughout the United States.

Sandra K. Lawrence

Michele Michelet Boyer