Chris Johnson partnered with Jorgen Damm and engaged in freight hauling. The railroad had pushed through to Yankton, and with the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1876, there came a demand for supplies, driving oxen from Yankton to Deadwood, a distance of 400-500 miles, fording the river at Pierre. Jorgen told that the trip took about six weeks to make.
In 1878 Chris and his partner Jorgen Damm decided to homestead and then go into the ranch business. Jorgen Damm settled on the east bank of Lake Badger and Chris on the South bank of Lake Thisted in Kingsbury County, SD. They had made a little money freighting so they bought seventy-five cows which at that time could be bought quite reasonably. But in the fall a prairie fire that had started near Sioux Falls came through and burned everything they had. They had put up quite a little hay that had been cut with scythe. There was nothing they could do but drive the cattle across the burned prairie south of Sioux Falls where there was feed and sell them. This was quite a setback for the Homesteaders.
On February 23, 1880, the first marriage in the East Norden Lutheran Church was solemnized, Rev. Jacobson officiating at the double marriage of Miss Marie Madsen and Miss Madsina Madsen to Christian Johnson and Jorgen Damm. The ceremony took place in the sod home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lars Madsen.
The young couple lived on Christian’s claim on the south bank of Lake Thisted. Christian died May 18, 1880. He was killed by a lightening strike while hunting near Lake Thisted. He is counted as the first of the pioneers to die in the area. Marie was pregnant at the time, and their son, also named Christian Nassen Johnson was born Jan 8, 1881 and died May 15, 1881.
In 1878 Chris and his partner Jorgen Damm decided to homestead and then go into the ranch business. Jorgen Damm settled on the east bank of Lake Badger and Chris on the South bank of Lake Thisted in Kingsbury County, SD. They had made a little money freighting so they bought seventy-five cows which at that time could be bought quite reasonably. But in the fall a prairie fire that had started near Sioux Falls came through and burned everything they had. They had put up quite a little hay that had been cut with scythe. There was nothing they could do but drive the cattle across the burned prairie south of Sioux Falls where there was feed and sell them. This was quite a setback for the Homesteaders.
On February 23, 1880, the first marriage in the East Norden Lutheran Church was solemnized, Rev. Jacobson officiating at the double marriage of Miss Marie Madsen and Miss Madsina Madsen to Christian Johnson and Jorgen Damm. The ceremony took place in the sod home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lars Madsen.
The young couple lived on Christian’s claim on the south bank of Lake Thisted. Christian died May 18, 1880. He was killed by a lightening strike while hunting near Lake Thisted. He is counted as the first of the pioneers to die in the area. Marie was pregnant at the time, and their son, also named Christian Nassen Johnson was born Jan 8, 1881 and died May 15, 1881.
Chris Johnson partnered with Jorgen Damm and engaged in freight hauling. The railroad had pushed through to Yankton, and with the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1876, there came a demand for supplies, driving oxen from Yankton to Deadwood, a distance of 400-500 miles, fording the river at Pierre. Jorgen told that the trip took about six weeks to make.
In 1878 Chris and his partner Jorgen Damm decided to homestead and then go into the ranch business. Jorgen Damm settled on the east bank of Lake Badger and Chris on the South bank of Lake Thisted in Kingsbury County, SD. They had made a little money freighting so they bought seventy-five cows which at that time could be bought quite reasonably. But in the fall a prairie fire that had started near Sioux Falls came through and burned everything they had. They had put up quite a little hay that had been cut with scythe. There was nothing they could do but drive the cattle across the burned prairie south of Sioux Falls where there was feed and sell them. This was quite a setback for the Homesteaders.
On February 23, 1880, the first marriage in the East Norden Lutheran Church was solemnized, Rev. Jacobson officiating at the double marriage of Miss Marie Madsen and Miss Madsina Madsen to Christian Johnson and Jorgen Damm. The ceremony took place in the sod home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lars Madsen.
The young couple lived on Christian’s claim on the south bank of Lake Thisted. Christian died May 18, 1880. He was killed by a lightening strike while hunting near Lake Thisted. He is counted as the first of the pioneers to die in the area. Marie was pregnant at the time, and their son, also named Christian Nassen Johnson was born Jan 8, 1881 and died May 15, 1881.
In 1878 Chris and his partner Jorgen Damm decided to homestead and then go into the ranch business. Jorgen Damm settled on the east bank of Lake Badger and Chris on the South bank of Lake Thisted in Kingsbury County, SD. They had made a little money freighting so they bought seventy-five cows which at that time could be bought quite reasonably. But in the fall a prairie fire that had started near Sioux Falls came through and burned everything they had. They had put up quite a little hay that had been cut with scythe. There was nothing they could do but drive the cattle across the burned prairie south of Sioux Falls where there was feed and sell them. This was quite a setback for the Homesteaders.
On February 23, 1880, the first marriage in the East Norden Lutheran Church was solemnized, Rev. Jacobson officiating at the double marriage of Miss Marie Madsen and Miss Madsina Madsen to Christian Johnson and Jorgen Damm. The ceremony took place in the sod home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lars Madsen.
The young couple lived on Christian’s claim on the south bank of Lake Thisted. Christian died May 18, 1880. He was killed by a lightening strike while hunting near Lake Thisted. He is counted as the first of the pioneers to die in the area. Marie was pregnant at the time, and their son, also named Christian Nassen Johnson was born Jan 8, 1881 and died May 15, 1881.
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