Descendants (and forebearers) of Nils Oscar Johnson
First Generation
1. Mikkel JOHNSON was born 1832.
All children were born in Sweden; when they emigrated, they took the 5 youngest with them. The older children were to follow at a later date.
Mikkel came to Pelican Rapids from Wilhelmina in northern Sweden in 1887. He acquired 40 acres of land in that area. In 1888 he filed a homestead claim in Roseau county. To file his claim for the E 1/2 of SW 1/4 & S 1/2 os SE 1/4 Town 162N Range 39W in Kittson county (which later became Spruce Township, Roseau county, MN), he walked from Pelican Rapids to Roseau to choose the site, then walked to Hallock to file his claim, then walked back to Pelican Rapids. In mid-may of 1890 he gathered up his family and belongings, which he transported by ox team, and set out for Roseau, driving the extra cattle alongside. They arrived on June 16, 1890.
In the early days, sec. 16 of each township was reserved by the government for the support of schools, and was called "school land". The "school land" in Spruce Township is now the location of the Roseau Airport.
The Johnson homestead was along the Indian trail to Warroad, which followed the higher ground, while the canoe trail followed the lower swampy areas. Some evenings the homesteader's door would open silently; a brown hand would be extended through the opening, holding a fish. Mikkel would rise up and take the fish, to express "Welcome". The native family would enter silently and seat themselves along the walls to rest for the night. The horse that pulled the travois was stabled and fed. Early in the morning they would leave as unceremoniously as they had come. This is according to the "peepers" through the loft floor-cracks.
Mikkel married Karolina ??. Karolina was born in Sweden.
They had the following children:
2 M i August JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 3 M ii Robert JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 4 F iii Emma JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 5 M iv Jonas JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 6 F v Eva JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 7 F vi Johanna JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 8 F vii Agatha JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 9 F viii Huldah JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 10 M ix Alex JOHNSON was born in Sweden. + 11 M x Nils Oscar JOHNSON was born 22 Oct 1878 and died 18 Dec 1970. 12 F xi Josephine JOHNSON was born in Sweden. 13 M xii Peter JOHNSON was born in Sweden.
