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Volume 1, Page 163 
Aagot Raaen, daughter of Thomas and Ragnhild Raaen, who came to Dakota in 1874, was a well-known author and educator. She was a graduate of Mayville Normal School in 1903, B. A. Degree from". the University of Wisconsin in 1913, from the University of Berlin, Germany, elementary
teacher for several years. County Superintendent of Schools of Steele County, for six years and educational supervisor at the Teachers College, Honolulu for five years. She sponsored the Raaen Scholarship at Mayville State Teachers College, at Mayville, North Dakota. "Grass of the Earth" and "Measure of My Days" are two of her books.
From: Hatton Centennial "A Century of Change" Contributed by Gerry Mohn.
"A Century of Change" Page 322
Raaen, Thomas born Mar 4, 1827 in Ho, Hallingdahl, Norway, came to America in 1869 and stayed with his sister, Mrs. Birgit Mark, in Northwood, IA. On Feb 28, 1873, he married Ragnhild Rodningen who was born March 11 1839. In June 1874 the Raaens traveled by covered wagon with the Knut Pladson and Torkel Mehus caravan to Dakota Territory and homesteaded on the SE 1/4 Section 5 in Newburgh township, Steele County. Due to his military background in Norway, Thomas took no interest in farming.
Their Children were Julia (Mrs. Andrew Rice), Aagot (deceased), Ragnhild (deceased), Christi (deceased), Tosten (deceased).
The present owner is Olaf Midtbo.
Contributed by Gerry Mohn.
In various records his given name is spelled Benedict, Bendick, Bendict, Benedick.
Benedict was born in Hallingdal, Norway about 1835.
He lived in Dakota Territory in the 1885 Census and in Belmont in the 1900 Census. In the 1890 Veterans Federal Census Dendeck Olson is living in Belmont.
His civil war records list him as "Benedict Olson/Olsen." Those records indicate he enlisted as a Private in Colorado Territory with Company D, 1st Colorado Cavalry, 1st Regiment, Colorado. There is no civil war roster record of a mustering out except in the 1890 Veterans Census it indicates 1865. He started receiving his pension 30 March 1889 in Dakota.
From Norwegians in the Civil War; Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum: ”CO 1st Cav Co D. From Hallingdal, Norway. Civil War: Enlisted in the fall of 1862 at age 27. Private. Post war: Came to Traill County, Dakota Territory, from Iowa in March, 1878. Lived at Climax, Minnesota. Sources: (Traill County Veterans Index, 1885 Dakota Territorial Census, p138) (Ulvestad p324) Rauk, Benedict.“ It should be noted that the records from the Norwegian-American Museum and the civil war records both indicate the same Company and Regiment.
More information on the Rauk Family can be found here.
David was born in Ireland to Robert and Debra Barnes Ray in 1850. Included in the family is a brother Robert and another brother Hugh.
David immigrated to America in 1870 and before 1880 had settled in Traill County as a farmer in Belmont Township, Township 148, Range 49.
David married Elsie Wesley in late 1880. There were eight children from that marriage; Esther, Elizabeth, Emily, Robert, Crawford, Francis, and Doris (17 August 1897-16 August 1993).
David was designated Postmaster of Frog Point (Belmont) on 4 June 1877. The Ray Family is discussed in these publications; Page 6 - A LOOK INTO THE PAST and RED RIVER VALLEY, By Roy Johnson
Elsie's Burial, Tombstone Photo Robert immigrated to America in 1870 and before 1880 had settled in Traill County as a farmer in Belmont Township, Township 148, Range 49.
Robert married Caroline Tronnes the daughter of Anders and Anna Tronnes of Minnesota. Anders, Anna, Caroline, and a brother Adolph immigrated to New York on 11 May 1872 on the ship India and initially settled in Becker County, Minnesota. There were three children from Caroline's marriage; Robert, Marguerite, and Charles. Caroline died shortly after Charles' birth. Robert then married Louise Maria Brown and from that marriage two children were born; Zella and Ritchie.
