Thor H. Svare, was born July 5, 1862 at Vaage Prestegjeld, Nordre Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, the son of Hans H. Svare and Elsie (Hansdatter) Teigen. She [sic] came to America in June 1881, landing at Quebec, Canada and from there by train to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where he had to sleep in a barn the first night, as the hotel did not have any rooms left. The next morning him [sic] and two of his companions took a stage coach for Pelican Rapids, and two of his company had to stay till the second day as there was not room on the coach. His parents came to America in 1888.
The first train came to Pelican Rapids on July 4, 1882. This railroad was built by the Northern Pacific Railway Company and later sold to the Great Northern Railway Company.
Mr. Svare worked at different kinds of work in and around Pelican Rapids for several years, then bought 120 acres of land in Pelican township in partnership with his brother. In 1893 he sold his interest in this farm to his brother and bought his present place of 60 acres, located three miles Northeast of Pelican Rapids, which was all timber and stumps at the time he bought it. He built a log house on this land at the time, and later built a nice dwelling, also nice outbuildings, and now has a nice built up place with a lot of timber to the Northwest.
On May 11, 1900, Thor H. Svare was united in marriage with Annie Abbeson [sic], who was born September 7, 1875 at Herre [sic] Prestegjeld, Helgeland, Norway, the daughter of Abbe [sic] Benjaminsen and Beret Hanson. She came to America in 1899. She died on July 16,1916.
To their union the following seven children were born:
Mr. Svare received his education in Norway. He stayed with a minister and got good schooling.
Mr. Svare did fishing at Lofoden [sic], Norway for four years. Him and five others looked after 36 nets. At one time the boat they were in split in two when they were two miles out on the water. They could do nothing but hang on the best they could and let the boat drift towards shore. They hung on for a long time in this way and finally another boat happened to come bye [sic] and they were rescued, otherwise they would all have perished, as they could not hold on much longer, the water being quite cold.
Mr. Svare was hurt quite badly in 1926 while hauling hay. The hay sling in his barn broke and he fell backward from the load of hay, knocking him unconscious. It took four days before he regained consciousness and could be moved so they could take his clothes of [sic]. After six weeks time he was well enough so that he could get to Fergus Falls and see Dr. Sherping and have an ex-ray [sic] taken that showed his collar bone was bent out of shape.
At the time Mr. Svare came to Pelican township, the Indians were plentiful, and remembers when he worked in a saw mill in Pelican township one summer, and that he could not sleep on account of the noise outside. He went to the window and looked out, there he saw six Indians standing. When they saw him in the window, they left and a short time afterwards, two Indian squaws came along carrying a canoe.
Mr. Svare worked 21 falls in the harvest fields for H. E. Sargent at Buffalo, N. Dak. He was the forman and could hire whoever he wanted for help, therefore, would take along 28 men from Pelican Rapids every fall. He was paid $2.50 per day and thought he was making good money.
Mr. Svare was never much of a hunter; but did a lot of fishing and would fix nets for his neighbors.
He belongs to Ringsaker Lutheran Church of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.
Interviewed: Thor H. Svare.