A View of Viborg In Its Infancy - 1896 Photograph published in The Viborg Enterprise, 75th Anniversary Historical Supplement, Thursday, May 30, 1968
A HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF VIBORG, SOUTH DAKOTA, 1893-1968
EARLY DANISH SETTLEMENTS
It was during the 1870’s, 1880’s and early 1890’s that Danish immigration to South Dakota was heaviest. In 1870 there were only 115 Danish immigrants in Dakota Territory. At the close of the century there were about 5,000 and about 6,000 in 1920. The total number of Danish stock in South Dakota in 1920 was 15,000.
Danish immigration to Dakota was either direct from Denmark or indirect from other states of the Union, particularly from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. While a considerable of the immigrants were unmarried men, a larger number of those who came out here in the ‘70s and ‘80s were young and middle aged couples anxious to become landowners and home-builders. They did not have a great deal of property, but scarcely any of them were destitute. A large number of the families had enough money to start farming on homesteads, preempted or privately owned land.
Practically all of the adult immigrants had received an elementary education—thanks partially to the compulsory school law of Denmark passed in 1814—and some had benefited by a measure of secondary schooling (in the so-called folk high schools), but only in exceptional cases had any of them received a higher education. Generally the Danish newcomer was, when he “rolled into” Dakota in prairie schooner, on railroad train, or on foot, in good health, energetic, and ambitious. Weaklings, paupers, and criminally inclined were not attracted to the Danish settlements.
Possibly the first Dane to arrive in Dakota Territory was Peter Larsen Christiansen who came in 1864, three years after the Territory was organized. In a few months he was joined by six other Danes and later they settled in the southeastern part of the Territory in the vicinity of Swan Lake, Turner County. Of the 115 Danes in Dakota in 1870, all except eleven lived in this settlement embracing parts of Clay and Yankton counties.
Early Danish settlements were established at Swan Lake, Daneville, Lodi, Spring Valley, Viborg, Turkey Valley Twp., Center Point, Sunnyside, Alsen, and later at Gayville and Irene.
The Danish settlement of Viborg which includes the Spring Valley, Daneville, Center Point and Swan Lake settlements became the largest Danish colony in the United States.
VIBORG AREA SETTLEMENT
The first settlement in the immediate vicinity of Viborg was made in 1872 by a Danish colony, immigrants from Denmark. They were joined the following year, 1873, by quite a colony of Danes who came from Wisconsin and settled in this immediate vicinity. Among those settlers who took homesteads were:
L. M. Madsen,
M. Christopherson,
G. C. Johnson,
Ole Hansen,
C. Swendsen,
Jens Christensen,
Chris Christensen,
Jens Willadsen,
Hans Willadsen,
J. M. Hansen,
Nels Simonsen,
M. Rasmussen,
P. N. Monk,
Chris Olsen,
P. M. Nelson,
Paul Nelson,
Simeon Monk,
Andrew Monk,
S. N. Monk.
The records of the county show that the land first included or platted in the town was upon the Southeast Quarter of Section 34, Swan Lake Twp., the original homestead of Andrew Monk; the Southwest Quarter of Sec. 35, Swan Lake Twp., the original homestead of Lawrence Larsen; the Northwest Quarter of Section 2, Daneville Twp., the original homestead of Nels Simonsen; and the Northeast Quarter of Sec. 3, Daneville Twp., the original homestead of Ole Sorensen.
A local legend says that Viborg was founded in 1893 when a young Danish woman left Yankton and started for Sioux Falls, walking along the recently completed Sioux Falls & Yankton Railroad. At about the same time, a young Danish man left Sioux Falls and headed for Yankton, walking along the same railroad. They met one another about halfway between these two towns and decided to go no farther. Thus the town of Viborg came into being and the legend says that all residents of Viborg are descendants of these two young people.
THE EARLY YEARS
An account called “The Early Days in Viborg” written by C.J. Glood in the Viborg Enterprise of Thursday, Nov. 2, 1939, gives this more “probable” version:
“Viborg was named after an ancient city in Denmark upon the recommendation of Ole Sorensen, owner of the NE ¼ of Section 3, Township 96, Range 53 (Daneville Twp.) and who had donated 12 acres of the northeast quarter of this land for the townsite.”
According to this account the name (Viborg) was heartily approved by Wm. A. Schaetzel, townsite promoter.
As a matter of fact, it was the above mentioned Ole Sorensen who encouraged and helped promote the proposed railroad from Sioux Falls to Yankton. However, he died in 1893 and did not live to see the railroad become a reality. He was buried on the very day the first passenger train passed through from Sioux Falls to Yankton.
In the spring of 1893, W.C. Larsen erected the first business establishment in the new town of Viborg. Mr. Larsen had obtained information that the Sioux Falls, Yankton & Southwestern Railroad would be coming through the present location of Viborg and built a general store for the new community which would inevitably follow the coming of the railroad. This first store building was erected on the site of the present (198) Henry’s Clover Farm Market.
On the 4th July, when the building was nearly completed, a windstorm blew it down and the young owner had to begin again. He was ready for business in another month, however, and sent for his sister, Mary, to work with him. (Mary was later to become Mrs. J. M. Rasmussen.) Mary Larsen was Viborg’s first lady resident.
In an article written for the Enterprise in 1948, Mary recounted some of those early days in the young town of Viborg. Mrs. Rasmussen had a chance to see a new town boom. She says it seemed that every other morning a new building was started. Social activities in 1893 were centered in the two churches, Methodist and Baptist, which were not far from town and within walking distance. Although Mary Larsen was the only young lady in town for several months, she found several girl friends among the farm families and shared their social life.
The second business venture established in Viborg was Nelson & Glood (Chas. Nelson and C.J. Glood) with a stock of hardware and implements during the summer of 1893.
The following merchants entered into business during the fall of 1893:
Atlas Elevator Co., F.L. Wheeler, manager;
F. l. Larsen, general store;
Andrew Jensen, who moved his general store building and stock from the settlement of Daneville, located ¾ mile south of Viborg;
O’Neal & Co., lumber, with J.C. Jensen, manager;
Fred Steffensen, stock buyer.
Also in the summer of 1893, Lawrence Larsen completed the first residence to be erected in Viborg. The house was occupied by F.L. Wheeler.
In the spring of 1894, Jergen Jorgensen moved his blacksmith shop and residence from Daneville to Viborg. Mr. Jorgensen served as Viborg’s first mayor during the term of 1895-95. Prior to locating his blacksmith shop at Daneville, he was also village smithy at Swan Lake City in the real early days of settlement.
Also in the spring of 1894, James Keller, opened the first drug store in this promising city (Viborg). His grandson, Keith, is today (1968) filling prescriptions here. Keller Drug has been a Viborg fixture for a few years.
Other businesses established in 1894 were the Viborg Hotel and livery stable, both erected by Nels Miller. The hotel building is now (1968) the Country Style Recreation on the south end of main street in Viborg and still lets out rooms on the second floor as it did 74 years ago. Nels is the father of John E. Miller of Viborg.
Other business ventures started in 1894 were: N. J. Svenstrup, furniture dealer; Ole Rud, harness shop;p P.L. Petersen and Knud Petersen, livery.
Among professional men locating at Viborg prior to 1900 were Dr. J.P. Valby, the town’s first doctor who established a practice here in the fall of 1897. Dr. G.H. Stidworthy began a practice in August of 1898 and served Viborg for more than 40 years.
Source: The Viborg Enterprise, 75th Anniversary Historical Supplement, Thursday, May 30, 1968