Simen Thoresen Grue

  Research Notes:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See my document .... Family travels from Quebec to Minnosota [written in Aug 2023];
my PC .... Grue Family Tree .... 2nd doc after folders

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canada Passenger Lists, 1865-19221. Birth: Farm location - unclear, possibly Nyland (part of Narjordet østre-eastern) or Narbuvold (Narbuvollen) ... ..

a. 14 April 1823 - Norway's Young Men's Roll (www.Digitalarkivet.uib.no) - gives date and Narbuvollen at the location of birth for Simen

b. 14 April 1823 - Norway Parish Records - Klokkerbok, Os i Tolga, 1815-1844, page 54

- name recorded as Simen Thoresen Naren - father - Tore Jonsen Gruva (likely, although difficult to read); mother - Kari Ingbe.. and then ...? Narbuvoll - difficult to read/make out the witnesses

14 April 1823, bap 22 Jun 1823 at Ous Tolga Ministerialbok, 1815-1836, page 36, no 18

-- Simen Thoresen Narbuvold; father Tore Jonsen, mother Kari Embretsdatter Narbuv...[Narbuv hruf??]; witness; Ingeborg Olsdtr Nar..[?], Eli Persdtr Narjord [?], Knut Knutsen ... [?], .... 2 more names listed, but can't make it out ???

c. 14 April 1823 - Nels Grue

d. 12 April 1823 - 1901 Canada North West Territories Census

e. marriage, 1853 - records his birthplace as Nygard (Nyegard); at marriage, his residence was at Øversjdøl (can't quite make out the sponsors)

f. confirmation, 14 Apr 1823 - Os i Tolga Klokkerbok, page 538-539, line 17 (1st side) Confirmation at Ous Church, 28 May 1840; but no residence given for birth or confirmation; Name is recorded as Simen Thoresen Narjord - Grue;
- in Tolga Ministerialbok confirmations on page 108, place of birth is recorded Gruva; but does not note place of residence in 1840


2. Source: Orville Movold, personal correspondence (summer 1982): indicates that as of 1856, Simen and Olava had lived for two years at Korresjøen (1854-1856); also gives date of Marriage (location is assumed)
+++ marriage date in the Tolga/Os Klokkerbok is 28 March 1853 -- also indicates Simen's birth on Nyegard Øversödal

3. Source: Os bygebok, page 375

- "ledger" or list shows that he left in 1856 for Røros. He had lived/resided for 2 years on Korrsjøen. Left in 1868 for America. [ Oppført som utfl. 1856 til Røros, hadde da oppholdte seg i to år på Korrsjøen. Utfl.1868 til Amerika. ]

----- Tolga-Os Klokkerbok, Utfyttede, 1856 (page 348) - recorded, 23 May 1856 - Simon Thoreson Grue, and gift, Olava Olsdtr both born in 1823 --- leaving for Korsjoen [?] - however, difficult to read - NOTE: this area was in the mountain areas and around 1870, Engerdal parish was created (NOTE there is no recording for parish registers until 1881); this time and likely also around this time vital stat recordings may either be in the Tolga or Røros parish --

Thore and Kjersti are not recorded (doesn't appear that children were listed under any of the enteries on the page)

--- Røros Ministerialbok 1845-1859, page 602, line 5 (under title of 1855), but written June 1854 - Simen Thoresen Grue and Olava Olsdatter, both age 33 <1821> ... [?] but living in the household of Erik Satren in Korsjoen, both born in Tolgen and came from Tolgen [ Erik Satren is likely Erik Eriksen Sagen and his wife, Nillie Olsdtr Røstbakken who was a sister to Olava Røstbakken ]

--- Tolga Ministerialbok 1852-1859, page 333, line 9 (2nd side) -- Simen Thoresen Grue og Olava Olsdtr; 23 May 1856 - ..... lived 2 years on garden in Korsjoen i Røros

- note conflicting information: ???? Kjersti's birth (21 Sept 1854) and baptism are recorded in the Røros, Sør-Trøndelag parish registers - but this is still most likely

Conclusion: it isn't clear if they left Tolgen to Korsjoen and then later to Røros in 1854 or 1856. I am recording on Legacy database the year 1854, but it is very unclear so the surety level is 1 - marginal; however, it appears that by 1856 they had already being living at Korsjøen which at the time was a part of Røros parish - Korsjøen farm is on the north-east edge of the Lake Korsjøen, about 20 kms from Røros


4. Source: 1865 Norway Census has family living at "Bakkene" farm #168b, Røros (Rørass), Sør Trøndelag

- under column Family Postion, "Hussfader" [father of the house]; under the column for Occupation, it is recorded "og Eier Arbeidsmand" - eier is translated as "occupier, owner, or possessor or prop; Arbeidsmand is usually translated as a "male worker or laborer":
-- thus it is not clear if he owned or occupied the farm and if he was a worker on the farm or also worked elsewhere; HOWEVER: from the Norwegian Historial Association website accessed 21 Dec 2013 (see, http://www.stolaf.edu/naha/genealogy/naming.htm) regarding an article titled Norwegian Names

"Sometimes, however, the preposition "på" (meaning "at") was placed between the patronymic and the farm name, indicating that the person in question was employed at that particular farm. Similarly, a tenant farmer (a cotter or husmann) was often listed in the official registers under the name of the farm to which his little home belonged. Sometimes the preposition "under" was put in front of the place-name. In this way, a cotter connected with the farm Lunde might be called Hans Petersen Lunde, or sometimes Lunde-eie (eie = possession), even if his home locally was called something else."

