Berea Lutheran Church Membership Records, Hilmar, California, lists Anders Frederick Froid birth as 7/7/1847 Åkerdal, Tidersrum Parish, Kinda Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden
A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE FIRST SETTLERS
IN CHEYENNE COUNTY NEBRASKA
Andrew F. Froid (1847-1941)was one of the first homesteaders and the writer of this book.
We left York, Nebraska on July 1, 1884. There were ten of us in the party. We went as far as Antelope Nebraska, which is now the town of Kimball. We didn't homestead any land there as we had heard of the nice land around Denver Junction which is now called Julesburg, Colorado. We went there and we met a man by the name of Ole Benson. By talking to him, he told us he had heard of better land North of town.
A land agent and Benson took us out to see the land the 3rd. of July. When we got out about six miles, Ross Nelson, one of the party, got cold feet and walked back to town and went home.
When we got about 14 miles from town, we began to take our claims:
Otto Amberg took the first claim, taking the East half of Section 26, Township 14, Range 44 West of the sixth principal meridian as his homestead and tree claim.
C.J. Carlson took the North half of Section 24 as his homestead and tree claim. (C.J. Carlson was John's father)
Fred Moline took the East half of Section 14 as his homestead and tree claim.
A.F. Froid took the South half of Section 12 as his homestead and tree claim.
John Sandall took the East half of Section 2 as his homestead and tree claim. He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 1.
Charlie Sandall took the Northeast quarter of Section 10 for a tree claim (where Berea Church now stands). He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 3.
Oscar Lindstrom took the East half of Section 8 as his homestead and tree claim.
Aug Johnson took the Northeast quarter of Section 22 as his tree claim.
All of this land was located in Township 14, Range 44.
We filed the papers for our claims at North Platte, Nebraska on July 5, 1884.
The first week in September 1884 we started from York, Nebraska with four teams and covered wagons. It took us 8 days to make the trip to Denver Junction. We got to Denver Junction and loaded barrels with water from the railroad tank. Each wagon had a barrel fastened on the side.
The next day we left for our claims. When we got out there, all of the grass was burnt and everything was black. There had been a big prairie fire so we had to turn and go back to Denver Junction to get hay for our horses. We got our hay from a rancher East of town.
We started building on our claims. We all built our shacks
12 X 12 X 6 feet high.
Our first trouble was we were out of water, so we decided to go to the North Platte River after it. A distance of 16 miles. As we started for the river we laid out our road following the Section Lines straight North from Fred Moline's. This road was used for many years and part of it is a graded road in use today.
When we made this road we found every corner of each Section and half mile corners marked. The Section corners were marked with four holes dug in the ground and a stick driven into the ground describing the Section numbers. The half miles were marked with two holes showing the direction of the Section lines. We picked out our road through the canyons so we could get to the river and get our water.
One day Fred Moline and A.F. Froid were horseback riding a few miles from home and happened to find a small spring of water running on top of the ground on the Southeast quarter of Section 24. Then we had water within our ranch. As the settlers came in 1885 the spring didn't hold out so we had to locate more springs. We located another spring three miles Southeast of the first one.
Lots of settlers hauled water from these springs for five or six years, or until they proved up on their claims and moved away.
All the first settlers bought a hydraulic well drilling outfit together. Oscar Lindstrom and A.F. Froid were elected to try and dig wells with it. They started on Fred Moline's place and worked a long time and was never able to get a well.
Fred Moline got a well drilling outfit, who had drilled a well for John Nordell to drill a well for him. He got a good well at 210 feet deep. This well was dug in the fall of 1885. After some of the settlers got wells they ask five cents a barrel for water.
One night in 1884 a man came driving into Fred Moline's place. It was John O'Neil of Chappell. He spent the night there visiting. He invited us to come and see him in Chappell.
We went to Chappell a little later and found a town consisting of Section Houses and a depot built of ties standing on end with a dirt roof overhead.
Before leaving our homesteads to go back to York we plowed a fireguard all around our land with a breaking plow.
We left our claims and went back to York to pick our corn. We shipped our stock and machinery to Denver Junction about the middle of February 1885. We tried to put in supplies to last our families from 18 to 24 months, when we shipped our cars:
C.J. Carlson and John Sandall took a car together.
Moline and Otto Amberg took a car together.
The Linstrom Brothers took a car.
A.F. Froid took a car.
Our families came later. Some in April, some in May.
In the middle of March 1885 a committee of three came from Adebolt, Iowa. They ate dinner with the Froid family. They inquired all about the country but they didn't say anything about taking land. These men were Soloman Peterson, J.B. Anderson, and John Nelson. John Nelson
made the remark that he had traveled all over Alabama but it didn't look as good to him as this did. They went back to Adebolt and in about 10 days they all came back with 15 other people. They had all filed on land at North Platte before they got here. They all located on claims with the exception of Soloman Peterson.
The people taking land were:
John Nelson - N.E. 1/4 Section 12.
C.J. Carlson - N.W. 1/4 Section 12, Township 14,Range 44.
J.B. Anderson - N.E. 1/4 Section 34, Township 15, Range 44.
B. Anderson - N.W. 1/4 Section 26.
Nels Anderson - S.E. 1/4 Section 26. His sister-in-law, Annie, took N.E. 1/4 Section 26.
Gust Johnson - S.E. 1/4 Section 14.
A. Benson - S.W. 1/4 Section 22. His sister-in-law, Selma, took the N.W. 1/4 Section 22.
Miss Lundquist took N.E. 1/4 Section 22.
John Johnson - N.E. 1/4 Section 28.
John G. Johnson - N.W. 1/4 Section 28.
Jacobson - S.W. 1/4 Section 20.
John Rosenquist - N.W. 1/4 Section 20.
Lunquist Brothers took the West half of Section 32.
Paul Swanson - N.E. 1/4 Section 32.
Jess and Jap Lund and brother-in-law took land in Section 18
and 30.
All of this land is located in Township 15, Range 44.