Robert was designated Postmaster of Belmont on 20 August 1879. The Ray Family is discussed in these publications; Page 6 - A LOOK INTO THE PAST and RED RIVER VALLEY,
By Roy Johnson
Caroline's Burial, Tombstone Photo Louise's Burial, Tombstone Photo
Dr. Henry A. Reynolds, a temperance advocate, platted the townsite of Reynolds in 1880, which was named after him. The city of Reynolds is located on the border of North and South Dakota. Henry also became the Postmaster when the post office was established May 26, 1881. 
Henry was born to Charles A. Reynolds and Marianna G. Gould in November 1839 in Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine. He is a graduate of the Harvard Medical in 1864. His first wife, Susannah E., was born in New York about 1850 and died between 1880 and 1888. Henry married Lulu V. Smith on 1 February 1888 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Lulu passed away before 1904. On 28 April 1904 he married Mary Robinson in Fitchburg, Worceser County, Massachsetts. Henry died on 13 February 1922 in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
During the Civil War, Henry was commissioned an officer, Assistant Surgeon, in Company S, 18th Maine Infantry Regiment on 2 May 1864. On 6 January 1865 the regiment was transferred to the 1st Maine Infantry Regiment where Henry was in Company F. He was mustered out on 1 September 1866.
More information on him can be found in the Reynolds City Centennial 1880-1980 book and at the Reynolds Website.
Burial, Tombstone Photo.
Colonel William Henry Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 21, 1846. He was the eldest of a family of five children born to Henry and Jane (Hutchings)
Robinson. His parents were natives of England. He served in the Civil War and at the close of the war was mustered out as one of the youngest officers in federal service. After the war, he became a clerk for the J. Bidler Lumber Company for about twelve years, and then went into business for himself in Iowa. In 1881,he disposed of his Iowa interests and came to Portland, Dakota Territory, and established a business under the name of Bidler and Robinson Lumber Company, operating twenty-six separate yards in Traill, Cass, Grand Forks and Steele Counties. His company moved its headquarters from Portland to Mayville.
He was a member of the first State Senate, chairman of both the Penitentiary Board and the Agricultural College Board. He was chairman of the State Central Committee, and a Republican delegate to the national convention in 1892.
Colonel Robinson was married twice; first to Lillian Abbott of Chicago, and second to Mattie Edith Anderson of Mayville. He was the father of two daughters. His home in Mayville was a fifteen-room house [ House Picture ] finished with the finest ash and oak woodwork, leaded glass, marble, and the most modern lighting fixtures. It is now know as the Grinager house.
The Colonel also maintained a home in Hammond, Louisana, where he passed away December 24, 1911.
The above was contributed by Gerry Mohn.
"MARTIN L. RUDE, one of the prominent citizens of Hillsboro, Traill county, deals in city real estate there and has become well-to-do by industrious habits and careful management. He has passed through varied experiences and is now spending his declining years amid the most pleasant surroundings and esteemed by his fellow men.
Our subject was born on Sulerud, in Eidsberg, Norway, September 18, 1851, and was the sixth in a family of eight children born to Lars and Maria (Olsen) Evensen, both of whom are deceased.