Also, see; http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~anderson1836/norwegian_life.htm, along with the quotes from Theodore Blegen's first volume on Norwegian Migration.
- thus, it would appear that Simen was a "husmænd" or more broadly term, renters or cotters, possibly with a small piece of land that was likely used as a type of garden.



Conclusion : Simen T Grue lived at the farm Bakkene in the Røros clerical district; he was a worker/laborer. It is most likely he worked on the Bakkene farm, but he may also have worked elsewhere (although there is no convincing evidence of this). There is nothing to indicate that he owned a farm or a bruk or that he worked as a farmer; he was more likely a hired hand. He likely lived on the farm Bakkene and worked for the owner of the farm in exchange for a small house/cabin and possibly a small patch of land for a garden. There is nothing to indicate that Simen was "well off". In fact, the family was likely very poor and he barely eked out a living or even had enough to feed, house and clothe his family. But this is not much different from any of our relatives who emigrated and likely not much different from most the husman (or cotters) in Norway at the time.



- Nels Thoresen Grue wrote in his booklet that Simen was a carpenter and made furniture for the Rørøs church - the surety of this "fact" is very marginal, since no source information was given


- . 1865 Norway Census reports Olia at age 8 with "home parish" (Fodested) as Rørass - therefore, family was living in the Røros area prior to 1858, the year of birth for Olia (see note 3 - family left Tolga in 1856). HOWEVER, note that Kjersti is not listed with the family in the 1865 Norway Census - there is a Kjersti Simensd., age 12, born about 1853, born in Tolgens parish as servant (Tjenestepige) to John Johnson family on the farm Vestre Sandmælen (farm # 136), Tolgens BUT it is not confirmed that this is Kjersti Simendsdtr Grue

- NOTE: the 1865 Norway Census recorded the number of horses, cattle, sheep, pigs; BUT nothing is listed on Simen's record; this further leads to the conclusion that Simen T Grue did not own the farm, but was a cotter or peasant living on the farm, possibly a separate house or a section of a "row house";

- There are 36 'farms' recorded as "Bakkene", all with different bruk numbers - some of these do show the owning of cattle

- the photo of Simen's home in Norway before leaving for America is likely a photo of the over-all farm, but uncertain what room/section Simen's family lived in; from the photo it appears there is only one house, a 2-story house, possibly with 2 entrances; there also are a couple of other smaller sheds, one that might be living quarters and maybe attached to the main house (it has a chimney; the other 2 sheds in the front of the photo do not have chimneys; there is a barn, likely for cattle and another that looks like a hay barn
- the caption printed on the photo is: "9980 Røros ældste Gaard" - the number is likely a file number; æsldste is an archaic terms refers to eldste, meaning oldest;
- the surety that this photo is Simen's home prior to leaving for America is very marginable. The information is from Nels Thoresen Grue (1897-1986), but I am not sure where he got the information from, but I believe he received it from some relative in Norway

Jan 2015 - Karen Hansen (Grue) had visited Norway in 1997. She confirmed that the photo is not a photo of the home of Simen T Grue and that Nels Grue's record is not correct; the photo is simply a photo of the oldest farmstead in the Røros area.



5. Source: Ministerialbok, Sør-Trøndelag, Røros Parish

- Olea, birth 18 February 1858; baptism 1 April 1858; - godparents Christian Hansen Korsjoen, Peder Torgersen Sorken, Iver Olfsen (?) Graadal (?), Beret ...datter Soken, Eva Christiansdtr Korsjoen; Røros 1858 births/baptisms, page 122 (Ministerialbok, 1845-1859) - - Niels, birth 11 June 1861; baptism 16 June 1861; godparents - none listed (there is a notation, but can't read it); 1861 births/baptisms, page 13 (1860-1878) -- see sources under his name - Cornelius, birth 21 April 1863; baptism 25 May, 1863; - godparents listed - can not make out the names; 1863 births/baptisms, page 23 (1860-1878)

- lists Simen, Olava, Kirsti, Olea, Cornelius, Oline Sophie leaving parish for America, recorded 3 March 1868; Utflyttede, page 507


6. Source: www.norwayheritage.com and www.collectionscanada.ca (National Archives, Canada), Quebec Passengers List , Reference RG 76, Microfilm # C-4523 ; see point 7

