Ben Johnson, son of John and Kari Engen was born December first 1967 in Allamakee County, Iowa near Dekorah.
They left their home because of cinch bugs, which had destroyed their crops for several years. They decided on North Dakota, as there were free homesteads to be gotten here.
Ben Johnson arrived by lumber wagon in Fargo on April 20, 1881 and up to Griggs County on June 20. They had been unable to cross the Red River because of flood conditions.
The first few years they were here, they traveled by oxen to Valley City for their supplies. This usually took a week.
Their first home was a dugout in a hill with a wooden roof. This consisted of a room where they both ate and slept.
Ben Johnson married Ingre Gurina Midstokke of Kopervik, Norway on the 7th of January 1909 at Sharon, North Dakota Four children were born, namely
Mrs. Wallace Grube (Cora), deceased, Mrs. Art Wagle (Inga), (Alf), deceased, and Mrs. Ansgar Vigen (Gladys).
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 484