In the summer of 1885 we had our first Swedish service. Rev. John Forrell came out and preached. We had the service at the home of Fred Moline. There was a large crowd there. After the service Rev. Forrell talked with us and told us we were so many settlers that we should build a church.
We took his advice and built a sod church on the Southeast
corner of Section 2. We had regular meetings in it. Fred
Moline and John Nelson changed about reading the sermons every Sunday until we got a pastor for the church in 1888. Rev. Swanson came once in a great while after Rev. Forrell had been there.
In the spring of 1885 we petitioned for a Post Office which was established in the fall of 1885 on the Southeast quarter of section 12. The Post Office was named Froid and A.F. Froid was appointed Postmaster. Mail was received here regularly every Saturday. Mail day was a day everyone looked forward to. All their troubles were ironed out, and there were always a few arguments and fights. The town of Froid consisted of the post office, store, and printing office. Our paper was the Froid Gazette.
The townsite for the town of Froid was laid out by John Sandall in the spring of 1887 on the South half Southeast 1/4 Section 2. John Sandall had a well dug on the townsite.
In the summer of 1887 we had a student from Rock Island. He was here all summer. He preached for us and held Swedish School in the Church. His name was F.A. Bonander.
That same summer we had our first mid-summer celebration. We hauled all kinds of green branches and built a regular "lou sall" (arbor). We had it at Oscar Linstrom's place. We had a good program. All of the children had pieces in Swedish. They were dressed in overalls and calico dresses and were barefoot.
During Christmas time a young student by the name of Matson
came out from Rock Island. He preached one sermon for us. He was taken sick and was quite sick for two weeks. While he was here he stayed at Fred Moline's.
We had to go to Julesburg, a distance of 16 miles for provisions and to meet the Ministers when they came to preach.
In March 1888 Rev. Berquist moved with his family on a homestead. He located on the Southeast quarter of Section 28. He had charge of the congregation until he moved away in 1894. He moved to Ogden Utah. After Rev. Berquest came, he started preparations for a new frame church, which was built by Ole Anderburg as the main carpenter and the rest of the settlers helping. In the fall of 1888 it was dedicated. There were five or six ministers here for the dedication. The church was built in the townsite of Froid, Nebraska but later moved 1 3/4 miles West to Southeast quarter of Section 4.
An old man named Lindquist came out and started a store in the fall of 1888 on the townsite. A.F. Froid turned over the Post Office and what merchandise he had to him. Lindquist ran the store about 18 months and got sick and died. Mr. Froid took back the store and Post Office and ran it off and on until he moved away in 1894.
In February 1889 we had our first election for County Seat. We voted for Chappell, Big Springs, Oshkosh, and Froid. There was no majority for any of the towns so we held another election in April and Chappell was elected.
November 5, 1885 started out to be a nice day so a good many
people started for the canyons for wood. One man named Runquist living on Section 26 started after wood and had his wagon partly filled when the storm came up. He started for home and got lost. He left his wagon and tried to ride one of his horse's home. He got off his course and drifted Southeast and froze to death. His body wasn't found until November 16th. just a few miles from home.
C.J. Carlson and Son Gust went to the North Platte River the same day to build corrals for our cattle for the winter. They started home when the storm got bad. They thought they were lost but their team took them home.
Two young couples from North of Chappell went to the canyons the same day. They were compelled to stay there overnight to save their lives.
There was a single man batching on his claim. He built a small 12 foot frame house. He married Christine Leef, one of the Homesteaders girls. He built a larger house of stone he'd picked up on the prairie. This house is still in use. Mrs. Amberg went to Cheyenne and worked. She bought calves with the money she earned and sent them home for her husband to take care of. In this way they got started raising stock. They finally owned two or three Sections of land. After a few years they sold their land for $10.00 per acre. In 1910 they moved to Julsburg. Mr. Amberg died in 1940 - Mrs. Amberg died in 1953.(added)
Fred Moline was a Civil War Veteran serving in the Army 4 years. He belonged to the 6th. Iowa Infantry. This regiment was joined in with the Army of Tennessee all under General Sherman. Records show this regiment was in 28 battles during the Civil War, besides many other small engagements. He was with Sherman in his March to the sea in an army of 60,000 men. Mr. Moline built a 12 X 12 frame house. He had the first well. On Oct. 4, 1888, Frank Moline, a boy of 9, was herding cattle on the prairie and in some way got tangled in his rope and was drug to death. This was the first funeral from our new church. He was the first person buried in the Berea Cemetery. On the insistence of Rev. Berquist, the body was carried to the cemetery, a distance of almost a mile.
In 1885 his family came and located on their homestead. He had the first cane press and all the settlers brought their cane to his press. During the busy season the press ran day and night. He raised the first broom corn, bailed it, and shipped it to market. Roaken Olson ran the bailer. One day his son Charley was riding his pony. It was early in the
spring when the wild horses were there. Charley separated a colt from its mother and took it home and raised it. It was one of the toughest ponies in the Country. Charley owned it for 9 years.
Malcolm Carlson was the last owner. Rock died in 1917 at the age of 32 years on the C.J. Carlson ranch. As long as he lived he would buck as soon as anyone got on his back.
In the spring of 1885 a couple of cowboys came to the Froid home and asked if they could get meals there as they were hunting their horses. Their names were Tom Wagoner and Joe Grey. The same summer Tom Wagoner was hung for horse stealing. Two years later Joe Grey and his partner were shot and killed for cattle stealing in Wyoming.
Charley Sandal said he would give his land to the congregation if they would pay up the back taxes after he proved up on his claim. Berea still owns the land.
Oscar Lindstrom moved out in February and built on his land. His family came later. He had a large family. Two of his children were born blind. He went blind himself before he died. He had an unusually smart family.
J.G. Johnson of Odabolt, Iowa came out in the summer of 1885. He started working on the railroad in Julsburg. His family lived on his farm. He would walk from Julesburg to the sod church. A distance of 16 miles and come in time for 10 o'clock service. His family would be there. He would go home with them and stay until Monday. His wife would take him back to Julsburg in time to go to work. He raised cattle and bought land until he was one of the largest landowners among the settlers in Deuel County.
