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Pioneer Days of A. H. Bratferg
A. H. Bratferg was born September 1, 1856 in Ringsager,
Norway. With his father, Hans, and his mother, Angoth, a brother,
Edward, and a sister, Lena, they sailed for America in the year
of 1860. No quick sea voyages were in store for these travelers.
Instead of the usual few days that it takes in our day, the Bratferg
family spent seven weary weeks in a sailboat on the voyage from
their Norway home to America, the land of golden opportunities.
Upon landing in New York they boarded a freight train
and came to La Crosse, Wisconsin. This town was but a more
lumbering camp and had no depot. The family was dumped off the
train, bag and baggage at a point near the present Mill Street
crossing, where they awaited the arrival of John "jos who was to
meet them and conduct them to their future home. Mr. Kjos lived
on the farm now owned by B. M. Lee, north of Holmen. The farm
buildings at that time were situated on the banks of the Long
Coulee creek about a half mile east of the location of the
present buildings.
Here the Bratferg family resided for two years, when
they purchased sixty acres of land from Sven Hanson who awned
the present Adolph Halter farm. They could not afford to build
IA.
2 --Pioneer Days of A. H. Bratferg
a house of their awn so lived in a log hut awned by Mr. Hanson.
After a few years of prosperity, they built a house of their
own in which Andrew Bratferg grew to manhood.
Then Mr. Bratferg was but sixteen years of age he worked
for his brother-in-law, Hans Epperdahl in Trempeleau County. Here
he had to handle a three yoke team of oxen from early dawn until
dark in breaking new land for a farm. Grass was so tail and plenti-
ful that at night, the oxen were unhitched and left to pick their
own feed. Before dawn Mr. Bratferg would have to be up and hunting
for the oxen for the days work. Wading in damp wet grass above
his knees or waist was not an unusual experience, and although
his clothes may have been drenched by the damp grass the days
labor went on without a ehsinEe to dry clothing.
The first great sorrow came to this family in the
year 1882, when the brave father, Hans, was called by death.
The following year, on November 7, 1883, Andrew Bratferg decided
to make a home for himself by wedding Amelia Sandman. His
mother being alone on the farm, Mr. Bratferg and his young bride
lived with her. During the three years of residence in this
log house, two daughters, now Mrs. B. N. Lee and Mrs. L. A. Lee,
were born.
3 --Pioneer Days of A. E. Bratferg
Visits and trips were not very frequent in these busy
pioneer days. Mr. Bratferg tells of times when they vent to visit
his sister Lena, who lived at Elk Creek, a few miles north of
Whitehall. Today the trip is easily made in an hour and a half.
In those days, they could never be certain just haw long they
would have to be gone from home. As there was no bridge across
Black River, a ferry was used. The other small streams and creeks
were forded by the horses, sometimes quite easily and then again
with great difficulty. Often times the river was so full of logs
that travelers would have to remain until the following day at
the Crosby farm before they could cross the river to get home.
Occasionally it would have to be a longer wait and in such a
case, Mr. Bratferg would travel on the other side of Black
River to North Bend, cross the bridge there and then cone to
Long Coulee. Often times the water would be so high in the
marshes that it mould run into the buggy and it certainly was
difficult for the horses. There mere no roads but just plain
wagon trails to follow.
In the year of 1886 Mr. Bratferg moved his family to
the town of Barre where he rented the custom mill. During their
residence in Barre, a third daughter, Elvah, was born. He
4 --Pioneer Days of A. H. Bratferg
operated the mill for three years but had to discontinue this work,
due to a severe case of catarrh. Because of this affliction, he
could not stand the dust caused by flour and feed so he decided to
remove his family to Long Coulee, where he purchased the farm now
awned by his son Ansel. This farm was purchased from Andrew Olson
Bye.
The following year, 1890, a second sorrow entered the
Bratferg home, when Mr. Bratfergis mother was called by death.
We might say that 1890 was a doubly sorrowful year because they
lost their only son, who was only sixteen months old.
Whenever cattle were to be sold from the farm, they
had to be driven from Long Coulee to La Crosse, and many were
the times when he would leave home early in the morning with
cattle, returning home late at night, very tired, after having
walked the entire distance both mays.
There was no settlement in Holman not even a bridge
across the creek. Oxen had to ford the creek and there was a,
plank or two for people to walk on the first building toward
the settling of Holman was a blacksmith shop situated on the
present site of A. O. Iostad and Co.
Two sons, Ansel and Orville were born in 1892 and
5 —Pioneer Days of A. H. Bratferg
and 1895 respectively.
In consulting Mr. Bratferg about the value he has been
to his community, I could not gain much satisfaction, but through
other sources, I have learned that he has been very influential
in many capacities. Be served the town of Holland as chairman
from 1899 to 1904. During this time he assisted the county
board in assessing the valuation of various farms throughout La
Crosse County. He also assisted a great deal in the upbuilding
of the Long Coulee cemetery.
In July, 1916, Mr. Bratferg's only brother, Edwin,
who was a retired school teacher, passed away. This sane fall
Mr. Bratferg's oldest son, Ansel was married and with his
brother Orville, rented the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Bratferg then
moved to La Crosse, where they spent the winter. Often having
spent so many years in Long Coulee, La Crosse did not seem like
home to the couple, so in the following March they purchased a
lot from their son-in-law, L. T. Lee, and erected their present
home.
In 1919, their youngest son Orville was married and
bought the farm from his father which Mr. Bratferg had purchased
from Mrs. Bratferg's brother, Rofert Landman, in 1905.
6 —Pioneer Days of A. H. Bratferg
Mr. Bratferg has five children living, and twenty grand
children. One grandson passed away in 1924. There is also one
great grandson.
Although 74 years of age, and having spent his entire
life at hard work, Mr. Bratferg is still very active and ambitious
and very much interested in present day affairs.
When this account of his past is put on exhibition at
the historical meeting of the Homemakers on November 7, Mr. and
Mrs. Bratferg 7111 be celebrating their forty-seventh wedding
anniversary and we will all wish them many more years of happiness
and health as a reward for their efforts put forth in days when the
present conveniences were unknown.
Sylvan Lee
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