From His Obituary: Kerkhoven Banner Friday May 31, 1907
Andrew Johnson, of the town of Pillsbury, died at his home in that town Tuesday morning, May 28, of heart disease after an illness of a little more than four weeks.
Mr. Johnson was born at Ramsberg Socken, Orebro Land, Sweden, Nov. 4, 1831, and at time of his death was 75 years, six months and 24 days of age. In the autumn of 1865 he immigrated to America, first locating at Michigan City, Ind. Later he spent a couple of years in Chicago, Ill., and then, in 1868, came to Minnesota and settled on the homestead a mile south of this village that has since been his home. Being an early pioneer he experienced all the hardships which the first settlers had to endure. He was very industrious and spent most of his life in toil to the end that his loved ones might be well provided for. On June 20 1875, he was married to Miss Carrie Halvorson. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Clara and Alfred, both of whom and their mother survive to mourn the loss of a kind husband and father.
The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon from the Kerkhoven Presbyterian church, Rev. Steinert officiating. Interment was made in the Kerkhoven village cemetery.
From: History of Kerkhoven, Centennial Year 1881-1981
by EW and Gladys Solyst page 5 & 6
The first settler that came to our immediate area was Andrew Johnson. He came in 1868. He arrived in Minneapolis from Chicago and walked the distance from Minneapolis looking for a good place to homestead. The Homestead Act of 1862 was instrumental in creating interest in claiming land in this area. Even though this was a bleak prairie Mr. Johnson decided on eighty acres near Shakopee Creek. The clear rippling water of the creek intrigued him and the fact that it was the crossing of the Red River Ox carts gong North West was of interest to Mr. Johnson. He reasoned that perhaps this would be the site of a future trading post. He also planned to build a flour mill on the creek and even dug a channel for the water power. But the mill was never completed.
A short distance east of the present bridge the banks of the creek were quite shallow so that the ox caravans were able to cross without a bridge in the very early days.
The first thing Andrew Johnson did was to construct some sort of shelter. Since this area was far from the timber land the only thing to do was to dig a dug-out shelter. This was done on the South Creek bank.
Since horses were considered a luxury and too high priced, he bought a yoke of oxen and a plow. With the simple farming implements very small patches of ground were tilled. These had to be seeded by hand, cut with a scythe, raked together with a hand rake, and threshed with a flail.
For food, Mr. Johnson did a lot of hunting and trapping. Hides were cheap, but they did bring some cash. He had to walk to St. Cloud for flour going across swamps and muddy sloughs to get there as there were no roads. The Johnson's nearest neighbor was John Rodman, a family in Mamre township who lived ten miles away.
Mr. Johnson built his first log home, similar to the one above in 1874. This building he built by himself howing the logs which he hauled by oxen from Solomon Lake. In the later 1890's this cabin and straw barn were torn down and the new frame buidlings were constructed a quarter mile further north. This farm is now owned by a grandson, Wilton Erickson.
However, Mr. Johnson's plans did not materialize, to have a trading post on his farm. When the railroad did come through the rails were laid one and a half miles further north for the designated trading post.
Andrew Johnson, of the town of Pillsbury, died at his home in that town Tuesday morning, May 28, of heart disease after an illness of a little more than four weeks.
Mr. Johnson was born at Ramsberg Socken, Orebro Land, Sweden, Nov. 4, 1831, and at time of his death was 75 years, six months and 24 days of age. In the autumn of 1865 he immigrated to America, first locating at Michigan City, Ind. Later he spent a couple of years in Chicago, Ill., and then, in 1868, came to Minnesota and settled on the homestead a mile south of this village that has since been his home. Being an early pioneer he experienced all the hardships which the first settlers had to endure. He was very industrious and spent most of his life in toil to the end that his loved ones might be well provided for. On June 20 1875, he was married to Miss Carrie Halvorson. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Clara and Alfred, both of whom and their mother survive to mourn the loss of a kind husband and father.
The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon from the Kerkhoven Presbyterian church, Rev. Steinert officiating. Interment was made in the Kerkhoven village cemetery.
