Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Wickstrom, Charles J. 1848 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 19, 2006, 7:46 pm

Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908)

  CHARLES J. WICKSTROM, retired farmer of Worthington, is one of the county's

pioneers and one of the very first to locate in Bigelow township. He was born in

Jemtland, Sweden, May 4, 1848, and was the son of Aaron and Mary (Peterson)

Wickstrom. The father died in Sweden at the age of 44 years when our subject was

seven years old. The mother died in Sweden in 1899 at tihe age of 83 years.



  Until he was eighteen years of age Charles Wickstrom lived in his native land,

working on farms, in the mines and at other work. He went to Trondjam, Norway,

in the fall or 1866, and was there one year working in the mines. He then moved

to a place near the city of Stavanger, Norway, where he followed the occupation

of miner about two years.



  It was in May, 1870, that Mr. Wickstrom, accompanied by Erick Mahlberg, now of

Bigelow township, his brother Peter Wickstrom, Hans and Ole Nystrom, of Indian

Lake township, left Scandinavia and came to America. During the first year of

his residence in the new world he was employed at various occupations in

different parts of the northwest. He located first in Holland, Mich., where he

remained only about six weeks. Going from there to Muskegon, Mich., he was

unable to find work, but remained in the vicinity two or three weeks. He then

went to Duluth when that city was just starting, and remained there two months.

His next stopping place was St. Paul, where he remained a few weeks, and then he

went to Hastings, where he worked in the quarries and on a railroad bridge

during the winter of 1870-71.



  Messrs. Wickstrom and Mahlberg went to Minneapolis early in the spring of 1871

and were there joined by a party of gentlemen who had just arrived from the old

country— men who later came to Nobles county and most of whom are still

residents of the county. In the month of April the party went to St. James,

where workmen were building the new St. Paul & Sioux City railroad. Under the

leadership of L. B. Bennett this party of Swedish workmen took employment with

the construction crew and assisted in the building of the railroad from St.

James to LeMars, Iowa, continuing with the work until Oct. 28, 1871.



  But before that date the members of the party had decided to give up working

for wages and to build themselves homes in the new country through which they

were passing. In May the party took homesteads in Bigelow and Indian Lake

townships. A party of four, consisting of our subject, his brother, Peter

Wickstrom, and Hans and Ole Nystrom, decided to locate on section 24, Bigelow

township. Lots were drawn for the selection of the land, and the northeast

quarter was the parcel drawn by Mr. Wickstrom. After quitting the railroad work

on Oct. 28, the party returned to Nobles county and took possession of their

claims. Each erected a claim shanty on his land, but six gentlemen made their

home on the Nordquist claim, in Indian Lake township, where they erected a sod

house in partnership.



  Mr. Wickstrom continued to make his home on the Nordquist claim until

November, 1872, and then moved onto his own land. Having permanently established

himself in the new world, Mr. Wickstrom sent to Sweden for the lady who was to

become his bride. He was married in what is now known as the Wyckoff building on

Ninth street, Worthington, on Dec. 24, 1872, to Miss Bertha Peterson, who was

born in Sweden April 30, 1848. Strange as it may seem, it was somewhat of a task

to fulfil the requirements necessary for a wedding in those early days. It was

first necessary to secure a marriage license and to locate the proper officer

from whom to secure that necessary document. The county seat of Nobles county at

that time was scattered all over Graham Lakes township. Accompanied by Erick

Mahlberg, who was married at the same time, Mr. Wickstrom walked to the county

clerk's office in Graham Lakes, where the license was procured. Returning to

Worthington they secured the services of Rev. William M. Bear and were married.

To Mr. and Mrs. Wickstrom were born the following named children: Alfred, of

Milwaukee, Wis.; Peter of the same city; William M., who resides on the home

farm; Emma (Mrs. Ole H. Nystrom), of Bigelow township; Oscar (deceased), Joseph,

who lives on the home farm. Mrs. Wickstrom died Oct. 19, 1894. The second

marriage of our subject occurred in Bigelow township Aug. 11, 1897, when he was

wedded to Annie Larson, who was born in Sweden in 1857, and came to the United

States in 1865.



  When Mr. Wickstrom established his home in Nobles county he had only about

$200, and during the early days he suffered many hardships and privations. The

grasshoppers took the crops nearly every year, and for many years no headway was

made. However, he determined to remain and wait for better times. He had a home

and was a landowner, which he never before had been. He made his home on the

farm until May, 1907, when he retired from active business and moved to

Worthington. He owns 480 acres of improved land in one body in Bigelow and

Indian Lake townships.



  Mr. Wickstrom tells many stories of adventures in prairie fires and blizzards

during the pioneer days. He narrowly escaped losing his life in blizzards on

three separate occasions, the narrowest escape being during the hard storm of

January, 1873. In company with Jonas Moberg he was returning to his farm from

Worthington with ox teams, when the terrible blizzard struck. They became lost

in the storm, and only by perseverance and good fortune did they reach the home

of Gust. Swanson, on the bank of Ocheyda lake, where they secured shelter.

Although Mr. Wickstrom was only a short distance from his home, it was three

days before he was able to make the journey home.



  During his long residence in Bigelow township Mr. Wickstrom frequently held

offices of trust within the gift of his neighbors. He served as township

supervisor several years, and for many years was a member of the school board of

the district in which he lived. He is a member of the Swedish Baptist church of

Indian Lake township.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:



AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY

MINNESOTA

BY

ARTHUR P. ROSE



NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA 

PUBLISHERS

1908

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