A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE FIRST SETTLERS
IN CHEYENNE COUNTY NEBRASKA
Andrew F. Froid (1847-1941)was one of the first homesteaders and the writer of this book.
We left York, Nebraska on July 1, 1884. There were ten of us in the party. We went as far as Antelope Nebraska, which is now the town of Kimball. We didn't homestead any land there as we had heard of the nice land around Denver Junction which is now called Julesburg, Colorado. We went there and we met a man by the name of Ole Benson. By talking to him, he told us he had heard of better land North of town.
A land agent and Benson took us out to see the land the 3rd. of July. When we got out about six miles, Ross Nelson, one of the party, got cold feet and walked back to town and went home.
When we got about 14 miles from town, we began to take our claims:
Otto Amberg took the first claim, taking the East half of Section 26, Township 14, Range 44 West of the sixth principal meridian as his homestead and tree claim.
C.J. Carlson took the North half of Section 24 as his homestead and tree claim. (C.J. Carlson was John's father)
Fred Moline took the East half of Section 14 as his homestead and tree claim.
A.F. Froid took the South half of Section 12 as his homestead and tree claim.
John Sandall took the East half of Section 2 as his homestead and tree claim. He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 1.
Charlie Sandall took the Northeast quarter of Section 10 for a tree claim (where Berea Church now stands). He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 3.
Oscar Lindstrom took the East half of Section 8 as his homestead and tree claim.
Aug Johnson took the Northeast quarter of Section 22 as his tree claim.
All of this land was located in Township 14, Range 44.
We filed the papers for our claims at North Platte, Nebraska on July 5, 1884.
The first week in September 1884 we started from York, Nebraska with four teams and covered wagons. It took us 8 days to make the trip to Denver Junction. We got to Denver Junction and loaded barrels with water from the railroad tank. Each wagon had a barrel fastened on the side.
The next day we left for our claims. When we got out there, all of the grass was burnt and everything was black. There had been a big prairie fire so we had to turn and go back to Denver Junction to get hay for our horses. We got our hay from a rancher East of town.
We started building on our claims. We all built our shacks
12 X 12 X 6 feet high.
Our first trouble was we were out of water, so we decided to go to the North Platte River after it. A distance of 16 miles. As we started for the river we laid out our road following the Section Lines straight North from Fred Moline's. This road was used for many years and part of it is a graded road in use today.
When we made this road we found every corner of each Section and half mile corners marked. The Section corners were marked with four holes dug in the ground and a stick driven into the ground describing the Section numbers. The half miles were marked with two holes showing the direction of the Section lines. We picked out our road through the canyons so we could get to the river and get our water.
One day Fred Moline and A.F. Froid were horseback riding a few miles from home and happened to find a small spring of water running on top of the ground on the Southeast quarter of Section 24. Then we had water within our ranch. As the settlers came in 1885 the spring didn't hold out so we had to locate more springs. We located another spring three miles Southeast of the first one.
Lots of settlers hauled water from these springs for five or six years, or until they proved up on their claims and moved away.
All the first settlers bought a hydraulic well drilling outfit together. Oscar Lindstrom and A.F. Froid were elected to try and dig wells with it. They started on Fred Moline's place and worked a long time and was never able to get a well.
Fred Moline got a well drilling outfit, who had drilled a well for John Nordell to drill a well for him. He got a good well at 210 feet deep. This well was dug in the fall of 1885. After some of the settlers got wells they ask five cents a barrel for water.
One night in 1884 a man came driving into Fred Moline's place. It was John O'Neil of Chappell. He spent the night there visiting. He invited us to come and see him in Chappell.
We went to Chappell a little later and found a town consisting of Section Houses and a depot built of ties standing on end with a dirt roof overhead.
Before leaving our homesteads to go back to York we plowed a fireguard all around our land with a breaking plow.
We left our claims and went back to York to pick our corn. We shipped our stock and machinery to Denver Junction about the middle of February 1885. We tried to put in supplies to last our families from 18 to 24 months, when we shipped our cars:
C.J. Carlson and John Sandall took a car together.
Moline and Otto Amberg took a car together.
The Linstrom Brothers took a car.
A.F. Froid took a car.
Our families came later. Some in April, some in May.
In the middle of March 1885 a committee of three came from Adebolt, Iowa. They ate dinner with the Froid family. They inquired all about the country but they didn't say anything about taking land. These men were Soloman Peterson, J.B. Anderson, and John Nelson. John Nelson
made the remark that he had traveled all over Alabama but it didn't look as good to him as this did. They went back to Adebolt and in about 10 days they all came back with 15 other people. They had all filed on land at North Platte before they got here. They all located on claims with the exception of Soloman Peterson.
The people taking land were:
John Nelson - N.E. 1/4 Section 12.
C.J. Carlson - N.W. 1/4 Section 12, Township 14,Range 44.
J.B. Anderson - N.E. 1/4 Section 34, Township 15, Range 44.
B. Anderson - N.W. 1/4 Section 26.
Nels Anderson - S.E. 1/4 Section 26. His sister-in-law, Annie, took N.E. 1/4 Section 26.
Gust Johnson - S.E. 1/4 Section 14.
A. Benson - S.W. 1/4 Section 22. His sister-in-law, Selma, took the N.W. 1/4 Section 22.
Miss Lundquist took N.E. 1/4 Section 22.
John Johnson - N.E. 1/4 Section 28.
John G. Johnson - N.W. 1/4 Section 28.
Jacobson - S.W. 1/4 Section 20.
John Rosenquist - N.W. 1/4 Section 20.
Lunquist Brothers took the West half of Section 32.
Paul Swanson - N.E. 1/4 Section 32.
Jess and Jap Lund and brother-in-law took land in Section 18
and 30.
All of this land is located in Township 15, Range 44.
In the summer of 1885 we had our first Swedish service. Rev. John Forrell came out and preached. We had the service at the home of Fred Moline. There was a large crowd there. After the service Rev. Forrell talked with us and told us we were so many settlers that we should build a church.
