My father, TORKEL T. VIGESAA, came to America from Vikesaa, Bjerkrem, Norway in 1888 as a twenty year old single man. He spent a year in the Grafton area before coming to the Cooperstown area where he homesteaded in the beautiful Sheyenne Valley, Broadview Township, Griggs County. Although not the most convenient land for farming since the river bisected the farm, still it consisted of very fertile soil, free of rocks.
In the early days, he did considerable herding of horses and cattle in the hills along the valley where grass was abundant.
My mother, Lovisa Osland, arrived in America in 1891, coming mainly for the purpose of visiting her sister and family, namely the Torkel T. Fuglestads, who had come to America in 1883. Her plan was to remain a year, but in the meantime she met Torkel, the young man who had arrived a few years earlier. Although not previously acquainted, they were from nearly the same locality in Norway near Stavanger. They were married November 28, 1894, and took up residence on the homestead in Broadview Township approximately fifteen miles southeast of the village of Cooperstown.
Their first child, Betsy, was born August 22, 1895. My birthday was April 24, two years later.
Since the title of my story is "Early School Days, " I shall now tell about it as I remember it to the best of my ability.
Since no schoolhouse had been erected in the new settlement, there was no chance to attend school at the prescribed age of six or seven. Betsy became nine years and I was seven before being introduced to the common, rural one-room school and teacher. It was located one mile to the south of our home down the valley, so we had some very enjoyable early morning and late afternoon walks when weather permitted. However, in winter, we were privileged to ride by team and sleigh on the icy "pavement" provided by the river itself. There we were entertained by the many rabbits and other animals as we rode along, often with our Uncle Martin as driver.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 239