Was named after mother's step-father.

Moved to Liland farm in 1868.

He emigrated immediately after his father's death (1870).

He moved from Eau Claire, WI to Rice Lake, WI in 1876, and then on to North Dakota in 1878.

He moved his family to Minneapolis in 1896.

Buried at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN

Hans owned a store at 1415 E. 38th St., Minneapolis, MN.

Before Simon Jensen (Hans' father) died, he made his children promise that they would never make a living by the sea. Too many lives were lost in the stormy North Sea. With Hans as a spearhead, friends and relatives came with him, to America, the land of opportunity. He was a farmer in Norway, along with knowing other trades, so he knew he could find work.

He arrived at NYC, NY. and worked at a lumber yard for two years, in Brooklyn, NY. He then had enough money to take his family further West. He came to Eau Claire, WI. He, along with friends and relatives, worked in the lumber camps. Again, when he had saved enough money, he purchased a grocery store on Water St. He was there seven years.

While in Wisconsin, he changed his name from Simonsen to Galchutt. It seems that at that time, there lived another person in Eau Claire who called himself Hans Simonsen. That person incurred many debts. Because he had a similar name, Hans was attributed to the debts of the other person. To avoid further confusion, Hans started going by Galchutt instead of Simonsen.

In 1879, his friends, relatives, he and his family decided to go to North Dakota, to the land grab, where the government was giving 160 acres to anyone who would farm the land for at least a year. This was at the time when the Indian uprisings were Just over. They traveled by a team of oxen and ox cart.

They joined up with more friends in Rice Lake, Wise. where George was born. They moved on as soon as Martha could travel. They went through Minneapolis and was offered Nicollet Island (now an industrial island in the Mississippi River) for two team of oxen. He refused as he felt he was really a farmer and wanted to go with his friends and relatives.

When they got to Dakota Territory, they liked what they saw and settled near what would be Galchutt, ND. They built a farm homestead. This farm and land was much later deeded to Boletta after Martin and Boletta were married. Hans kept sending money for more relatives to come over from Norway. When they came over, they worked for him for a year to pay off passage. At the end of one year, Hans would then give them 160 acres and built them a small home. He paid other people to register for land and they, in turn, turned the land over to him. That way, he always had land to give to his relatives as they arrived and worked for him.

In 1882, he moved to town, built himself a home. He also built and owned a grain elevator, a grocery store, an implement company, and a lot of land. He was the building Contractor for the Bethany Lutheran Church, located one mile from Galchutt, ND. He used the farm for relatives as they Came over, until they bad a place of their own.

After a while, the people in Norway weren't coming over, so he went back to Norway to convince them of the good land and opportunity in America. The year was 1887.

At this time, Solomon Hanberg Liland did not want to go to America, as he had the Liland farm. But his oldest son wanted to go. He then said "This year, one son, next year, another son, the next year, another, and so on. NO! if you go, we all go. We stay together as a family. Some grandsons still work the land in the Galchutt area. (As told by Al Leland)

In order for them all to go back together, Hans' grandfather, who owned several ships, lent him one, so they could go on one ship. His brothers Jens, and sister, Simonette, came over at this time. A lot of descendants of friends of his still live in the Galchutt area. The people that came over, were all from the Borge, Lofoten island area.

Hans (Galschjodt) Galchutt founded the town of Galchutt, North Dakota in 1879. It was incorporated in 1882. It celebrated its Centennial July 10th and 11th, 1982. The Galchutt-Galschjodt-Simonsen-Leland families held its first family reunion in conjunction with it. Hans brought the railroad into town by financing it. Another farmer, Anton Hansen, deeded his land to the railroad company. Hans assisted in surveying of the lots in Galchutt.

Please see ndsl-books_13810.pdf

Hans brought Martha , with the youngest children, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he purchased a grocery store. Hans then, went to Alaska to seek gold. Martha always hated Minneapolis and never wanted to leave Galchutt. Hans found gold but gave most of it to his partners when he got his leg caught in a glacier crevice. His partners were going to leave him, and he had to hold a gun on them to take him back to civilization. He had to promise-them that he would give them a goodly portion of his share of the gold. His leg was crushed and had to be removed, which he then had a wooden leg the rest of his life. The rest of his money, he lost at the gambling tables. He brought a small vial of gold dust back to Minneapolis with him and gave it to Albert. He died in Albert's home in Minneapolis.