We took his advice and built a sod church on the Southeast
corner of Section 2. We had regular meetings in it. Fred
Moline and John Nelson changed about reading the sermons every Sunday until we got a pastor for the church in 1888. Rev. Swanson came once in a great while after Rev. Forrell had been there.
In the spring of 1885 we petitioned for a Post Office which was established in the fall of 1885 on the Southeast quarter of section 12. The Post Office was named Froid and A.F. Froid was appointed Postmaster. Mail was received here regularly every Saturday. Mail day was a day everyone looked forward to. All their troubles were ironed out, and there were always a few arguments and fights. The town of Froid consisted of the post office, store, and printing office. Our paper was the Froid Gazette.
The townsite for the town of Froid was laid out by John Sandall in the spring of 1887 on the South half Southeast 1/4 Section 2. John Sandall had a well dug on the townsite.
In the summer of 1887 we had a student from Rock Island. He was here all summer. He preached for us and held Swedish School in the Church. His name was F.A. Bonander.
That same summer we had our first mid-summer celebration. We hauled all kinds of green branches and built a regular "lou sall" (arbor). We had it at Oscar Linstrom's place. We had a good program. All of the children had pieces in Swedish. They were dressed in overalls and calico dresses and were barefoot.
During Christmas time a young student by the name of Matson
came out from Rock Island. He preached one sermon for us. He was taken sick and was quite sick for two weeks. While he was here he stayed at Fred Moline's.
We had to go to Julesburg, a distance of 16 miles for provisions and to meet the Ministers when they came to preach.
In March 1888 Rev. Berquist moved with his family on a homestead. He located on the Southeast quarter of Section 28. He had charge of the congregation until he moved away in 1894. He moved to Ogden Utah. After Rev. Berquest came, he started preparations for a new frame church, which was built by Ole Anderburg as the main carpenter and the rest of the settlers helping. In the fall of 1888 it was dedicated. There were five or six ministers here for the dedication. The church was built in the townsite of Froid, Nebraska but later moved 1 3/4 miles West to Southeast quarter of Section 4.
An old man named Lindquist came out and started a store in the fall of 1888 on the townsite. A.F. Froid turned over the Post Office and what merchandise he had to him. Lindquist ran the store about 18 months and got sick and died. Mr. Froid took back the store and Post Office and ran it off and on until he moved away in 1894.
In February 1889 we had our first election for County Seat. We voted for Chappell, Big Springs, Oshkosh, and Froid. There was no majority for any of the towns so we held another election in April and Chappell was elected.
November 5, 1885 started out to be a nice day so a good many
people started for the canyons for wood. One man named Runquist living on Section 26 started after wood and had his wagon partly filled when the storm came up. He started for home and got lost. He left his wagon and tried to ride one of his horse's home. He got off his course and drifted Southeast and froze to death. His body wasn't found until November 16th. just a few miles from home.
C.J. Carlson and Son Gust went to the North Platte River the same day to build corrals for our cattle for the winter. They started home when the storm got bad. They thought they were lost but their team took them home.
Two young couples from North of Chappell went to the canyons the same day. They were compelled to stay there overnight to save their lives.
There was a single man batching on his claim. He built a small 12 foot frame house. He married Christine Leef, one of the Homesteaders girls. He built a larger house of stone he'd picked up on the prairie. This house is still in use. Mrs. Amberg went to Cheyenne and worked. She bought calves with the money she earned and sent them home for her husband to take care of. In this way they got started raising stock. They finally owned two or three Sections of land. After a few years they sold their land for $10.00 per acre. In 1910 they moved to Julsburg. Mr. Amberg died in 1940 - Mrs. Amberg died in 1953.(added)
Fred Moline was a Civil War Veteran serving in the Army 4 years. He belonged to the 6th. Iowa Infantry. This regiment was joined in with the Army of Tennessee all under General Sherman. Records show this regiment was in 28 battles during the Civil War, besides many other small engagements. He was with Sherman in his March to the sea in an army of 60,000 men. Mr. Moline built a 12 X 12 frame house. He had the first well. On Oct. 4, 1888, Frank Moline, a boy of 9, was herding cattle on the prairie and in some way got tangled in his rope and was drug to death. This was the first funeral from our new church. He was the first person buried in the Berea Cemetery. On the insistence of Rev. Berquist, the body was carried to the cemetery, a distance of almost a mile.
In 1885 his family came and located on their homestead. He had the first cane press and all the settlers brought their cane to his press. During the busy season the press ran day and night. He raised the first broom corn, bailed it, and shipped it to market. Roaken Olson ran the bailer. One day his son Charley was riding his pony. It was early in the
spring when the wild horses were there. Charley separated a colt from its mother and took it home and raised it. It was one of the toughest ponies in the Country. Charley owned it for 9 years.
Malcolm Carlson was the last owner. Rock died in 1917 at the age of 32 years on the C.J. Carlson ranch. As long as he lived he would buck as soon as anyone got on his back.
In the spring of 1885 a couple of cowboys came to the Froid home and asked if they could get meals there as they were hunting their horses. Their names were Tom Wagoner and Joe Grey. The same summer Tom Wagoner was hung for horse stealing. Two years later Joe Grey and his partner were shot and killed for cattle stealing in Wyoming.
Charley Sandal said he would give his land to the congregation if they would pay up the back taxes after he proved up on his claim. Berea still owns the land.
Oscar Lindstrom moved out in February and built on his land. His family came later. He had a large family. Two of his children were born blind. He went blind himself before he died. He had an unusually smart family.
J.G. Johnson of Odabolt, Iowa came out in the summer of 1885. He started working on the railroad in Julsburg. His family lived on his farm. He would walk from Julesburg to the sod church. A distance of 16 miles and come in time for 10 o'clock service. His family would be there. He would go home with them and stay until Monday. His wife would take him back to Julsburg in time to go to work. He raised cattle and bought land until he was one of the largest landowners among the settlers in Deuel County.
Berea Lutheran Church Membership Records, Hilmar, California, lists Anders Frederick Froid birth as 7/7/1847 Åkerdal, Tidersrum Parish, Kinda Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden
A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE FIRST SETTLERS
IN CHEYENNE COUNTY NEBRASKA
Andrew F. Froid (1847-1941)was one of the first homesteaders and the writer of this book.
We left York, Nebraska on July 1, 1884. There were ten of us in the party. We went as far as Antelope Nebraska, which is now the town of Kimball. We didn't homestead any land there as we had heard of the nice land around Denver Junction which is now called Julesburg, Colorado. We went there and we met a man by the name of Ole Benson. By talking to him, he told us he had heard of better land North of town.
A land agent and Benson took us out to see the land the 3rd. of July. When we got out about six miles, Ross Nelson, one of the party, got cold feet and walked back to town and went home.
When we got about 14 miles from town, we began to take our claims:
Otto Amberg took the first claim, taking the East half of Section 26, Township 14, Range 44 West of the sixth principal meridian as his homestead and tree claim.
C.J. Carlson took the North half of Section 24 as his homestead and tree claim. (C.J. Carlson was John's father)
Fred Moline took the East half of Section 14 as his homestead and tree claim.
A.F. Froid took the South half of Section 12 as his homestead and tree claim.
John Sandall took the East half of Section 2 as his homestead and tree claim. He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 1.
Charlie Sandall took the Northeast quarter of Section 10 for a tree claim (where Berea Church now stands). He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 3.
Oscar Lindstrom took the East half of Section 8 as his homestead and tree claim.
Aug Johnson took the Northeast quarter of Section 22 as his tree claim.
All of this land was located in Township 14, Range 44.
We filed the papers for our claims at North Platte, Nebraska on July 5, 1884.
The first week in September 1884 we started from York, Nebraska with four teams and covered wagons. It took us 8 days to make the trip to Denver Junction. We got to Denver Junction and loaded barrels with water from the railroad tank. Each wagon had a barrel fastened on the side.
The next day we left for our claims. When we got out there, all of the grass was burnt and everything was black. There had been a big prairie fire so we had to turn and go back to Denver Junction to get hay for our horses. We got our hay from a rancher East of town.
We started building on our claims. We all built our shacks
12 X 12 X 6 feet high.
Our first trouble was we were out of water, so we decided to go to the North Platte River after it. A distance of 16 miles. As we started for the river we laid out our road following the Section Lines straight North from Fred Moline's. This road was used for many years and part of it is a graded road in use today.
When we made this road we found every corner of each Section and half mile corners marked. The Section corners were marked with four holes dug in the ground and a stick driven into the ground describing the Section numbers. The half miles were marked with two holes showing the direction of the Section lines. We picked out our road through the canyons so we could get to the river and get our water.
One day Fred Moline and A.F. Froid were horseback riding a few miles from home and happened to find a small spring of water running on top of the ground on the Southeast quarter of Section 24. Then we had water within our ranch. As the settlers came in 1885 the spring didn't hold out so we had to locate more springs. We located another spring three miles Southeast of the first one.
Lots of settlers hauled water from these springs for five or six years, or until they proved up on their claims and moved away.
All the first settlers bought a hydraulic well drilling outfit together. Oscar Lindstrom and A.F. Froid were elected to try and dig wells with it. They started on Fred Moline's place and worked a long time and was never able to get a well.
Fred Moline got a well drilling outfit, who had drilled a well for John Nordell to drill a well for him. He got a good well at 210 feet deep. This well was dug in the fall of 1885. After some of the settlers got wells they ask five cents a barrel for water.
One night in 1884 a man came driving into Fred Moline's place. It was John O'Neil of Chappell. He spent the night there visiting. He invited us to come and see him in Chappell.
We went to Chappell a little later and found a town consisting of Section Houses and a depot built of ties standing on end with a dirt roof overhead.
Before leaving our homesteads to go back to York we plowed a fireguard all around our land with a breaking plow.
We left our claims and went back to York to pick our corn. We shipped our stock and machinery to Denver Junction about the middle of February 1885. We tried to put in supplies to last our families from 18 to 24 months, when we shipped our cars:
C.J. Carlson and John Sandall took a car together.
Moline and Otto Amberg took a car together.
The Linstrom Brothers took a car.
A.F. Froid took a car.
Our families came later. Some in April, some in May.
In the middle of March 1885 a committee of three came from Adebolt, Iowa. They ate dinner with the Froid family. They inquired all about the country but they didn't say anything about taking land. These men were Soloman Peterson, J.B. Anderson, and John Nelson. John Nelson
made the remark that he had traveled all over Alabama but it didn't look as good to him as this did. They went back to Adebolt and in about 10 days they all came back with 15 other people. They had all filed on land at North Platte before they got here. They all located on claims with the exception of Soloman Peterson.
The people taking land were:
John Nelson - N.E. 1/4 Section 12.
C.J. Carlson - N.W. 1/4 Section 12, Township 14,Range 44.
J.B. Anderson - N.E. 1/4 Section 34, Township 15, Range 44.
B. Anderson - N.W. 1/4 Section 26.
Nels Anderson - S.E. 1/4 Section 26. His sister-in-law, Annie, took N.E. 1/4 Section 26.
Gust Johnson - S.E. 1/4 Section 14.
A. Benson - S.W. 1/4 Section 22. His sister-in-law, Selma, took the N.W. 1/4 Section 22.
Miss Lundquist took N.E. 1/4 Section 22.
John Johnson - N.E. 1/4 Section 28.
John G. Johnson - N.W. 1/4 Section 28.
Jacobson - S.W. 1/4 Section 20.
John Rosenquist - N.W. 1/4 Section 20.
Lunquist Brothers took the West half of Section 32.
Paul Swanson - N.E. 1/4 Section 32.
Jess and Jap Lund and brother-in-law took land in Section 18
and 30.
All of this land is located in Township 15, Range 44.
In the summer of 1885 we had our first Swedish service. Rev. John Forrell came out and preached. We had the service at the home of Fred Moline. There was a large crowd there. After the service Rev. Forrell talked with us and told us we were so many settlers that we should build a church.
We took his advice and built a sod church on the Southeast
corner of Section 2. We had regular meetings in it. Fred
Moline and John Nelson changed about reading the sermons every Sunday until we got a pastor for the church in 1888. Rev. Swanson came once in a great while after Rev. Forrell had been there.
In the spring of 1885 we petitioned for a Post Office which was established in the fall of 1885 on the Southeast quarter of section 12. The Post Office was named Froid and A.F. Froid was appointed Postmaster. Mail was received here regularly every Saturday. Mail day was a day everyone looked forward to. All their troubles were ironed out, and there were always a few arguments and fights. The town of Froid consisted of the post office, store, and printing office. Our paper was the Froid Gazette.
The townsite for the town of Froid was laid out by John Sandall in the spring of 1887 on the South half Southeast 1/4 Section 2. John Sandall had a well dug on the townsite.
In the summer of 1887 we had a student from Rock Island. He was here all summer. He preached for us and held Swedish School in the Church. His name was F.A. Bonander.
That same summer we had our first mid-summer celebration. We hauled all kinds of green branches and built a regular "lou sall" (arbor). We had it at Oscar Linstrom's place. We had a good program. All of the children had pieces in Swedish. They were dressed in overalls and calico dresses and were barefoot.
During Christmas time a young student by the name of Matson
came out from Rock Island. He preached one sermon for us. He was taken sick and was quite sick for two weeks. While he was here he stayed at Fred Moline's.
We had to go to Julesburg, a distance of 16 miles for provisions and to meet the Ministers when they came to preach.
In March 1888 Rev. Berquist moved with his family on a homestead. He located on the Southeast quarter of Section 28. He had charge of the congregation until he moved away in 1894. He moved to Ogden Utah. After Rev. Berquest came, he started preparations for a new frame church, which was built by Ole Anderburg as the main carpenter and the rest of the settlers helping. In the fall of 1888 it was dedicated. There were five or six ministers here for the dedication. The church was built in the townsite of Froid, Nebraska but later moved 1 3/4 miles West to Southeast quarter of Section 4.
An old man named Lindquist came out and started a store in the fall of 1888 on the townsite. A.F. Froid turned over the Post Office and what merchandise he had to him. Lindquist ran the store about 18 months and got sick and died. Mr. Froid took back the store and Post Office and ran it off and on until he moved away in 1894.
In February 1889 we had our first election for County Seat. We voted for Chappell, Big Springs, Oshkosh, and Froid. There was no majority for any of the towns so we held another election in April and Chappell was elected.
November 5, 1885 started out to be a nice day so a good many
people started for the canyons for wood. One man named Runquist living on Section 26 started after wood and had his wagon partly filled when the storm came up. He started for home and got lost. He left his wagon and tried to ride one of his horse's home. He got off his course and drifted Southeast and froze to death. His body wasn't found until November 16th. just a few miles from home.
C.J. Carlson and Son Gust went to the North Platte River the same day to build corrals for our cattle for the winter. They started home when the storm got bad. They thought they were lost but their team took them home.
Two young couples from North of Chappell went to the canyons the same day. They were compelled to stay there overnight to save their lives.
There was a single man batching on his claim. He built a small 12 foot frame house. He married Christine Leef, one of the Homesteaders girls. He built a larger house of stone he'd picked up on the prairie. This house is still in use. Mrs. Amberg went to Cheyenne and worked. She bought calves with the money she earned and sent them home for her husband to take care of. In this way they got started raising stock. They finally owned two or three Sections of land. After a few years they sold their land for $10.00 per acre. In 1910 they moved to Julsburg. Mr. Amberg died in 1940 - Mrs. Amberg died in 1953.(added)
Fred Moline was a Civil War Veteran serving in the Army 4 years. He belonged to the 6th. Iowa Infantry. This regiment was joined in with the Army of Tennessee all under General Sherman. Records show this regiment was in 28 battles during the Civil War, besides many other small engagements. He was with Sherman in his March to the sea in an army of 60,000 men. Mr. Moline built a 12 X 12 frame house. He had the first well. On Oct. 4, 1888, Frank Moline, a boy of 9, was herding cattle on the prairie and in some way got tangled in his rope and was drug to death. This was the first funeral from our new church. He was the first person buried in the Berea Cemetery. On the insistence of Rev. Berquist, the body was carried to the cemetery, a distance of almost a mile.
In 1885 his family came and located on their homestead. He had the first cane press and all the settlers brought their cane to his press. During the busy season the press ran day and night. He raised the first broom corn, bailed it, and shipped it to market. Roaken Olson ran the bailer. One day his son Charley was riding his pony. It was early in the
spring when the wild horses were there. Charley separated a colt from its mother and took it home and raised it. It was one of the toughest ponies in the Country. Charley owned it for 9 years.
Malcolm Carlson was the last owner. Rock died in 1917 at the age of 32 years on the C.J. Carlson ranch. As long as he lived he would buck as soon as anyone got on his back.
In the spring of 1885 a couple of cowboys came to the Froid home and asked if they could get meals there as they were hunting their horses. Their names were Tom Wagoner and Joe Grey. The same summer Tom Wagoner was hung for horse stealing. Two years later Joe Grey and his partner were shot and killed for cattle stealing in Wyoming.
Charley Sandal said he would give his land to the congregation if they would pay up the back taxes after he proved up on his claim. Berea still owns the land.
Oscar Lindstrom moved out in February and built on his land. His family came later. He had a large family. Two of his children were born blind. He went blind himself before he died. He had an unusually smart family.
J.G. Johnson of Odabolt, Iowa came out in the summer of 1885. He started working on the railroad in Julsburg. His family lived on his farm. He would walk from Julesburg to the sod church. A distance of 16 miles and come in time for 10 o'clock service. His family would be there. He would go home with them and stay until Monday. His wife would take him back to Julsburg in time to go to work. He raised cattle and bought land until he was one of the largest landowners among the settlers in Deuel County.
