|
|
There was a great commotion aboard ship as the shore of Norway came into sight. Amid the excitement and cheers Charles Austin moved to a point where he could gaze upon the distant shore. It had been 41 years since he had seen this view. In 1860, when he was nine years old, they had been going the opposite direction to a place his parents called "Amerika". He gazed at the Norwegian shoreline and remembered the words of his aging mother in Colton, South Dakota. "You must visit the great falls at Rjukan and climb Mt. Gausta . Most important, you must visit farm Tveito."
"What shall I call myself in Norway", he thought to himself. "I left this country as Kjetil Tovsen Bøkaase . Now I am Charles Austin". In America, Kjetil became Charles and his father's last name, Østensen, quickly changed to Austensen, then just Austin. Thus, for most of his life he was Charles Austin.
He thought back on the year 1860. Throughout the winter the family prepared for the great journey to America. His mother had two brothers that were pioneers in Decorah, Iowa and she was the one that wanted to go there. His mother had not seen her brother Gunnulv since he left for America in 1841. He pioneered at Muskego in Wisconsin, signed the Muskego Manifesto, and eventually moved on to Ridgeway near Decorah. In the spring of 1860 Charles and his family set off from farm Bökaase near the great falls at Rjukan, down the old mountain road along the river, and toward Lake Tinn (Tinnsjø). They passed by farms Tveito, Ingolvsland, Dale, Miland, Einung, and others. Mount Gausta towered over them, behind them, as they moved to the lake. It was Tveito that Charles remembered clearly. His mother, Astrid Kjetilsdatter Tveito, had looked back on Tveito and recalled the time when her family left Tveito for good. Astrid's mother, Aagoth Gunnulvsdatter Tveito had inherited Tveito. She was married to Kjetil Kjetilsen Gjøystdal who came to Tveito. Some bad business decisions were made and they had to sell the farm. Thus began the downward spiral that led to the life of cotters . As he grew up, Charles often heard his mother talk of leaving Tveito. "Mother carried Halvor, led me by the hand, and wept." His mother never forgot the day, and his father would say bluntly, "Tveito can endure". On the shores of Lake Tinn (Tinnsjø) they said their good-byes. They were wearing their finest clothing so that the last memories would be pleasant memories. Four children made the journey, but five were left buried in Tinn.
The journey to America had been an easy journey for the times . In 1860 Captain H. Iversen mastered the ship Amelia from Porsgrunn to Quebec. She arrived at Quebec on June 4, 1860. A letter was sent to the newspaper by the grateful passengers to praise the Captain and the ship. The Amelia arrived in Quebec "all passengers healthy and satisfied." Many from Tinn and Granshered signed the letter to the newspaper including Greger Herbjørnsen Bøen, Kittil T. Klokkergaarden, Anders O. Tvedten, Halvor K. Kaase, Halvor O. Sagflaati, John P. Rui, Halvor O. Sjøetvedt, Gjermund T. Dale, Niels Østensen Bøen, Torjer G. Molflaati, Ole O. Vastvedt, Helge H. Bøen, and Ole Gregardsen Bøen. To be sure, there wasn't much the people from Tinn had to cook, mostly coffee. Otherwise they had mostly lefse, cheese, soft cheese, butter, dried meat, and cured meat. The journey took them to Winona, MN where they were to be left off. However, the boat took them nearly to St. Paul before the mistake was noticed. The entire party was dumped on a sandbar and told to wait for the boat to return the next day. Charles recalled how his father liked to talk about "the mosquitoes that left us anemic". Finally, they came to Winona and the journey to Rushford began by wagon. Charles thought back, remembering that it was a great adventure for a nine year old, but only the oldest, those who couldn't walk, were allowed to ride in the wagons. Finally, they arrived in Greenfield, MN. Many in the party would end their journey here, among the "Telers".
In 1860, around Greenfield, later to be named Harmony, could be found Østein Mæland, Herbjorn H. Ingulvsland, Knut Pedersen Husevol, Jon Jonsen Kasen and his three sons, Herbjorn Gregardsen Bøen, Gunuv Bruflaat, Jon and Tov Krosso, Nils Gausta the painter, Helleck, Ole, and Sondre Maarum, Ole, O. Maarum. Many from the party ended their journey here but Charles parents visited a few days, then pushed on to Ridgeway. Jon Mæland provided the transportation for the 20 that went on to Iowa.
Around Ridgeway, near Decorah, Iowa, were Charles uncles Gunnulv and Halvor Kjitilsen, Torgier, Tov, and Gunliek Torgiersen Mogen (Såheimsmogen). Also there were Knut, Jon, and Alv Vesset; Jacob Knutsen, Niels Vemork, Kjittil Sondresen, Torgrim, and Ole Tveito (not his mother's relatives).
Charles Austin stood on the deck and gazed at the Norwegian shore, deep in thought and reflecting back to a time 41 years earlier. His parents were $100 dollars in debt when they arrived in America. There was no turning back. His father, Tov, didn't spare himself or the children. Tov was a master at haying from the very beginning, and there was lots of hay. It was quite different from haying in Tinn, hacking away with a short-handled scythe between the rocks. Charles and his brother Østen were almost immediately sent away to live and work with others. Østen went up to Greenfield (Harmony) and hired out to Gjermond Kasen for $16 a month. He worked as a full-grown man managing six teams of oxen to turn the sod for the first time.
The great journey did not end at Ridgeway. Five years later the Austin family loaded all their possessions in wagons and moved to Harmony. Another ten years would pass and the family would pack up again and join a wagon train of settlers moving to Colton, South Dakota. Some years later, Ole Rölvaag would write a book about such a journey, of settlers moving from Fillmore County, MN to the Colton area. Charles thought back on his pioneer mother, thought to himself that "finally this family had stopped moving". His mother and father had sacrificed to bring the family to America. They had outlived most of the pioneers, despite the constant moving and the work of the pioneer. Charles had read the accounts of the old settlers from Tinn and why they left their native land for America. John Evenson Molee told how strong young men could hardly get work for $5 per year, including clothing. A laborer was not allowed to eat at the same table with a landowner. Labor commenced before sunrise and lasted until after dark.
The shoreline of Norway came ever closer. Charles Austin took his hat from his head and gazed at it for some time. He remembered the words of his mother. "Tip your hat to no man. You are no longer a cotter's son (Hussmandsguten). You are a successful American now". Charles Austin, leader in his family through three pioneering moves, leader in his church, leader in his township , and three times elected to the Legislature of the State of South Dakota , placed his hat back upon his head where it would stay.
Gene Estensen (GEstensen@aol.com) was born at Morris, Minnesota and grew up in "Teler" communities of west-central Minnesota. He now resides at Marietta, Georgia. Exactly 100 years after Charles Austin, the author's great-great-uncle, returned to farm Tveito in 1901, Gene made the pilgrimage to Vestfjorddalen, Tinn, Telemark, and farm Tveito.
End Notes:
