The Lars Johnson family arrived in Griggs County in July 1881. With it too late to plant any crops, Lars spent his first year in Dakota Territory breaking 14 acres of sod on his homestead claim in Section 28 of Sverdrup Township. He described seven years later his other first year activities:
'I built a log dwelling house, 14 x 14 foot - value $75. Broke 14 acres - value $10. Built a stable - value $2." (Values must be what he spent on materials.)
"He planted his 14 broken acres the next spring and in the fall of 1882 harvested 180 bushels of wheat with a borrowed reaper. He broke 30 more acres of his 160-acre homestead claim that year, leaving more than two-thirds of it still unbroken. But he had plans for an even larger farm. In May 1882 he filed an 80-acre timber claim on some land south of his homestead claim. The term 'timber claim' is confusing. It merely meant that the land was devoid of timber when he filed his claim, and by planting a portion of it with trees, he could obtain a permanent title to it. Lars used a 16-inch walking breaker when he broke six acres of Dakota soil on his new claim in 1882. -
He was able to report success in a letter to his brother in November (1882). "I can see from your letter that you are blessed with a rich harvest. I can't complain either. I got 615 bushels of No. 1 hard wheat. In November the wheat price was 81¢ per bushel, No. 2 - 76¢, No. 1 soft wheat 74¢ per bushel. Of oats I got 274 bushels, more than 50 bushels to the acre. Generally from 10 to 15 to the acre, of oats 35."
There was considerable pride shown in a paragraph about the new school building. It read as follows, "We have now already gotten a schoolhouse and a school going. Brita and Nickolas (the two oldest children) have gone to school all winter. We have 1 1/4 miles to the schoolhouse, which is situated in the valley. It is now two years since I took steps necessary to have a school district organized. This did not materialize when there was a disagreement about where the schoolhouse should be placed. Those in the valley wanted it there and those of us on the prairie wanted it in the center, which is near my land."
The Scandinavian tendency toward under statement is also shown in another paragraph, "I have both reaped and threshed. I got 1560 bushels of wheat on 72 acres. . . 500 bushels of corn on 10 acres and 85 of barley
. . . I will also mention that a daughter was born to us last June.
.Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 430