- family (Simen, Olava, Cornelius, Kirsti, Olea, Oline) emigrated in 1868 on board the ship, SS Caroline, from Christiania (Olso) 19 April, 1868 and arrived at Quebec on 6 June 1868; Oline is listed as 9 months old - birthdate would then be abt Sept or Oct 1867 - Thore Simenson Grue, born 1853 is not listed with the family (Emigrants from Throndheim has him listed as registered on 18 Mar 1869 on the ship SS Norway on route to Newcastle, England) - have not been able to determine what boat he took to Quebec

- Library and Archives Canada - family surname indexed as Grus [but in Aug 2023, corrected to "Grue"
Ship Caroline, year 1868 (June); port Quebec; page 10, line 213 [no images in Aug 2023 ]

- Ancestry.com (not indexed), page 9 [20 Aug 2023 - Ancestry changed and grouped all together the year 1868, some
300 pages - I would have to scroll through to each page ]

6. a. Emigrant protocol from Olso; I believe this is the "police leaving lists" but I can't make out a way to search this, other than page by page and it seems that there are 'different lists for the different stations' ??? I reviewed starting at image 49, 27 Apr 1868, and went back, then at image 33, it went to 1867 an then at image 27, blank, then image 26 which is 29 Apr ???
- so, I don't know - also can't find a search list - although awhile back I found a link to a search process [see Peter Johnson Skaret's research page ]
link, to the first sentence above, image 49; https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/43608/49

[ noted: 18 Aug 2020 - the 'hint' came from ' trekthrutime ' blog but the owner doesn't seem to idenitfy herself - I came across this on facebook, 'Swedish American Genealogy' group ]


Oslo politidistrikt, SAO/A-10085/E/Ee/Eef/L0001: Emigrantprotokoll, 1867-1868
Quick link [this is a direct link] : https://www.digitalarkivet.no/em20110222610055
Image: 52 [page on the left side
family number 137: Simen T Grue and family from Røros
- top of page fam no 134: Tobias T Movoal


7. www.norwayheritage.com --- note on the Ship Caroline, arriving at Quebec, 6 June 1868
; boarding on 19 Apr 1868 at Christiania / Oslo
-
[ https://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=carol ;; last access, 20 Aug 2013 ]
[ http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_list.asp?jo=320 - links to list for the ship Caroline]
[ search, "Ships" ... "Caroline" ... click on 1868 ... line 10 .... click on list .... then, on the left scroll to "210" -
Simen Thorsen Grue, age 45, from Røros; 211 - Olava, age 45; 212 - Cornelius age 4; 213 - Kirsti, age 13;
214 - Olea age 9; 215 - Oline age 9 mos ]
[ then on lines 191-197 - Tobias Torgerson Movald [Movold] ...... is his research page ]

A letter from L Stafford (assumed to be an official with the Canadian Government emigration) to The Baron Falkenberg of the Norweigian Consulate in Quebec:

- the ship Caroline arrived and is ready to embark a party of Norwegian emigrants/passengers destined to the Western States (88 people; 64 adults)
- BUT: they have no means to pay their fares to the West or to provide for daily needs
- the Gov't of Canada no longer supports temporary relief (apparently a change in policy) - thus "...unable to render these poor people any assistance."
- the Captain of the Caroline plans to land them in the city this PM, but "...our sheds are already fully occupied and we have no room for their accommodation"
- L Stafford suggests the Norwegian consulate "...may enable...some means of affording them protection and relief"

--- The Baron Falkenberg reply:

- the emigrants have not complained of a "breach of contract" - thus, "I can officially take no notice of them."
- I must advise the Captain to land his passengers and if overcrowding or fevers break out, "...the responsibility does certainly not fall on my shoulders"

--- see [ my docs - Simen T Grue for a transcription and other information, "The Bark Caroline
updated 25 Sept 2010 ]

25 May 2014
- the above information does not indicate what happened after this report. In 2010, I had not been able to find any other information on-line
- although the above report does not name Simen [or Tobias Movold] without funds to travel west, it is likely that was the case; if he did have some it was unlikely it was sufficient; perhaps the family had to stay for a bit in order to do some work to get some money or maybe they had to borrow or had enough to get part way and then they had to work for awhile to finish the journey to Iowa.


