Bosque County
Beginning of the Settlement
The first settler in Bosque County was Ole Canuteson despite discrepancies among the reports. Johan Reiersen claims that the first settlers in Bosque County were from settlements in East Texas, and not from the Dallas area, and that he was responsible for giving them the idea to settle there. Other accounts say that Cleng Peerson encouraged settlers from Dallas and East Texas to settle in the Bosque County area. The truth is unclear; however, all accounts agree that Ole Canuteson was the first settler to actually come to Bosque County with a group of 17 settlers.Blegen comments on this controversy stating “that Cleng Peerson had been to Texas in 1849 and had returned to the Fox River settlement in Illinois in 1850 where he was residing when the Canuteson family came from Norway. Peerson’s enthusiasm for Texas struck a responsive chord in Canuteson’s heart and the family moved on south in 1850, settling near Dallas, Texas, and in 1853, moved to Bosque County, and became its founder." (Pierson, pg. 15)
"By all accounts, the first Norwegian to settle in Bosque County was Ole Canuteson, Canuteson, along with other members of his family and Cleng Peerson, had come to Texas in 1850 from Peerson’s settlement in LaSalle County, Illinois.” (Texas Historical Commission, item 8, pg. 2)
Canuteson, who first settled in Dallas County near Johan Nordboe in 1852-53, became restless. Canuteson “began to explore the frontier land along the Bosque River, west of Valley Mills. He was apparently drawn there by the promise of free and open land, with gently rolling hills, fertile grasslands, and numerous small, flowing creeks. In the summer of 1853, under the terms of the recently renewed State Pre-emption Act, Canuteson claimed 320 acres in Bosque County, on the northside of Neils Creek, about eight miles from its mouth and 13 miles due south of the Meridian.” (Texas Historical Commission, item 8, pg. 3)
By 1853, with the help of the small population living in what is now Bosque County, the settlers were able to sign a petition asking the state Legislature of Texas to create a new county out of the northern part of McLennan County.
“The legislature acted favorably on the petition, and by an act of the Legislature of the State of Texas, February 3, 1854, Bosque County was created. The state offered free land to those who would go there to settle. This news Peerson received with delight, and he immediately made this information available to his friends in East Texas. This was the spark needed to fire the Northmen to a new migration, and some of them at once initiated plans to move from Kaufman to Bosque County." (Pierson, pg. 14-15)
Community and Ministry
When settlers arrived in Bosque County in 1854 and the following years, they quickly began arrangements to set up a Lutheran Church in the area and to call a Norwegian Lutheran minister to serve their community." During the Civil War, communications were difficult and earlier plans for establishing churches in Texas were disrupted. It was not until 1867 that another pastor was sent. The Rev. Styrk S. Reque came and held the first Norwegian Lutheran service in the Jens Ringness home on January 10, 1867. He encouraged the people to call a pastor and organize a congregation. These people were used to having a State Church in Norway which provided for their needs. Now, they had to use their own initiative in calling a pastor to serve them and also take the responsibility for his salary. Adjustments are sometimes slow and this is perhaps the reason why they did not have a pastor come and help them organize until 1869." (100 Years of Faith... A History)The Norwegians in Texas were encouraged by Rev. Reque to organize a congregation and call a pastor for their community. The result of this was the arrival of Rev. Ole O. Estrem in 1869. This is when formal steps were made to organize a congregation known as Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Carl Questad gifted 10 acres of land for the church, and 111 acres were later purchased in 1871 for the church land. Plans were drawn up for the construction of the church and parsonage. It is said that "He [Rev. Ole. O. Estrem] organized congregations in all three of the settlements in Texas– Brownsboro, Four Mile, and Bosque County." (Rystad)
A foundational figure in the community, the Rev. J.K. Rystad, arrived and preached his first sermon September 28, 1878. He served as the pastor for this congregation for 47 years, retiring in 1925. His memoirs provide us with a glimpse into life in the area, and also how other Norwegian immigrant groups perceived the Texas settlements at the time. Rystad wrote: "After the ordination we went to Madison to receive our calls. None of us knew where we were going. All were happy with their calls but me. It was certainly unexpected that any of us would be sent to Texas. We doubted it. But when Pastor Larson stated to us that Rystad was to go to Texas, they all laughed. I became frightened and said that I did not want to go to Texas and fight Mexicans and the yellow fever... When I came to Texas in 1878, the Bosque Settlement was much larger than the other settlements in Texas. The 1880 census showed Bosque County with 1,000 Scandinavians. At this writing the land in Bosque is costly– almost impossible to pay for it off the land. Farmers’ taxes are high, wheat and cotton are low in price. Some tried to move out west, but it was too dry there so they came back. But now there is some speculation in land, this being due to the finding of gas and oil in places. Texas has a great future for itself. It has so many natural resources: Here is coal, gas, oil, cement, good grass, sulphur, stone, lumber, and other things."
