James Sorenson was born September 3, 1840, in Jerne Parish, Ribe County, Denmark, where he grew to manhood and learned the art of flour milling. After service in the Danish Army during the Prusso-Danish War, he emigrated to America, arriving in June 1865. His first American residence was Rochester, Minnesota, where he met Christina Rasmussen, who
had arrived from Denmark the same year. James and Christina were married October 25, 1867, and a few years later they moved to Fillmore County, Minnesota.
During the decade that the family lived in Fillmore County, five children were born: Louis 1868, Hans 1870, Anna 1871, William 1875; and Clara 1878. James worked as Head Miller in several Fillmore County mills and achieved an outstanding reputation for turning out quality products efficiently.
James Sorenson first came to Barnes County in July 1880, when he purchased 65 acres in Oak Hill township from James Dailey, and made arrangements for construction of a dam and the foundation for a 30 x 40 foot, 3½ story mill. The Sorenson family, together with household goods and mill machinery, arrived in Valley City just ahead of the spring flood crest in 1881. Anna, then 10 years old, never forgot awakening after her first night in Valley City to find her shoes floating on the flood water in the river front shack that was their temporary home. The six 2,000 pound mill stones and other heavy mill machinery were floated by raft to the mill location, a 17 mile journey that took three weeks. The mill opened for business in the fall of 1881 and soon became the business and social center for settlers in the valley and on the prairie to the West. When there was water to operate the water wheel, the mill was a busy place from dawn until long after dark. Many farmers came from such distances that a long day of travel was required to reach the mill. The mill buildings included a bunkhouse for customers who had to stay over night. Trips to the mill were the times when farmers could have blacksmithing done at Gabriel Sorenson's shop and purchase supplies at Hjelde's store. There were lighter moments too, such as the time Lou and Hans took a load of flour to Valley City and while there, bought some fireworks to celebrate the upcoming 4th of July. On the way home, the boys tried to speed up the plodding oxen with a few well-placed balls from a Roman candle. The oxen bolted, smashed the wagon and beat the boys home by a considerable margin. Needless to say, the cause of the runaway was not revealed until long after Mother Sorenson had forgotten her concern for the boys' safety. When it became clear that the Sorenson mill would never be served by a railroad, James decided the time had come to expand his operations. He built a steam-powered roller mill on the Northern Pacific at Sheldon, Ransom County, in 1891. The Sorensons moved to Sheldon where they lived until 1904 when they moved to Lisbon where
they lived until 1919. They returned to Sheldon shortly before Christina died in 1919. James moved to San Diego a few years later and died there in 1928.
Anna, who married Fred Lillicrop of Sheldon, lived on the family farm at Sheldon until her death in 1954. In 1971, the four children of Anna Sorenson Lillicrop, donated a bronze plaque to identify one of the Sorenson millstones which is on display at Ft. Abercrombie State Park. The only traces of the mill still in existence in the spring of 1975 were remnants of the foundation walls and bottom portions of the oak planks that were driven in the river bottom to form the upstream face of the dam.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 230