John and Kirsti Thompson, Minnehaha County's First Settlers
From Norway to the Dakota Territory
Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Dakota Territory has been a hub for Norwegian immigrants with Minnehaha County having the largest concentration. John and Kirsti Thompson’s experiences as Norwegian immigrants and pioneers are exemplary of the experience of Norwegians in South Dakota.
John and Kirsti Thompson were both born in Norway in 1841 and 1845 respectively, and both of them immigrated to the United States in their early teens. John Thompson first settled in Wisconsin, which already had a prominent Norwegian community. Immigrants to the United States often sought out existing ethnic communities. Living with people who came from the same country helped immigrants adjust to their lives in this strange new land that they now found themselves in.
John and Kirsti met in Minnesota, where Kirsti was residing. Minnesota was, and still is, another state with a large population of Norwegians. However, shortly after their marriage, the two would leave for the Dakota Territory in a covered wagon. While there was a small population of Norwegians in Dakota Territory at the time, there weren't nearly as many as there would be in the future.
Why would this young couple leave their community for an unknown territory? One reason was the abundance of fertile farmland. Many Norwegians were motivated by the economic stability that could be gained through farming in Dakota Territory. For many, including the Thompsons, the rewards that could be gained in Dakota Territory outweighed the risks that came from pioneer life.
However, Thompsons would not be without community for long. As they established themselves in the territory along with their friends, the Nelsons, they would encourage their fellow Norwegians back in Minnesota to join them. This would be the start of the large Norwegian community in Minnehaha County. The more Norwegians that settled in Dakota Territory, the more other Norwegian settlers wished to join them. Soon, a large Norwegian community formed in Minnehaha County and the neighboring counties. By 1880, one-quarter of the population of Minnehaha County was Norwegian American; in 1900, that number was thirty-seven percent. John and Kirsti Thompson, in a way, were the founders of this large community. Without them pioneering the way, many Norwegian settlers would not have moved to what would become South Dakota.
The Lutheran Church was an important aspect of the Norwegian settler community. Religion provided not just a spiritual grounding for communities, but also a social center as well, since homesteads were often far apart and the church helped preserve Norwegian customs. Shared faith tied the community together and churches often would serve as meeting houses. In communities before a permanent brick-and-mortar church was built, worship services would be held in the house of a family in the community. The Thompsons were one such family. Their house served as the original building for Nidaros Lutheran Church, the first Christian church established in Minnehaha County.
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