Path of History

This image is dedicated to Nora and 100 years of relationship between Canada and the US. These tracks lead south, and are exactly one mile north of the international line. The land is significant because a portion of this section was farmed by Nora's grandparents.

I met Nora, who is 96, in June of 2008 on her farm in North Dakota. This is part of her story.

Nora's grandparents, Knudt and Aslaug, moved from Norway to America in 1900. They homesteaded the north 80 acres of SW 5-1-5 in Canada. This section of Canada is right along the border. They had 4 children, one of whom, Kittil, is buried just across the road from where they lived in the Norwegian Cemetery. It is interesting to note that they moved to Canada about 18 years after their son, Nora's father, moved to North Dakota.

Nora's father Halvor, was born in Norway in 1866. At the age of 16 in 1882, he moved to the United States. A few years later in 1892, he moved to homestead in North Dakota. In 1894, he married Gunhild and a few years later built the first Store and Post Office, a log structure, in Numedahl, North Dakota. At that point, Numedahl was situated on the international border.

In 1903 he sold his business and moved to Canada where he purchased land from the Hudson Bay Company...NW 8-1-5. (8-1-5 is the section of land directly north of 5-1-5 where his parents lived and is about 3.5 miles from his homestead in ND).

He dismantled the Numedahl Store and Post Office and moved it to Canada where it became their home. I have attempted to locate this building, but it is no longer extant.

Nora's father was a carpenter. because of this skill, he helped to build the first Deer Creek School, also located on NW 8-1-5, Canada. Apparently the building is still being used as a home.

They lived in Canada until 1909. At that point, they went back to the homestead in North Dakota. Nora was born there in 1912, and she has lived close to the international line and her original homestead ever since. (Nora's story will be continued).

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