Canada Passenger Lists: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/passenger-lists/passenger-lists-quebec-port-1865-1900/Pages/search.aspx

8. 1870 US Census : Simen T Grue is not listed as living in Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN nor any other twp in Otter Tail Co (this is from a review of the census images on genelogy.com, Feb/06); also family is not indexed on (genealogy.com or ancestry.com) for MN, IA, or WI (was not identified by review of the census images for Highland Twp, Winneshiek Co, IA, or Waterloo Twp or parts of Lansing twp, Allamakee Co, IA) ---- either they were traveling to MN or they were simply not enumerated because they weren't at home

+++ ancestry.com. 7 Feb 2009; not identified by review of Rushford Twp, Fillmore Co; Spring Grove Twp, Houston Co
+++ 22 Feb 2013, couldn't the record for Tordenskjold Twp, at http://archive.org/stream/10thcensus0629unit#page/n2/mode/1up

*** family history records/understandings (in particular, booklet by Nels Thoreson Grue - father was Thore Simenson Grue whose father was Simen Thorsen Grue) - indicates the family first spent time at/near Decorah, IA (Winneshiek or Allamake Co?) before moving to the north shore of Stalker Lake, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN
*** a recording of Nels Mikkelson in Hawley, MN by mom and dad (Oliver Grue) about 1977 indicates that Simen and Thore Grue "...had land connections there" [ in Iowa ]
*** 10 Nov 2012 --- Oliver Olson's obit mentions his family first coming to Lansing, IA and to Otter Tail by covered wagon; John Mason's book, first settling at Winneshiek Co, IA for about 1 year; and John Mason's book under Carl Edward Olson says the family spent time at Waterloo Ridge, Winnieshiek Co, and later traveled by rail to St Cloud, and then to Otter Tail by ox and wagon)

++++ see notes under Elias Hanson Narjord - this is the most likely place where they spent some time



+++ Oliver Olson Obituary, Fergus Falls Daily Journal, 8 May 1924 (Oliver's father was Esten Olsen Narjord and his mother, Ingeborg - Ingeborg was a sister to Olava)

-- description of "...the hardships and adventures..." written a "short time" before his death, but speaks of the time at Otter Tail Co

- "That winter, 1870-1871 we lived with the family of Simon T. Grue in a dugout in a hill, there being 10 people occupying this dugout, 14x16 feet in size, one story, with a fireplace dug out of the highest end wall with a hole up through for a smokestack. Each family had a cow, not milking, but we were all happy and contented, for we had plently of deer meat, ducks, and fish. Whenever we wanted venison all we had to do was to go to some woods and drive the deer out and kill it, much the same as you now drive a steer to be slaughtered...."


+++ [ 10 Nov 2012 ] but see below "BLM Track Books" - in Otter Tail Co in Sep 1870

Since I haven't been able to locate Simen T Grue's family in the 1870 census, it could be assumed that they were travelling at the time of the enumeration [1 Jun 1870]. However, based on the above description of the dugout by Oliver Olson, it seems that the family would have arrived in the later fall of 1870, possibly October or even into November. The reason for this is that it would seem to be too difficult to dig a dugout much later due to the winter weather and the coming of frost. It also seems unlikely that the family would have arrived in the summer (even July or Aug), since they did not build a log or a sod type of house for shelter for the winter. The area around Stalker Lake would likely have been heavily treed, and so it would seem that a log house could easily have been built. What explanation would there be for building a dugout shelter? One explanation was that they arrived too late in the fall and they did not have enough time to cut and hew logs and build before the arrival of the snow and cold temperatures.

But why did the families wait until the fall to leave the Waterloo Ridge area of northern Iowa? A possible explanation was that the men (and perhaps women) were working on area farms, helping (and getting some supplies) area farmers with the fall harvest. Although not confirmed, there is a possibility that Thore had been working on an area farm in 1870 ( 1870 US Census : T. Simenson, age 16, a farm labor to Anders Olson and wife Bertha both born in Norway, dwelling 127, family 125; age 16 <1854>, born in Norway; enumeration on 30 Jul; Springfield Twp, Winnishiek Co; page 19 ancestry. There is another possibility, but again not confirmed, that Oliver Olson was working on a farm in Fillmore Co ( 1870 US Census, Rushford Twp, Fillmore Co, MN (page 6 -- page 21 on page 19, ancestry.com; 7 Feb 2009; enumeration on 12 Aug] - lists Oliver Olson, age 18, born in Norway - - working as a farm laborer for Robert McLeod


[ 22 Apr 2019 ] If they had a wagon, it would have probably taken them about 8 weeks to travel from the Waterloo Ridge area of Allamakee Co, IA to the Stalker Lake area in Otter Tail Co, MN. This time estimate is based on the travels of the Ole Iver Berg family from Fillmore Co, MN to Lake Park in Becker Co, MN - it took them about 7 weeks during latter part of May and early July 1871 (see the PDF file, under Ole Iver Berg folder on my PC).

Simon and family, along with the Esten Olsen Narjord family, would likely have taken a similiar route as Ole Iver Berg.



*** SEE point 12, and my hypothesis: at least some members of the family arrived at Stalker Lake by the first
part of Sep 1870. It is possible they staked the homestead land, and then the families arrived later.





