Shown here is a picture of the first golden wedding anniversary in Griggs County held at the Thor Hagen homestead in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Esten Haugen. The event took place in June 1887. The picture was taken by Photographer Rosteum, who lived in Cooperstown at that time.
SEATED IN FRONT ROW:
Sarah Hagen Hamre, Anna Hagen Moodie, Jennie Hagen Snyder, Thea Upton Smith, Caroline Hagen, unknown, Caroline Halvorson, Seva Halvorson, and Belle Hagen Winslow. MIDDLE ROW:
Harold Auren, Mrs. Gilbert Auren, Gilbert Auren, Jr., Gilbert Auren, Sr., George Auren, Esten Olson, Esten Haugen, Little girl unknown, Mrs. Esten Haugen, Thor Hetager, Thor Hagen, Arne Hagen, Mrs. Thor Hagen, Christ Hagen, Mrs. Gunhild Thompson, Mrs. Ole Sanden, Clara Sanden, Unknown, Mrs. Anna Halvorson. BACK ROW:
Ole K. Hagen, Laura Halvorson, Ole Halvorson, Eston Halvorson, Ole Skrein, Ole Sanden, Albert Sanden, Lisa Halvorson, Mrs. George Olson, Henry Gullickson, Arne Thompson, Mrs. Charles Nichols, Mrs. Petra Halvorson, Unknown, Mrs. Dick Blow, Amund Gilbertson, Ole Fosholdt, John Rustad, John Fosholdt, Henry Hagen, Ole Hagen, and Arne Luckason.
Mr. and Mrs. Esten Haugen, grandparents of Thor Hetager, Martin Wold, and Esten Olson of this community was the first couple to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary in Griggs County. Guests gathered from miles around on the old Thor Hagen homestead in July 1887, for the festivities so characteristic of the pioneer hospitality and friendliness commemorated by the fiftieth anniversary celebration today.
Visitors either walked or traveled by oxen to this wedding and brought with them their contribution to the dinner. The log cabin at which the event was held was the second home of Mr. and Mrs. Thor Hagen. They had at first lived in a dugout in a ravine east of the
Sheyenne valley, but the following winter proved to be cold and severe. A snowstorm at one time threatened to block the dug-out entirely, since the wind had drifted the snow up to the top of the hill. Therefore on the following spring the family decided to move up the hill and began immediately to build a log cabin, which was the scene of the golden wedding. The logs were taken from Ole Skren's timberland, south of the Fluto Bridge, with the help of Amund Gilbertson.
The cabin was made sixteen feet square, the addition on the left having been added later. As can be seen in the picture, the left side of the cabin was banked with sod and the roof was made of bark under a covering of sod. The farm on which the cabin stood is the Raymond Wendlick Farm (in 1972) SE quarter of Section 12-145-58, Sverdrup Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Haugen, the guests of honor, made their home with their nephew and niece, Mr. and Mrs. Thor Hagen, at that time, having come to this country only a few years before. Mr. Haugen emigrated to America from Valdres, Norway, in 1882, while Mrs. Haugen, accompanied by her grandson, Thor Hetageor, came about three years later.
After remaining in this county for several years, Mr. and Mrs. Haugen moved to Roseau County, northeast of Crookston, MN, where they lived and there celebrated their diamond wedding. They both died at that place at the age of 95 years.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 423