Kramer Stamboom » Christoffer Torgersen Smedshammer (1851-1934)

Personal data Christoffer Torgersen Smedshammer 

• He was born on December 9, 1851 in Smedshammer, Brandbu, Hadeland, Norway.
• He was christened on December 26, 1851 in Gran, Oppland, Norway.
• Immigrated in the year 1881.
• Profession: Farmer.
• Resident:
• in the year 1900: ED 84 Litchfield, Prairie, Sheridan, Grandview & Gladstone Townships, LaMoure, North Dakota, United States.
• in the year 1910: Litchville, La Moure, North Dakota, United States.
• in the year 1920: Litchville, La Moure, North Dakota, United States.
• in the year 1925: Litchville, La Moure, North Dakota, United States.
• in the year 1930: LaMoure, North Dakota.
• Barnes County, North Dakota, United States.
• (MARR) on June 2, 1881 in Domkirken, Oslo, Akershus, Norway.
• He died on April 28, 1934 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, United States, he was 82 years old.
• He is buried on April 29, 1934 in North LaMoure Cemetary, North Dakota.
• A child of Torger Jensen Smedshammer and Ingeborg Bentsdatter Smedshammer

Household of Christoffer Torgersen Smedshammer

He had a relationship with Kjersti Gudbrandsdotter Kjella.

Child(ren):

1. Thorvald C (twin) Smedshammer  1882-1945
2. Emma Smedshammer  1882-1970 
3. Ida A Smedshammer  1884-1982
4. Gine R Smedshammer  1885-1962
5. Carrie Smedshammer  1887-1952
6. Cora Smedshammer  1890-1983
7. Henry Smedshammer  1893-1973 
8. Alfred Smedshammer  1895-1918
9. Justin Smedshammer  1897-1988
10. Martin Tiedman Smedshammer  1900-1969

Notes about Christoffer Torgersen Smedshammer

What follows are excerpts (some slightly modified) of Christopher Smedshammer's autobiography as translated by Cora Ellison, and included in the Kjella Family History, researched and compiled by Imogene Erie Schopf. I was born December 9, 1851 at Smedshammer farm in Brandbu, and baptized at Nes church on December 26, 1851 by Soren Bugge. On June 2, 1881 I was married to Kjersti Gudbrandsdtr in Christiania (now known as Oslo) by Prost Tandbert. Two days later on June 5 we left for America with my twin brother Bent & his wife, Aunt Anne Balerud, and 7 children ages 2-16. Bent Holter & Steffen Pedersen accompanied us. We went by way of London where we stayed 4 days, and arrived in New York on June 24. We sailed on the new Monarch Line. The name was new but the ship was an old freighter made over temporarily for passengers. It was converted back to a freighter on its return trip. Aunt Anne Balerud and Bent Holter went to Albert Lea, MN, and the rest of us arrived in Fargo, ND on June 28. We stayed at Nels Kjos's in Fargo and at Anders Kjos's farm until July 4 when we hired out. We worked at Hans Elefsrud's farm from July 4 to November 4 for $20/month. Kjersti was to earn $2/week. In the Fall, I got $25/month and Kjersti got 50 cents extra for every day she helped stack hay and grain. Then we moved 3/4 mile away to Halvor Nelson's farm. He was to supply milk and potatoes. Kjersti was to do the cooking and pay 50 cents/week for board. I chopped cord wood. In February, 1882, Bent & I, along with Mr Bratland decided to go and look for land since we had each bought a team of oxen the Fall before. We took the train north to Grafton, the end of the line. The next day we got a ride with a farmer to Garfield, 18 miles away. We stayed a couple of days with some of Bratland's acquaintances, and then Bent & I walked back to Grafton and took the train back to Fargo. Bratland wanted to stay and visit more friends. He must have had time to visit them all because shortly after Bent & I got back to Fargo there was an awful blizzard and the trains did not run for a very long time. We had planned to go back to that area in the Spring but didn't because of the flooding in the Red River Valley. Instead we met Amund Rockswold, and he & Bent & I decided to go west to the Lisbon/Fort Ransom area. Amund had met an Erik Anderson who said there was a lot of good land down that way. We couldn't find a team of horses to hire so we took my team of oxen and headed to Erik Anderson's place. Got there the 3rd day. He then took us further west and we all decided to take up homesteads in Section 2C, Township 136, Range 59 - Amund the SW qtr, Bent the NE qtr, and I the NW qtr. We returned to Erik Anderson's that evening, very happy. We headed home the next morning and arrived Pentecost evening. The following Monday we went to Fargo to file for our land. I got my qtr, but the other 2 qtrs had already been taken so Bent & Amund picked out other qtrs in the same neighborhood. This was in May 1882. My twins, Emma & Thorvald had been born April 1st. We immediately started preparing for the trip west. We bought 2 wagons. loaded our belongings, and headed out. We got to Sundby the first day, 8-10 miles SE of Lisbon. The second day we got to Maartsman's shanty, 6 miles NE of Lisbon. The third day we made it to Erik Anderson's. The next morning Bent & I left for Valley City to buy lumber, a plow, and other necessities. We were gone 2 days. Saturday morning we went west and built our shanty - 12' x 12' and 6' to 8' high. The roof boards were 16' long. The walls were sod. When we had finished the house we went back to Anderson's and got our wives, my 2 children, 2 cows, some hens, and a few boxes and trunks. It was beautiful weather all that week. We two families lived in that house all summer. We broke 13-14 acres for ourselves and about 5 acres for Amund. We went back to Valley City for more lumber and built another house for Bent and his family, the same size as ours but a little higher. We each built a barn and hauled logs from the valley for roofs. Then came haying time. We then put sod walls on the barns. Bent & I then went back east to the Kindred area of the Red River Valley to help with harvesting and threshing and earn some money. We got $2 a day or a bit more when we used our oxen. Our families stayed behind and we had plowed fire breaks around our properties. The day before we came home was warm with a strong south wind. The women saw heavy smoke in the south, and in no time the fire burned our hay and barns. Most of Bent's belongings were stored in his barn, and they lost most everything, including most of his wife's clothes. The women saved the cows by taking them into the house. And, much as I would like to hear more, the story ended here. However, Christopher & Kjersti went on to have 8 more children, all of whom live into adulthood, so I assume they did fairly well. Christopher died a widower (for 30 years) at age 82 after having been in the Forest Park Sanitarium in Davenport, IA for 17 days. Cause of death is listed as "General Disability" with a contributory cause of "Senile Dementia".

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Timeline Christoffer Torgersen Smedshammer

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