Albert I. Monson

Albert I. Monson was born in Alamakee County, Hanover Township, Iowa on May 6, 1867.

His parents were Even and Ingeborg Monson.

In 1879 they left Iowa and went to Montevideo, Minnesota by covered wagon.

They lived here for two years when they started for Dakota Territory.

The covered wagon was pulled by horses to Tower City, where they traded the horses for a yoke of oxen. 

A company of two other wagons followed the Monsons - John Arneson and Thor Halvorson. 

The children walked behind chasing the stock.

The party arrived in Dakota Territory in October 1881 after a six weeks journey.

Even Monson and Arneson had been to Dakota in the spring of 1881.  Even Monson had taken a homestead on Section 6, Greenview Township, Steele County and Arneson helped him build a shanty.

The shanty was fourteen by eighteen feet and made from logs, with bark and sod for the roof.  A barn was built to last through the winter for the stock.  This was done when they came in October.

They all got busy stacking up wood etc., to prepare for the winter.

Albert worked on the farm for George Barnard for two weeks in November.

In the middle of November with his father, Omund Opheim, and John Arneson, he went to Valley City for provisions for the winter.  The trip took them four and one-half days.  The men slept outside under the wagon and by haystacks every night.  On their way back they were in the midst of a prairie fire.  To save themselves they lit the prairie and followed the fire.

In the spring of 1882 the Monsons broke up their land for farming.  The first two years they broke it with oxen.

The same year Albert worked in Mayville for James Knutson through haying, threshing and plowing for five months.  He came back just before Christmas.

In March, 1883 he went back to work for Knutson again and stayed there until the middle of November when he went back on the farm to help his folks.

The crops were good until 1888 when there was a frost and froze all the crops.

The same year Albert started farming on his own in Section 2, Washburn Township.

On June 24, 1890 Albert was married to Mathilda Qualey by Reverend Larson at John Qualey's home.

Albert lived on his farm until 1896 when he traded his farm for a livery barn in Cooperstown.

After owning the livery barn a little over 2 years he traded it for another farm in Lenora Township.

In 1898 Mr. Monson worked for a machinery dealer in Cooperstown until the spring of 1899 when he started in the machine business of his own at Finley, North Dakota.

In the spring of 1900 he sold his interests in the machinery to Julius Brua and went into the butcher business for one year.

In the spring of 1901 he moved to Section one in Washburn Township.

In 1914 Mr. Monson moved to Cooperstown when he was elected sheriff and held that position for four years and then went back to his farm.

Six children were born to this marriage: 

1.     Myrtle, 1891

2.     Elmer, 1893

3.     Lillian (Mrs. Edwin Bolkan), 1895

4.     Elma, 1898

5.     Mrs. Henry Hanson, 1900

6.     and Mel red, 1907.  Albert Monson died in 1947.  Mrs. Monson die in 1969 at the age of 97.  Three of the children are living at the present time: 

1.     Mrs. Edwin Bolkan and Melfred in Cooperstown and Mrs. Henry Hanson in California.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 73