Wisconsin: Norwegian American Settlements

The earliest Norwegian settler in Wisconsin was a man named Ole Knudsen Nattestad. He arrived in Wisconsin in 1838, and settled at Jefferson Prairie, Rock County. Ole was born in Vægli in Numedal, Buskerud County, Norway and came over with his brother Ansten. They worked in Illinois for a while, then separated; Ole went to Wisconsin and Ansten went back to Norway where he gathered about 100 persons to come back to America with him.