New Arrivals

New Arrivals. . Crowded, cold, and damp would probably describe Even Lommen's birthplace. His parents, Peder and Marit Lommen, came to Lincoln County with three children in the spring of 1870. Even's birth occurred that first winter while the family shared a dugout dwelling with the neighboring Ole Risty family., Norwegian immigrant farmers dominated this area along the Big Sioux River and the early years were challenging. The 1870s saw several grasshopper infestations which destroyed their crops. Winters were long and cold. Less hardy families left, but the Lommens and their neighbors persevered, building sturdier homes, improving their farms, and establishing schools and churches., This is the type of wagon and oxen team likely used by the Lommen family on their journey to Lincoln County. Ox teams were relatively inexpensive and very hardy. They could also pull plows and other farm equipment., Within a decade of arriving in Lincoln County, Peder and Marit Lommen had six more children. Many of the Lommen family members are buried at Springdale Cemetery nearby., While we cannot know exactly how the Lommen and Risty families built their dugout, it may have looked similar to this one. Building into the side of the hill provides insulation from the earth. A variety of other materials could be used for roofing, including blocks of sod or wooden shingles.