9. 1875 MN State Census , Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co (indexed under Scrambler Twp) -- ancestry.com, p 2; [scanned 11 March 2009]

- has Simen Thoreson Grue family listed - indexed as Simon Thoreson Grae - Note: Thore, is listed as Thore Simensen - ancestry.com also has this listed under Scrambler Twp, Otter Tail Co (Pelican Rapids area)

++ Scrambler Twp incorrect: [ 5 Jun 2016], See FamilySearch.org images - image 1, 2nd side is the first page for Tordenskjold Twp (image 1, 1st side is the last page for Scrambler Twp)


10. 1880 US Census : lists Simen T Grue and family living in Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN; also listed with Simen's household is the Marit Korsoen family as boarders, Tobias J Grue, age 27, as a farm worker [Tobias was a nephew of Simen], and Peder O Kulberg, age 11, as a farm worker
[enumeration date for the 1880 census, was 1 Jun 1880]


11. 1885 MN State Census has Simen and Olava at Stoney Brook Twp, Grant Co, MN;
image 70, on Ancestry: family 43
Simon Grue, age 62 b in Nor
Olava Grue, age 62 b in Nor
then, family 44

Thore Simonson, age 31 b in Nor
Berit, age 23 b in Nor
son Simon, 3 mos b in MN
then, Cornelius, age 22 b in Nor
Sophia, age 17 b in Nor
then, Emil Fast .....

Thore is using the surname Simonson, not Grue - this is also the surname used on 1884 Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Platt; and some of the land records viewed at Fergus Falls, Otter Tail Co, Recorder's office.


12. Land ; US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (www.glorecords.blm.gov)

- homestead title issue date of 30 December 1878; NE & SE of Sec 29 and W1/2, NW of Sec 28, 132 Twp, Range 41, West of the 5th; Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail

- Grant Co Courthouse, Elbow Lake, MN [May 2008] -- I viewed Simon's homestead issue under the "Timber Culture" -- requiring the planting of certain number of trees; BUT not on website; in May 2008 I did not record all details, thinking I could get if from the website.

BUT BLM website accessed 12 Jul 2014: Timber Culture patent on line ;;
Track Book, MN Vol 72-73 (twp 129-130, range 32-47W), likely Vol 73, page 95 (bottom of page)
- T C - 74.80 acres, paid $10.00, 31 Jul 1877 (receipt 200), final ? Mar 14, 1888

- SE¼SW¼ of Sec 18, Twp 130N, Range 43W of 5th Meridian (40 acres) and Lot/track 5 of Sec 18 (34.80 acres)
- Total of 74.80 acres; Land Patent certificate issued 4 Mar 1890
- it is on this land that Simen and Thore built the house and the barns and planted trees, etc. - this land area was/is flat prairie
- Thore S Grue purchased the land just to the south of sec 18 - Thore owned the W half of Sec 19 or the NW & NE of Sec 19 (Nels Grue booklet says that he had purchased a half-section in 1876 (in 1904 Plat, John Grue and Oliver Olson) has land on the NE quarter of Sec 19 )

-------------------- BLO Track Books; for links see, http://genealogysearchtip.blogspot.ca/2013/01/guide-to-blm-tract-books.html
see, FamilySearch.org; BLO Track Books, Minnesota (considered an Eastern State); Vol 74, page 218; link for Simen Grue :
;;; "Guide book" link, see, https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States,_Bureau_of_Land_Management_Tract_Books_Coverage_Table_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

Link for Thore Simensen: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32493-29587-46?cc=2074276&wc=M7WW-S68:356163101,356180601

link to Otter Tail Co, homestead, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99W3-39ST-4?i=217&wc=M7WW-S68%3A356163101%2C356180601&cc=2074276
- on this page and just above Simen, is SE/NW, Thore Simonsen Jul 2 & Sep 3, 1870. It isn't clear what this is making reference to


Minnesota (considered an Eastern State); Vol 74, page 218
Land Patent - issued 30 Dec 1876 BLO website) - Otter Tail Co
- homestead requirements met [?] - therefore the Final certicate # of 1652, date: 29 Sept 1876
- Date of sale (receipt #1043): 5 Dec 1870, Simen T Grue , 160 acres ($1.25 per acre), but total purchase - $10.00; page 218; the "date of sale" likely refers to the date that $10 was paid, and the homestead land was recorded in Simen's name
- my hypothesis: Simen and/or Thore had come to section 28 in the summer or early fall of 1870; along with Esten Olsen built a shelter (dug-out) in the fall since it must have been built before frost. Simen, along with a number of relatives, traveled in Dec 1870 to Alexandria, Douglas Co, MN to the US General Land Office and filed a homestead claim and paid a $10.00 fee; date of the payment on the claim was 5 Dec 1870.