At seven years of age our subject was adopted by a wealthy land owner and remained on his farm until fourteen years of age and then went to Christiania and attended billiard tables in Masonic Temple. He soon obtained work on board a steamer as steward and when fifteen years of age engaged on a large passenger steamer on trips between Tronjehm, Christiania and Hamburg. He then decided to devote himself to navigation and began the study of the same and March 4, 1866, passed the examination and soon afterward shipped as seaman on the Madammen and made four trips to France and a trip to Antwerp and Belgium. Shipping on another vessel, he made Newcastle, Constantinople, Odessa and back to Malta, Gibraltar, and thence to England. From there he went to his native country and thence to Cardiff, Wales, and from there came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He remained sixteen days, viewing the wonders of the New World and then shipped for Hongkong. The ship was wrecked near Montevideo, on a coral reef, the crew took to boats and only thirteen of twenty-one on board were saved. Our subject arrived at Montevideo arrayed simply in his underclothes. He next joined the United States navy and remained twelve months, the last three of which he served on the gunboat Wasp, under command of the now famous Sampson. After this he made two voyages, the first in a Norwegian vessel to the East Indies and back to Rosaria, and the final trip was on the Harold around the Horn to the Maccabee Isles, thence to Londonderry, from which place he soon took passage for America. He arrived on our shores in 1873 and after a visit at his father's in Douglas county, Minnesota, devoted himself to whatever he could find as employment, railroading, lumbering, contracting, etc., and for about two years worked for McMullen & Company of Minneapolis. He accompanied the government surveyors in 1877 on an expedition to Fort Custer, going by team and boat on the Missouri, Big Horn and Little Big Horn rivers and he was a great aid in navigating these streams. The work was completed in October of that year and fifty of the men started afoot over the plains, three hundred and eighty-eight miles to Medicine Bow. Mr. Rude then devoted himself to farming in Douglas county, Minnesota, and in 1879 with an ox-team drove to Fargo, North Dakota, and took land in Cass county, where he lived a short time, and in 1880 assumed charge of the laundry at Fargo, which he operated one year. He sold his Cass county farm for four thousand dollars and invested in five hundred and twenty acres of land on the Wild Rice river in Minnesota. This venture proved a complete success and in 1894 he disposed of his Minnesota interests for ten thousand dollars and went to Hillsboro, Traill county, and invested in city property and also opened a meat market. He now rents his market and has retired from active business pursuits, devoting his attention to the selling of real estate in the city and the management of the opera house in that city.
Our subject was married, November 27, 1877, to Miss Ella Ramstad [Ramstadd]. Mr. Rude is a member of the Masonic fraternity and is a Scottish Rite and Mystic Shrine member. Politically, he is a Republican and is strong in his convictions. He has served two years on the city board and is well known and popular with the people. "
They had two children, Martin N. and Mary.
Martin's burial and Ella's Burial.
Volume II The E. J. Clarke Publishing Company 1917 - Chicago Lars Rygg, who is a member of
the well known firm of Peterson, Rygg & Company,
general merchants of Clifford, is resourceful and enterprising in the management of his business interests. A native of Norway, he was born on the 19th of June, 1871, a son of Absalom
and Kristi Rygg, both also natives of that country, where they passed their entire lives. Of
their fifteen children thirteen survive.
Lars was reared at home and attended the public schools of Norway in the acquirement of his education. When fifteen years old he put aside his text books and began clerking
in a general store, where he remained for fifteen years, gaining during that time a thorough
knowledge of retail merchandising. In 1902 he emigrated to America and came to Traill
county. North Dakota. After a few months he secured a position as a clerk in a store in Clifford and in 1906 he joined Atley A. Peterson, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work,
in the formation of the firm of Peterson, Rygg & Company. They carry a large and well
selected line of general merchandise and are accorded a liberal and representative patronage.
Their store is conducted along the most up-to-date lines and they follow a liberal business
policy, seeking always to improve their service to their customers.
Mr. Rygg was married on the 1st of February, 1906, to Miss Carrie Flolo, who was born
in Norway and by whom he has four children: Minnie, whose birth occurred on the 13th of
November, 1906; Alice, who was born April 16, 1908; and Alfred and Jennie, twins, born
March 14, 1909.
Mr. Kygg is an advocate of republican principles and supports the policies and candidates of that party at the polls. Both he and his wife are identified with the Lutheran church
and their lives are guided by high standards of ethics. He has never regretted having come
to this country, for he has gained a large measure of prosperity and is now one of the leading
merchants of his town although when he emigrated here he was practically empty-handed.
He owns a fine residence in Clifford and the firm is also a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator.
He has thoroughly identified his interests with those of his town and county and is always
ready to cooperate with others in securing the general advancement. He is widely known
ami has many personal friends.
Burial
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