From: History of Kerkhoven, Centennial Year 1881-1981
by EW and Gladys Solyst page 5 & 6
The first settler that came to our immediate area was Andrew Johnson. He came in 1868. He arrived in Minneapolis from Chicago and walked the distance from Minneapolis looking for a good place to homestead. The Homestead Act of 1862 was instrumental in creating interest in claiming land in this area. Even though this was a bleak prairie Mr. Johnson decided on eighty acres near Shakopee Creek. The clear rippling water of the creek intrigued him and the fact that it was the crossing of the Red River Ox carts gong North West was of interest to Mr. Johnson. He reasoned that perhaps this would be the site of a future trading post. He also planned to build a flour mill on the creek and even dug a channel for the water power. But the mill was never completed.
A short distance east of the present bridge the banks of the creek were quite shallow so that the ox caravans were able to cross without a bridge in the very early days.
The first thing Andrew Johnson did was to construct some sort of shelter. Since this area was far from the timber land the only thing to do was to dig a dug-out shelter. This was done on the South Creek bank.
Since horses were considered a luxury and too high priced, he bought a yoke of oxen and a plow. With the simple farming implements very small patches of ground were tilled. These had to be seeded by hand, cut with a scythe, raked together with a hand rake, and threshed with a flail.
For food, Mr. Johnson did a lot of hunting and trapping. Hides were cheap, but they did bring some cash. He had to walk to St. Cloud for flour going across swamps and muddy sloughs to get there as there were no roads. The Johnson's nearest neighbor was John Rodman, a family in Mamre township who lived ten miles away.
Mr. Johnson built his first log home, similar to the one above in 1874. This building he built by himself howing the logs which he hauled by oxen from Solomon Lake. In the later 1890's this cabin and straw barn were torn down and the new frame buidlings were constructed a quarter mile further north. This farm is now owned by a grandson, Wilton Erickson.
However, Mr. Johnson's plans did not materialize, to have a trading post on his farm. When the railroad did come through the rails were laid one and a half miles further north for the designated trading post.
From His Obituary: Kerkhoven Banner Friday May 31, 1907
Andrew Johnson, of the town of Pillsbury, died at his home in that town Tuesday morning, May 28, of heart disease after an illness of a little more than four weeks.
Mr. Johnson was born at Ramsberg Socken, Orebro Land, Sweden, Nov. 4, 1831, and at time of his death was 75 years, six months and 24 days of age. In the autumn of 1865 he immigrated to America, first locating at Michigan City, Ind. Later he spent a couple of years in Chicago, Ill., and then, in 1868, came to Minnesota and settled on the homestead a mile south of this village that has since been his home. Being an early pioneer he experienced all the hardships which the first settlers had to endure. He was very industrious and spent most of his life in toil to the end that his loved ones might be well provided for. On June 20 1875, he was married to Miss Carrie Halvorson. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Clara and Alfred, both of whom and their mother survive to mourn the loss of a kind husband and father.
The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon from the Kerkhoven Presbyterian church, Rev. Steinert officiating. Interment was made in the Kerkhoven village cemetery.
From: History of Kerkhoven, Centennial Year 1881-1981
by EW and Gladys Solyst page 5 & 6
The first settler that came to our immediate area was Andrew Johnson. He came in 1868. He arrived in Minneapolis from Chicago and walked the distance from Minneapolis looking for a good place to homestead. The Homestead Act of 1862 was instrumental in creating interest in claiming land in this area. Even though this was a bleak prairie Mr. Johnson decided on eighty acres near Shakopee Creek. The clear rippling water of the creek intrigued him and the fact that it was the crossing of the Red River Ox carts gong North West was of interest to Mr. Johnson. He reasoned that perhaps this would be the site of a future trading post. He also planned to build a flour mill on the creek and even dug a channel for the water power. But the mill was never completed.
A short distance east of the present bridge the banks of the creek were quite shallow so that the ox caravans were able to cross without a bridge in the very early days.
The first thing Andrew Johnson did was to construct some sort of shelter. Since this area was far from the timber land the only thing to do was to dig a dug-out shelter. This was done on the South Creek bank.