Land Patent - issued 1 Jan 1882 (BLO website) -- see plat book, 1884 - Sec 28
- Date of sale (receipt #1919): 19 Sep 1878, Thore Simensen , 29.75 acres, at $2.50/acre for a total of $74.38
BUT on the line for Simen, just above is written ; SE NW Thore Simensen July 2, Sep 3, 1870 ** this implies that the family arrived in Otter Tail Co no later than Sept 3 (it is possible that Thore had travelled to Tordenskjold Twp in July); just prior to this is written, D.S. (or maybe D.O.) 1749 [ I'm not sure if this is the receipt? ] and in faint handwriting "lots S of 29.75";

N½NW and SE NW, Sec 28 (Simen Grue); Lot 3 - 29.75 acres on SE NW, Sec 28 (Thore Simensen)
- see 1884 plat

The Homestead Act of 1862 (from wikipedia):
The intent of the first Homestead Act, passed in 1862, was to liberalize the homesteading requirements of the Preemption Act of 1841.
The homestead was an area of public land in the West (usually 160 acres or 0.64 km2) granted to any US citizen willing to settle on and farm the land for at least five years. The law (and those following it) required a three step procedure: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. Anyone who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government (including freed slaves) and was at least 21 years old or the head of a household, could file an application to claim a federal land grant. The occupant had to reside on the land for five years, and show evidence of having made improvements.
Homestead Act

Homestead: (from, http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Homestead.html)
Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land. After six months of residency, homesteaders also had the option of purchasing the land from the government for $1.25 per acre. The Homestead Act led to the distribution of 80 million acres of public land by 1900.

Conclusion: Simen T Grue along with his family arrived at the homestead in Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail County in early Sept 1870.
(note that daughter Kjersti was confirmed in 1870 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Spring Grove, MN; also daughter Olia was confirmed in 1872

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter Tail Co, Vol 74
-- on page 218, is the entry for Nils Mikkelson, purchase 8 Dec 1870; Iver Mikkelson, purchase 9 Dec 1870; and, Mikkel Nilsen, purchase 8 Dec 1870 (but no earlier date)
- on page 217, is Tobias Movold, purchase 5 Dec 1870; Essten Olsen Narjord purchase 5 Dec 1870 (but no earlier date)
- on page 219, is Nils Svendson Jordet, purchase 5 Dec 1870 (but no earlier date)
- on page 215, is Ole T Movold, purchase 5 Dec 1870 (but no earlier date)
- there are a number of people purchasing homestead land in Otter Tail on the date of 5 Dec 1870: Christofer Tomas Sorgard (p219), Torger Knudsen Joten (p219), Knut N Dahlen (p219), Ole Hansen Ihlseng (p219), Michael C Olsen (p217; SE¼ Sec 25), Tosten Stenenson (p219, paid 19 apr 1871)


Grant Co, Vol 73
- on page 96 is Oliver Olsen, homestead, initial date (squatting ?) Apr 28, 1877; then 11 Dec 1878 paid $10 (receipt 4680), then "changed to cash 2 Dec 1885 (receipt 3070)
- on page 96 is Tobias J Grue, Timber Culture, 24 Mar 1882 (receipt 1254), but then cancelled by ...?... 3 May 1886 (receipt 52667)


13. Emigrated to Canada in 1894 to the Armena, Alberta district (travelled with son, Thore and family)

Simon and Olava travelled with their son Thore and his family. They were the first settlers in this area (the Ole T Movold family arrrived a few days later). For a number of years the community was known as Scandia and later as Tordenskjold; the first church in the community was named Scandia Lutheran Church and the first school was named Tordenskjold. The present place name of Armena was given when the railroad station was opened in 1911 (the first Post Office opened in the community in 1917).

- see, http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=856277 ; Place Names of Alberta. Volume III. Central Alberta [ Oct 2022 - this may be on the U of C digital collections, but I haven't looked for it]


14. Source: 1901 Canada Census: NWT, District Alberta [202], sub-district Pretty Hill [schedule 1, page 1]

- family surname is misspelled as Ghore

1901 Canada Census

- on the schedule #2 (Buildings and Lands, Churches, Schools) for NE quarter of Sec 12, Twp 48, Range 21 [line 11]: number of families in house is 1, number of rooms in house is 1, number of dwellings 1 -- number of barns, sheds, outhouse - none (small line - liking indicating nothing or none); grand total of acres (Real Estate owned) is 160


15. Source: Western Land Grants (1870-1930); www.collectionscanada.ca);

- homestead: NE, Sec 12, Twp 48, Range 21, W4 (date title issued - letters patent: 23 Dec 1902); Armena, AB

Alberta Homestead: CO (Commissioner's Office, Department of the Interior, Winnipeg, Man.file# 369110 Provincial Archives of Alberta [ see PDF, Simen T Grue folder ]

NE Sec 12, Twp 48, Range 21, W4th

- document: Application for a Homestead Entry , dated 9 June 1894 at Wetaskiwin
-- nationality - Norway; where from - Minnesota; previous occupation - farmer; Number in family - 2

- document: Affidavit in support of Claim for a Homestead Entry [ see PDF file - Simen Grue ]
-- "Subscribed and Sworn to this 9 day of June 189 4 befor me, Thos B. Fergu[u?]m Local Agent"
-- Simon T Grue - signature

- document: Statement Made by Simen T Grue ... concerning the improvement, cultivation and so forth....
--- signed with an "x" (with the notation, "his mark') 15 March 1901; however, the "land agent" is not noted - bottom part of the page or the second page is not included in the file