A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE FIRST SETTLERS
IN CHEYENNE COUNTY NEBRASKA
Andrew F. Froid (1847-1941)was one of the first homesteaders and the writer of this book.
We left York, Nebraska on July 1, 1884. There were ten of us in the party. We went as far as Antelope Nebraska, which is now the town of Kimball. We didn't homestead any land there as we had heard of the nice land around Denver Junction which is now called Julesburg, Colorado. We went there and we met a man by the name of Ole Benson. By talking to him, he told us he had heard of better land North of town.
A land agent and Benson took us out to see the land the 3rd. of July. When we got out about six miles, Ross Nelson, one of the party, got cold feet and walked back to town and went home.
When we got about 14 miles from town, we began to take our claims:
Otto Amberg took the first claim, taking the East half of Section 26, Township 14, Range 44 West of the sixth principal meridian as his homestead and tree claim.
C.J. Carlson took the North half of Section 24 as his homestead and tree claim. (C.J. Carlson was John's father)
Fred Moline took the East half of Section 14 as his homestead and tree claim.
A.F. Froid took the South half of Section 12 as his homestead and tree claim.
John Sandall took the East half of Section 2 as his homestead and tree claim. He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 1.
Charlie Sandall took the Northeast quarter of Section 10 for a tree claim (where Berea Church now stands). He also bought a section of railroad land in Section 3.
Oscar Lindstrom took the East half of Section 8 as his homestead and tree claim.
Aug Johnson took the Northeast quarter of Section 22 as his tree claim.
All of this land was located in Township 14, Range 44.
We filed the papers for our claims at North Platte, Nebraska on July 5, 1884.
The first week in September 1884 we started from York, Nebraska with four teams and covered wagons. It took us 8 days to make the trip to Denver Junction. We got to Denver Junction and loaded barrels with water from the railroad tank. Each wagon had a barrel fastened on the side.
The next day we left for our claims. When we got out there, all of the grass was burnt and everything was black. There had been a big prairie fire so we had to turn and go back to Denver Junction to get hay for our horses. We got our hay from a rancher East of town.
We started building on our claims. We all built our shacks
12 X 12 X 6 feet high.
Our first trouble was we were out of water, so we decided to go to the North Platte River after it. A distance of 16 miles. As we started for the river we laid out our road following the Section Lines straight North from Fred Moline's. This road was used for many years and part of it is a graded road in use today.
When we made this road we found every corner of each Section and half mile corners marked. The Section corners were marked with four holes dug in the ground and a stick driven into the ground describing the Section numbers. The half miles were marked with two holes showing the direction of the Section lines. We picked out our road through the canyons so we could get to the river and get our water.
One day Fred Moline and A.F. Froid were horseback riding a few miles from home and happened to find a small spring of water running on top of the ground on the Southeast quarter of Section 24. Then we had water within our ranch. As the settlers came in 1885 the spring didn't hold out so we had to locate more springs. We located another spring three miles Southeast of the first one.
Lots of settlers hauled water from these springs for five or six years, or until they proved up on their claims and moved away.
All the first settlers bought a hydraulic well drilling outfit together. Oscar Lindstrom and A.F. Froid were elected to try and dig wells with it. They started on Fred Moline's place and worked a long time and was never able to get a well.
Fred Moline got a well drilling outfit, who had drilled a well for John Nordell to drill a well for him. He got a good well at 210 feet deep. This well was dug in the fall of 1885. After some of the settlers got wells they ask five cents a barrel for water.
One night in 1884 a man came driving into Fred Moline's place. It was John O'Neil of Chappell. He spent the night there visiting. He invited us to come and see him in Chappell.
We went to Chappell a little later and found a town consisting of Section Houses and a depot built of ties standing on end with a dirt roof overhead.
Before leaving our homesteads to go back to York we plowed a fireguard all around our land with a breaking plow.
We left our claims and went back to York to pick our corn. We shipped our stock and machinery to Denver Junction about the middle of February 1885. We tried to put in supplies to last our families from 18 to 24 months, when we shipped our cars:
C.J. Carlson and John Sandall took a car together.
Moline and Otto Amberg took a car together.
The Linstrom Brothers took a car.
A.F. Froid took a car.
Our families came later. Some in April, some in May.
In the middle of March 1885 a committee of three came from Adebolt, Iowa. They ate dinner with the Froid family. They inquired all about the country but they didn't say anything about taking land. These men were Soloman Peterson, J.B. Anderson, and John Nelson. John Nelson
made the remark that he had traveled all over Alabama but it didn't look as good to him as this did. They went back to Adebolt and in about 10 days they all came back with 15 other people. They had all filed on land at North Platte before they got here. They all located on claims with the exception of Soloman Peterson.
The people taking land were:
John Nelson - N.E. 1/4 Section 12.
C.J. Carlson - N.W. 1/4 Section 12, Township 14,Range 44.
J.B. Anderson - N.E. 1/4 Section 34, Township 15, Range 44.
B. Anderson - N.W. 1/4 Section 26.
Nels Anderson - S.E. 1/4 Section 26. His sister-in-law, Annie, took N.E. 1/4 Section 26.
Gust Johnson - S.E. 1/4 Section 14.
A. Benson - S.W. 1/4 Section 22. His sister-in-law, Selma, took the N.W. 1/4 Section 22.
Miss Lundquist took N.E. 1/4 Section 22.
John Johnson - N.E. 1/4 Section 28.
John G. Johnson - N.W. 1/4 Section 28.
Jacobson - S.W. 1/4 Section 20.
John Rosenquist - N.W. 1/4 Section 20.
Lunquist Brothers took the West half of Section 32.
Paul Swanson - N.E. 1/4 Section 32.
Jess and Jap Lund and brother-in-law took land in Section 18
and 30.
All of this land is located in Township 15, Range 44.
In the summer of 1885 we had our first Swedish service. Rev. John Forrell came out and preached. We had the service at the home of Fred Moline. There was a large crowd there. After the service Rev. Forrell talked with us and told us we were so many settlers that we should build a church.