Since horses were considered a luxury and too high priced, he bought a yoke of oxen and a plow. With the simple farming implements very small patches of ground were tilled. These had to be seeded by hand, cut with a scythe, raked together with a hand rake, and threshed with a flail.
For food, Mr. Johnson did a lot of hunting and trapping. Hides were cheap, but they did bring some cash. He had to walk to St. Cloud for flour going across swamps and muddy sloughs to get there as there were no roads. The Johnson's nearest neighbor was John Rodman, a family in Mamre township who lived ten miles away.
Mr. Johnson built his first log home, similar to the one above in 1874. This building he built by himself howing the logs which he hauled by oxen from Solomon Lake. In the later 1890's this cabin and straw barn were torn down and the new frame buidlings were constructed a quarter mile further north. This farm is now owned by a grandson, Wilton Erickson.
However, Mr. Johnson's plans did not materialize, to have a trading post on his farm. When the railroad did come through the rails were laid one and a half miles further north for the designated trading post.
Andrew Johnson, of the town of Pillsbury, died at his home in that town Tuesday morning, May 28, of heart disease after an illness of a little more than four weeks.
Mr. Johnson was born at Ramsberg Socken, Orebro Land, Sweden, Nov. 4, 1831, and at time of his death was 75 years, six months and 24 days of age. In the autumn of 1865 he immigrated to America, first locating at Michigan City, Ind. Later he spent a couple of years in Chicago, Ill., and then, in 1868, came to Minnesota and settled on the homestead a mile south of this village that has since been his home. Being an early pioneer he experienced all the hardships which the first settlers had to endure. He was very industrious and spent most of his life in toil to the end that his loved ones might be well provided for. On June 20 1875, he was married to Miss Carrie Halvorson. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Clara and Alfred, both of whom and their mother survive to mourn the loss of a kind husband and father.
The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon from the Kerkhoven Presbyterian church, Rev. Steinert officiating. Interment was made in the Kerkhoven village cemetery.
From: History of Kerkhoven, Centennial Year 1881-1981
by EW and Gladys Solyst page 5 & 6
The first settler that came to our immediate area was Andrew Johnson. He came in 1868. He arrived in Minneapolis from Chicago and walked the distance from Minneapolis looking for a good place to homestead. The Homestead Act of 1862 was instrumental in creating interest in claiming land in this area. Even though this was a bleak prairie Mr. Johnson decided on eighty acres near Shakopee Creek. The clear rippling water of the creek intrigued him and the fact that it was the crossing of the Red River Ox carts gong North West was of interest to Mr. Johnson. He reasoned that perhaps this would be the site of a future trading post. He also planned to build a flour mill on the creek and even dug a channel for the water power. But the mill was never completed.
A short distance east of the present bridge the banks of the creek were quite shallow so that the ox caravans were able to cross without a bridge in the very early days.
The first thing Andrew Johnson did was to construct some sort of shelter. Since this area was far from the timber land the only thing to do was to dig a dug-out shelter. This was done on the South Creek bank.
Since horses were considered a luxury and too high priced, he bought a yoke of oxen and a plow. With the simple farming implements very small patches of ground were tilled. These had to be seeded by hand, cut with a scythe, raked together with a hand rake, and threshed with a flail.
For food, Mr. Johnson did a lot of hunting and trapping. Hides were cheap, but they did bring some cash. He had to walk to St. Cloud for flour going across swamps and muddy sloughs to get there as there were no roads. The Johnson's nearest neighbor was John Rodman, a family in Mamre township who lived ten miles away.
Mr. Johnson built his first log home, similar to the one above in 1874. This building he built by himself howing the logs which he hauled by oxen from Solomon Lake. In the later 1890's this cabin and straw barn were torn down and the new frame buidlings were constructed a quarter mile further north. This farm is now owned by a grandson, Wilton Erickson.
However, Mr. Johnson's plans did not materialize, to have a trading post on his farm. When the railroad did come through the rails were laid one and a half miles further north for the designated trading post.
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