Bergeson’s Homestead

Bergeson’s Homestead. Big Sioux Recreation Area. The house was built around 1869 by Ole and Soren Bergeson, two brothers who had immigrated to America from Norway with their parents in 1851. Ole was one of the first settlers to homestead in Split Rock Township where he and his wife, Bergitta, lived their lives and raised eight children. , At various times during history, this structure had rooms added to accommodate Bergeson's growing family, until it was eventually encompassed in a much larger structure. During this expansion, the windows were widened and wall heights raised and covered by sheetrock on the inside and stucco on the outside. , The log frame, which is constructed of hand-hewn cottonwood, was inadvertently discovered in the mid-20th century during the process of razing the entire old Bergeson homestead. , Bergeson's log house frame represents a fine example of dovetailed notch work and is unique in being constructed of cottonwood timber, which is relatively soft and perishable. , The old log shell is being preserved today as an interesting relic of South Dakota's pioneer past. , Captions: , This log house frame is all that remains of the Bergeson homestead. , Dovetail notch work