We took his advice and built a sod church on the Southeast
corner of Section 2. We had regular meetings in it. Fred
Moline and John Nelson changed about reading the sermons every Sunday until we got a pastor for the church in 1888. Rev. Swanson came once in a great while after Rev. Forrell had been there.
In the spring of 1885 we petitioned for a Post Office which was established in the fall of 1885 on the Southeast quarter of section 12. The Post Office was named Froid and A.F. Froid was appointed Postmaster. Mail was received here regularly every Saturday. Mail day was a day everyone looked forward to. All their troubles were ironed out, and there were always a few arguments and fights. The town of Froid consisted of the post office, store, and printing office. Our paper was the Froid Gazette.
The townsite for the town of Froid was laid out by John Sandall in the spring of 1887 on the South half Southeast 1/4 Section 2. John Sandall had a well dug on the townsite.
In the summer of 1887 we had a student from Rock Island. He was here all summer. He preached for us and held Swedish School in the Church. His name was F.A. Bonander.
That same summer we had our first mid-summer celebration. We hauled all kinds of green branches and built a regular "lou sall" (arbor). We had it at Oscar Linstrom's place. We had a good program. All of the children had pieces in Swedish. They were dressed in overalls and calico dresses and were barefoot.
During Christmas time a young student by the name of Matson
came out from Rock Island. He preached one sermon for us. He was taken sick and was quite sick for two weeks. While he was here he stayed at Fred Moline's.
We had to go to Julesburg, a distance of 16 miles for provisions and to meet the Ministers when they came to preach.
In March 1888 Rev. Berquist moved with his family on a homestead. He located on the Southeast quarter of Section 28. He had charge of the congregation until he moved away in 1894. He moved to Ogden Utah. After Rev. Berquest came, he started preparations for a new frame church, which was built by Ole Anderburg as the main carpenter and the rest of the settlers helping. In the fall of 1888 it was dedicated. There were five or six ministers here for the dedication. The church was built in the townsite of Froid, Nebraska but later moved 1 3/4 miles West to Southeast quarter of Section 4.
An old man named Lindquist came out and started a store in the fall of 1888 on the townsite. A.F. Froid turned over the Post Office and what merchandise he had to him. Lindquist ran the store about 18 months and got sick and died. Mr. Froid took back the store and Post Office and ran it off and on until he moved away in 1894.
In February 1889 we had our first election for County Seat. We voted for Chappell, Big Springs, Oshkosh, and Froid. There was no majority for any of the towns so we held another election in April and Chappell was elected.
November 5, 1885 started out to be a nice day so a good many
people started for the canyons for wood. One man named Runquist living on Section 26 started after wood and had his wagon partly filled when the storm came up. He started for home and got lost. He left his wagon and tried to ride one of his horse's home. He got off his course and drifted Southeast and froze to death. His body wasn't found until November 16th. just a few miles from home.
C.J. Carlson and Son Gust went to the North Platte River the same day to build corrals for our cattle for the winter. They started home when the storm got bad. They thought they were lost but their team took them home.
Two young couples from North of Chappell went to the canyons the same day. They were compelled to stay there overnight to save their lives.
There was a single man batching on his claim. He built a small 12 foot frame house. He married Christine Leef, one of the Homesteaders girls. He built a larger house of stone he'd picked up on the prairie. This house is still in use. Mrs. Amberg went to Cheyenne and worked. She bought calves with the money she earned and sent them home for her husband to take care of. In this way they got started raising stock. They finally owned two or three Sections of land. After a few years they sold their land for $10.00 per acre. In 1910 they moved to Julsburg. Mr. Amberg died in 1940 - Mrs. Amberg died in 1953.(added)
Fred Moline was a Civil War Veteran serving in the Army 4 years. He belonged to the 6th. Iowa Infantry. This regiment was joined in with the Army of Tennessee all under General Sherman. Records show this regiment was in 28 battles during the Civil War, besides many other small engagements. He was with Sherman in his March to the sea in an army of 60,000 men. Mr. Moline built a 12 X 12 frame house. He had the first well. On Oct. 4, 1888, Frank Moline, a boy of 9, was herding cattle on the prairie and in some way got tangled in his rope and was drug to death. This was the first funeral from our new church. He was the first person buried in the Berea Cemetery. On the insistence of Rev. Berquist, the body was carried to the cemetery, a distance of almost a mile.
In 1885 his family came and located on their homestead. He had the first cane press and all the settlers brought their cane to his press. During the busy season the press ran day and night. He raised the first broom corn, bailed it, and shipped it to market. Roaken Olson ran the bailer. One day his son Charley was riding his pony. It was early in the
spring when the wild horses were there. Charley separated a colt from its mother and took it home and raised it. It was one of the toughest ponies in the Country. Charley owned it for 9 years.
Malcolm Carlson was the last owner. Rock died in 1917 at the age of 32 years on the C.J. Carlson ranch. As long as he lived he would buck as soon as anyone got on his back.
In the spring of 1885 a couple of cowboys came to the Froid home and asked if they could get meals there as they were hunting their horses. Their names were Tom Wagoner and Joe Grey. The same summer Tom Wagoner was hung for horse stealing. Two years later Joe Grey and his partner were shot and killed for cattle stealing in Wyoming.
Charley Sandal said he would give his land to the congregation if they would pay up the back taxes after he proved up on his claim. Berea still owns the land.
Oscar Lindstrom moved out in February and built on his land. His family came later. He had a large family. Two of his children were born blind. He went blind himself before he died. He had an unusually smart family.
J.G. Johnson of Odabolt, Iowa came out in the summer of 1885. He started working on the railroad in Julsburg. His family lived on his farm. He would walk from Julesburg to the sod church. A distance of 16 miles and come in time for 10 o'clock service. His family would be there. He would go home with them and stay until Monday. His wife would take him back to Julsburg in time to go to work. He raised cattle and bought land until he was one of the largest landowners among the settlers in Deuel County.
Inscription
Father
Gravesite Details
Same lot as Christine Froid Carlson
Family Members
Siblings
