Biography - Erick R. Ramstad

ERIC R. RAMSTAD, one of the well-known old settlers of Ward county, has a fine farm in the vicinity of Minot, and is engaged extensively in stock raising. He was born on a farm in Norway, January 17, 1860.

The father of our subject, Ryer Peterson, was a farmer by occupation. Our subject was the second in a family of six children, and was raised on a farm and attended the country schools. He left home at the age of nine years and hired out at farm work, and at the age of twenty-one came to America, setting in Freeborn county, Minnesota. He went to Ward county, North Dakota, in 1883, and settled on the present town site of Minot. He built a log house and followed breaking with cattle, and his first crop was in 1884 from land north of where the Leland House now stands. He gave the Great Northern Railroad Company the land where the town is now located. He has followed farming and cattle raising extensively and conducts a ranch near Minot. In 1884 he met with severe loss of grain and hay by prairie fire. He drove overland with oxen to his new home and began operations on the raw prairie, and has remained to develop a good farm and is now well to do.

Our subject was married, in 1883, to Lena R. Oleson. Mrs. Ramstad was born in Wisconsin, on a farm, and was a daughter of Ole Gulson, a native of Norway. Mr. Ramstad assisted in the organization of Ward county and was active in getting the county seat located at Minot. He has held various city offices since residing in Minot, and has taken an active part in all local affairs of township and county. Politically he is a Republican and firm in his convictions and is an earnest worker for party principles. He has devoted his attention to farming and stock raising and is well versed in his vocation, and has met with well-merited success. He enjoys the esteem of his fellow men and is widely known.

Extracted 26 Dec 2019 by Norma Hass from Compendium History and Biographies of North Dakota, published in 1900, pages 977-978.

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