Emil Krogsgaard was born June 10, 1859 in Hedemark, Norway. He arrived in America at the age of twenty and had to wait until he was 21 before he could take up land. In 1881 he came to the Dakota Territory coming to the Mathias Fjelstad homestead that was in Section 24, NE . Mrs. Fjelstad was his cousin. Emil took up land the SW , Section 14. He built a house, on his claim and covered the sides with sod. In 1887 or 1888 he bought land from the Northern Pacific Railroad lots one and two and NW of NE , Section 23. He built a house on the new site.
Emil Krogsgaard and Bergina Wold were married February 2, 1898. Gina was born at Ringsaker, Norway, March 6, 1869. They had seven children, Edgar, Mabel, Hjordis (also called Ann), Lulu, Leif, who died at age two, Elbjorg, and Alice.
October of 1909, Emil bought the S of SE , Section 14. The first part of the century seemed to be on the upswing. A telephone was installed in 1913 or 14 and an electric light plant, a Studebaker was purchased in 1916, and a new barn was built in 1918. Then came the twenties and the difficult thirties with adverse weather conditions for crops and cattle and also poor prices. In speaking of those days, Edgar would say he would go to Cooperstown with a dime in his pocket Saturday night and come home with the same dime. Emil borrowed on his life insurance and all the land in Section 14 was mortgaged.
In 1927 Edgar together with Ragnvald Hanson bought the El "2 of SW and Lots five and six of Section 24, Township 145, Range 59. That had been Mat Johnsons. Edgar also bought his first tractor, a McCormick Deering, which he used on both places. Ray died in 1931 and Edgar bought out his half interest from his mother in Norway. By this time Emil was doing mostly chores. His cream checks were exchanged for groceries. Chickens and eggs helped. There were some apples for canning. The garden did not produce as plentifully as before for summer use and canning for the winter because of the drought. Edgar would grind whole-wheat flour in a mill set up in the old barn. Emil had sheep and Gina would card wool and make quilts. Most years Emil planted trees of some sort even during the drought in the thirties when they required tedious watering. He planted different varieties of apples, plums, and cherries and tried his hand at grafting. One apple tree he planted in 1915 or 16 is still producing.
Edgar had raised turkeys since 1913. Besides selling eggs for hatching, he had incubators and hatched his own poults. He also sold White Rock chicken eggs for hatching and started his own chicks. At this same time, he went into the bee business. He advertised his honey in farm magazines, shipped it to neighboring states in gallon palls, and also sold it locally. In the fall and winter, Edgar worked for Kimball Brothers who were turkey buyers.
Emil died in the spring of 1940 and Gina died the spring of 1941. By now all that was left of the original homestead was the NE corner of Section 23 with the buildings. Edgar had gone one ' year to high school when his dad asked him if he would stay on the farm and work, which he agreed to do. His father promised him the farm in time. The girls were to each get a high school education.
In 1942 Edgar was able to borrow money and repossess the land in Section 14. At the present time the acreage of the farm is the same as it was originally plus the addition of the Edgar Johnson quarter.
Edgar was born January 16, 1889. June 25, 1957 he was married to Inga T. Soma. He died in an automobile accident July 19, 1974. Peter Mason has been farming the land since Edgar's death. Peter is third generation.
Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial page 85