- document: Statement Made and Sworn to by Thore S Grue for his Father, Simen Thorensen Grue ; signed by Thore on 16 Aug 1902
--- Thore S Grue (with some type of diacritical symbol above the letter "e""
--- Jac McDiarmaid, the Homestead Inspector, has written, "This old man is paralyzed and I could not take his ..... so therefore made us of his son who lives on the adjoining 1/4 ...."
--- from this, it appears the Simen was not present on 16 Aug 1902

- witness statements by John E Broen and Martin Steen



16. Death

- for Simen - have not been able to locate any written obit -- Edmonton Bulletin or Camrose Canadain for 1903 is not on AB digitization project

- for Olava - death notice only in Camrose Canadian [ Aug 2010 - the Alberta Digitization website has some type of error, since only a few pages from Feb or March 1919 load --- will need to view microfilm copies of this time frame ]


17. History of School District #17 (from Otter Tail Historical Sociey Archives ) & Fergus Falls Daily Journal, 17 Aug 1970 - Reunion of School district 1417 (old 71)

- on 24 Dec 1871, a petition for a school in the East Tordenskjold was made - some of the early settlers were Esten Olson
- on 26 July 1876, school district organized - the first term was taught at the home of Esten Olson (the second school board was chaired by Esten Olson)
- in 1877, log school house was built on section 23, although the 1884 Plat shows the school on the north half of the NW quarter of Section 26 - about 0.5 mile from Esten Olson's home


18. History - The Evangelical Lutheran Tordenskjold Congregation (from Otter Tail Historical Society) [file - binder - Tordenskjold]

- 28 July 1871 - an organizational meeting was held; 153 members
- 7 Aug 1871 - first officers were elected - one of the Trustees was Iver Mikkelson
- 27 Feb 1873 - building committee "empowered" to build a framed main building (18 feet by 26 and 1 1/2 stories with an addition 14 by 18 ft, 1 story) instead of a log building; each settler was to bring 100 feet of lumber instead of logs; one member of the building committee was S. Grue
- it is noted that the 1st business meeting on 3 July 1879 [implies the building wasn't used or possibly not completed until 1879]
- basement was built in 1903
- meeting of 7 Mar 1904, it was "resolved" that the church and cemetery were to be "fittingly dedicated" during the year - Professor Sven Oftedal to be engage [from Augsburg Seminary]
- location is/was about 1 mile from the junction of County highway #39 and #35; SE of the NE Quarter of Sec 18; the 1884 Plat shows a parsonage close to the church buildings
- in 1924, the orginal church was destroyed by fire
- 30 July 1924 - planning committee to rebuild the church - one member C E Olsen; new church was dedicated on 25 June 1927
- Affiliatations: 1871-1890 - Norwegian Lutheran Conference (Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference) ; 1890-1896 - United Lutheran Church; 1897- - Lutheran Free Church
- first baptism 3 Nov 1871; first burial, 5 Feb 1872; first marriage; 1 Nov, 1871; first confirmation, 9 Sept 1872
- pastors -- .... T. Moen, 1885 (temporarly) .... [A Vold also served temporarly in 1885]

19. History of Tordenskjold Twp (from Otter Tail Historical Society)

- first organized as Blooming Grove township on 8 Sept 1869
- 10 May 1870 - name changed to Tordenskjold Township; it had 30 legal citizens (or properties), although population of 1870 was given as 140 and in 1875 as 536 and in 1880 as 444 (www.jsenterprises.com/ottertail/townships/tordenskjold.htm)
- Otter Tail Co seat was first located at Tordenskjold on 28 Feb 1870 with plans to build county buildings (at least a court house and jail at a cost of $1000) at Hoff's Mill's - a small nucleus of buildings, including a sawmill, general store and residence (a dam had also been constructed here, but it was washed away uring a heavy rainstorm in July 1874); the "town of Tordenskjold" location is at the very close to the junction of Back Lake Road and County highway #39; the Otter Tail Co seat was re-located to Otter Tail City on 16 Feb 1871; in 1872 the county seat was moved to Fergus Falls
- Tordenskjold's post office was not located at Hoff's Mills; 1884 Plat for Tordenskjold puts the PO on the north 1/2 of the SE of Section 29, just off the road (likely the initial road way for present County highway #39) on land owned by Niels Prestlien (son of Mikkel and brother to Iver Prestlien)
- School District # 20, called Rolling Prairie School, was organized on 14 Mar 1871, located on the NW quarter of Section 29 just off present County highway #39 and about .5-1 mile south of the junction with 180th Street - this was only about a mile (cross-country from Simen Grue's home place); initially a log building, with a frame building built in 1890 - when the school was closed, the building was moved to the "treshing grounds" museum at Dalton
- 5 April 1870 - first town meeting held - officers elected - one of the Supervisors was T Movold and "Overseer of Highways" for District 2 was Tobias Movold
- firsts - T Movold and E Olson shot the first bear; they also built the first bridge; Oliver Olson bought the first organ
- 25 Nov 1879 - first passenger train arrived at Fergus Falls - initially the St Paul and Pacific Railroad, then St Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad, and then Great Northern Railroad
- first white settlers were Christrofer and Peter Jensen (Danish) in 1866 - sections 17 & 18