As the settlement grew, so did the churches. According to Rystad, "About 1900 the Bosque settlement was so developed in population and out-reach that it was thought that there should be three congregations. In 1902 such a congregation was organized in Clifton, and also one was organized in the Cranfills Gap area– this one was called St. Olaf Lutheran Church. As the western part of the settlement grew and spread, it became necessary to build a church in that part for the convenience of the people... In 1902 when St. Olaf Lutheran Congregation was organized, the Rev. G.G. Odegaard was called as pastor. I installed him. He served the church well until his death in 1912. After Rev. Odegaard’s death, Rev. Herman W. Estrem was called as Pastor. He was a son of the Rev. Ole Estrem who served in Bosque County from 1869 to 1877. After Rev. Estrem came to St. Olaf’s they began to talk about getting a new and larger church in Cranfills Gap, about four miles west of the Rock Church. This church was built and it is the costliest and largest Lutheran Church in our County. But Rev. Estrem did not remain so very long. He received and accepted a call from the north. Then the congregation called Rev. J.A. Urnes. He was installed in the new church by me in 1920. Then we had four Lutheran churches in Bosque: two in the St. Olaf congregation, one at Norse, and one in Clifton." (Rystad)
Cultural Significance
Bosque County, in comparison to Brownsboro and Four File Prairie, had better land for farming. Many other areas had a sharp decline in soil quality after a few years of growing crops, leading the settlers to seek better land in other areas of Texas. Mostly importantly to the settlers, Bosque County was one of the only places in Texas that Norwegian settlers could have access to a Norwegian Lutheran minister.For the two other settlements, a drawback for settlement was heavily placed on the lack of a Norwegian-Lutheran pastor. Wærenskjold suggested to Four Mile Prairie “that they should write to Norway for a pastor. Early in 1855 the Reverend A. E. Fridrichsen arrived. He was also elected to serve as pastor in Brownsboro, but after three years he left for the North.” (Wærenskjold, Autumn 1869?)
After he left, Wærenskjold wrote in a letter dated late 1869 “We were without a minister until the Reverend O. Estrem came to Bosque in June of this year. He makes his home there but has promised to spend a couple of months of the year in each of the other settlements. He has held confirmation already in Bosque, and many of the confirmands were married people. In the short time that he and his wife have been there they have won the affection and respect of everyone. They themselves also say they are most content here, so we hope to keep them for many years."
Cleng Peerson received and settled on a plot of land in Bosque County in his old age. This in return attracted more Norwegians to the settlement who sought guidance and wisdom from the "father" of Norwegian emigration to America. He died and was buried in Bosque County. Movement to Texas was impacted by the Civil War. After the end of the war, there was a renewed interest and economic development ensued. Gulf ports were opened which spurred a new wave of migration. However, from this severe epidemics reached east Texas. In late 1867, “12 people among the 33 Norwegian families living at Four Mile Prairie in East Texas died…12 of the remaining families fled to Bosque County in an effort to escape the pestilence... According to the 1870 Census, it now consisted of approximately 350 people living on 46 farms…From this point on, the settlement in Bosque County became the focus of Norwegian immigration in the state, while the other two communities continued to stagnate." (Texas Historical Commission, item 8, pg. 7-8)
Today, Bosque County is the main cultural center for Norwegians who settled in Texas. Our Savior's Lutheran Church in the unincorporated area of Norse is a monument to these settlers and a testament to the rich history of this area.
Sources to explore:
Norwegian Settlements in Bosque County, Texas by Oris E. Pierson
The Norwegian Settlement of Bosque County by the Texas Historical Commission
The First Norwegian Migration into Texas: Four "America Letters" by Lyder L. Unstad
The Lady with the Pen: Elise Wærenskjold by Elise Wærenkjold
100 Years of Faith...A History in the Congregations records
Memoirs of the Reverend John Knudson Rystad in the Congregations records