[#29059] Why did my grt-grandfather leave Dalen farm by Sauland, Telemark in 1883?

[Gjest Susan Craft]

HI, I am trying to put a biography together about my grt grandparents;Torbjørn Halvorsen (born May 9,1853 of Dalen)and Aaste Olsdatter (born June 10,1852 of Lia) were married May 16,1878 at Lia. They had three children Halvor b: June 15,1878 Tony b: May 8,1881 (daughter) Ole b: September 15,1882 The family left Norway in 1883 but I haven't found any immigration records to know when and where they left from or what ship or vessel they came to America on.I know that Torbjørn and his father Halvor Torbjørnsen were lumberjacks in about 1875. I would like to know if that was their occupation or if they were mostly farmers and why Torbjørn brought his family to America. What were the conditions in Telemark at that time.They settled in Iowa near Forest City and there they had 6 more children. Enga, Johannes, Anna, Thomas Albert, Gilbert Vernon, and Henry Selmer.In 1902 they farmed near Barnesville Minnesota till Torbjørns death in 1906 and then they moved to a farm by Sauk Centre, Minnesota where Aaste died in 1933. She was layed to rest next to Torbjørn in Barnesville cemetery.Is there anyone who can help me with a few details that I can add to their story?Thanks in advance Susan

[Gjest Jon Torp]

They left Kristiania (Oslo) on the ship 'Heimdal' on April 19th 1883. Look here: Lenke

[Gjest Jon Torp]

They arrived in New York on the 'Heimdal' May 4th 1883: http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=heimd

[Gjest Jon Torp]

Database: New York Passenger Lists, 1851-1891Name: Aiste DalenArrival Date: 4 May 1883Estimated Birth Year: 1852Age: 31Gender: FemalePort of Departure: Copenhagen, Denmark and Christiansand, NorwayDestination: United States of AmericaPlace of Origin: NorwayShip Name: HeimdalPort of Arrival: New YorkLine: 49Microfilm Roll: 464List Number: 522--------------On the list we find:Thorbjørn H. Dalen - 31 yrs - male - Farmer - Norway - USA - SteerageAiste Dalen 31 yrs- female - wife - Norway - USA - SteerageHalvor Dalen - 4 yrs - male - child - Norway - USA - SteerageTonje Th. Dalen 1 yrs female - Child - Norway - USA - Steerage ---------Where is their little son Ole?

[Gjest Jon Torp]

In census 1900 we find Torbjorn Halvorson, wife Aasta and 9 children. (Aasta had given birth to 9 children - all alive in 1900). They all live in Newton Township in Winnebago county, Iowa. Among these 9 children we also find their son Ole Halvorson born in Norway sept 1882.Strange that the little boy Ole is not listed together with his parents when they left Norway in April 1883.

[Gjest Heidi C. Huitfeldt]

Hi Susan,Some links that might shed some light on your question:[url="http://www.telelaget.com/Telemark%20HTML/Why2.html>http://www.telelaget.com/Telemark%20HTML/Why2.htmlhttp://www.norwayheritage.com/ships/http://www.nb.no/emigrasjon/emigration/

[Gjest Susan Craft]

Thank you Heidi for all the wonderful links. I have been looking through them and they will be of great help.Thank you Jon for looking all of this up for me. I have been searching on and off for the last three years for this. I have been trying to figure out this situation of Ole. Some family records say he was born in America in 1883 and others say he was born in Norway in 1882. Is there any way of finding out the birth date of Ole in Norway? I wonder if they hid him or something. I have this wonderful old wooden trunk that they brought over. Maybe they only had enough money for four to come and he was hidden in the trunk. :-) Maybe he came over with another passenger. Maybe the Ole that was born in Norway died and they had another son in America named Ole. But then the census record you found says he was born in Norway so it is a bit confusing.

[Gjest Heidi C. Huitfeldt]

I think this is your Ole FS/IGI with birth date Sep 15 1883 born in Iowa. Lenke Maybe he was listed as born in Norway beacuse the other (older)children were? Simply a mistake made by the one who wrote the list?

[Gjest Jon Torp]

Lenke

[Gjest Susan Craft]

That would have made Aaste about 6 months pregnant when they embarked on their voyage. That must have been a hard trip for her. Hmmm, I still think that I saw a record from Norway that mentioned an Ole but I probably just remember wrong since I can't seem to find it now.Thank you all for your help.One more question. I looked up the ship Heimdal and was trying to find a picture of the way it looked in about the 1883 time period. I found one of the ship in 1915. Would that have been the same ship or another ship that replaced the first? I am not sure how the ship lines do that. They probably don't name more than one ship the same name even if it is replaced.Have a Wonderful Easter everyone!

[Gjest Heidi C. Huitfeldt]

As you can see here http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=heimd the ship Heimdal was renamed Conseil in 1886 and sunk in 1902. You will find some pictures if you follow the link to Tingvall Line, but unfortunately non of Heimdal. (But it might be of interrest anyway!)

[Gjest Susan Craft]

Thanks Heidi, I have been looking through the site. I hoped to find a ship that might have been similar.I guess I am just getting old. Ha Ha I have to work at these sites for a while sometimes before I get the right links. I haven't had any luck at all with the ones that are in Norwegian. I wish that I understood more. I seem to learn fairly slowly so I apologize.I was looking through my information and had forgotten that Torbjørn's sister Anne and her husband Leif Leifson came over in 1894. Is there any chance of finding the immigration record for them? They must have sold the farm or something because from what I know Anne took over Dalen for about 10 years.