20. names extracted from the orginal land records (by John Nelson) and Mason's history (by Karen Terry) --- Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN [ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mnottert/townships/tordenskjold.htm ]
--- Grue, Simen T; Movold, Ole T, Tobias; Narjord, Essten; Simonsen, Thore







21. General
- from https://seenorway.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/bergstaden-roros/ ; the blogger says in Jul 2013 "Røros is way out there, and it's freezing cold during winter. Temperatures may drop to minus 40-50 degrees C and through summer is usuall between 10-20 plus allthough it has been upwards to 30 plus on occasions. But it's on UNESCO's list of 'world heritages', thus there are a lot of tourists coming in. And annually (when the dog sledge rides start out) it's mayhem! ..... Beside it's a place with 'records'! The lowest temperature registered is (if my recollection is right) minus 51,1 deg Celsius and the warmest somewhere about 31 degrees pluss Celsius." ^{76,81,108,109,110,111,112,113}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Migration - 1854, 1854, Tolga, Hedmark, Norway. ¹¹⁴ Family leaving Os/Tolga parish for Korsjoen and arriving in Røros Parish

2. Residence -1854, Jun 1854, Røros, Sør Trondelag, Norway. ¹¹⁵ Living at Korsjøen on the farm/hus of Erik Eriksen Satren (Sagen)

3. Residence - 1865, 1865, Røraas, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. ¹¹⁶

4. Emigration, 1868: Leaving Tolga parish for North America, 31 Mar 1868, Røros, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. ¹¹⁷ Family leaving Røros parish in Sør Trondelag county, Norway for North America, but for many years he and his family lived in Tolga parish. Thus I have included him in the: Leaving Tolga Parish hashtag#

5. Emigration - 1868: Migration - leaving Kristiania, 17 Apr 1868, Kristiania, Norway. ^118,119

6. Migration - 1868, 8 Jun 1868, Quebec, Quebec, Canada. ¹²⁰ Family arriving in North America at Quebec on the ship SS Caroline

7. Homestead - 1870, 1870, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²¹ Homestead Land purchase dated 5 Dec 1870; N½NW of Sec 28 and SE of NW of Sec 28, Twp 132N, Range 41W of 5th Meridian (Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, MN)

8. Residence - 1875, 1 May 1875, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²²

9. Homestead Land Purchase - 1877, 1877, Stony Brook Twp, Grant Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²³ SE¼SW¼ of Sec 18, Twp 130N, Range 43W of 5th Meridian (40 acres) and Lot/track 5 of Sec 18 (34.80 acres); Total of 74.80 acres; Timber Culture authority

10. Land Patent - 1878, 1878, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁴ The actual Land Patent Certificate was issued on 30 Dec 1878 through the Alexandria Land Office, Minnesota (US General Land Office - Bureau of Land Management)

11. Residence - 1880, 1 Jun 1880, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁵

12. Land Plat - 1884: East half of NE Sec 29, Twp 132N, Range 41; W half of NW, Sec 28 and NE of NW quarter of Sec 28, Twp 132N, Range 41; US Land Patent, 1884, Tordenskjold Twp, Otter Tail Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁶

13. Land Patent - 1884: SE 1/4 of SW & Lot 5, Sec 18, Twp 130, Range 43, W 5th; US Land Patent - Timber Culture, 14 Mar 1884, Stony Brook Twp, Grant Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁷

14. Residence - 1885, 1 May 1885, Stony Brook Twp, Grant Co, Minnesota, United States. ¹²⁸

15. Migration - 1894: Arrived at 2 AM, 17 May 1894, Armena, Alberta, Canada. ⁹⁰

16. Residence - 1899, 1899, Armena, Alberta, Canada. ¹²⁹

17. Residence - 1901, 31 Mar 1901, Pretty Hill district (Armena), Alberta, Canada. ¹³⁰

18. Land Patent - 1902: Homestead patent obtained, 23 Dec 1902, Armena, Alberta, Canada. ^131,132

Simen married Olava Olsdatter Røstbakken, daughter of Ole Olsen Vestgård Røstbakken and Kirsti Nilsdatter Søndmør, on 28 Mar 1853 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway.¹⁰³ (Olava Olsdatter Røstbakken was born on 25 May 1823 in Øversjødalen, Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ¹³³, baptized on 13 Jul 1823 in Øversjødalen, Tolga, Norway,¹³⁴ died on 25 Jan 1919 in Armena, Alberta, Canada ^135,136 and was buried in Jan 1919 in Old Skandia Cemetery, Armena, Alberta, Canada ¹⁰⁷.)