FARNESS, Ole H.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 309-311

Ole H. FARNESS, a farmer of section 23, Dane County, WI, was born at Farness, 
Norway, 28 Nov 1826, a son of Herman FARNESS. Henry FARNESS was a farmer [p 
310] of Norway, and came to WI at the age of 75 years. Ole H. FARNESS came 
to America before his majority, immediately after his marriage, on the 
"Lofoton," a Norwegian bark, 22 May 1847, and landed in NY City after a 
voyage of nine weeks and two days. They immediately took a steamer up the 
Hudson River to Albany, NY, by Erie Canal to Buffalo, NY, by steamer to 
Milwaukee, WI, and then came by ox teams to Dane County, WI. There were then 
no roads, and the cattle had no feed but the pasturage of the prairie. Ole 
H. FARNESS came to America in company with about 140 emigrants, and their 
passage price to NY was $22, at which place they made a contract to Milwaukee 
for $14 a person, and having their own provision, they reached Dane County, 
WI, at an expense of about $50. These gentlemen were all stalwart young men, 
and were ready to meet any emergency and face any danger, as they 
demonstrated on two occasions. The first was in Albany [Albany County], NY, 
when the vesselmen were throwing their chests and trunks and injuring them. 
They asked them to be careful, but they heeded not, and these young giants 
seized the men and threw them where they had thrown the trunks. Again, in 
Buffalo [Erie County], NY, they were going to transfer them from the canal 
boat to a stern wheeler steamer, and their contract in NY City called for a 
side wheel steamer. They could not converse with the men, but as they 
undertook to hoist their goods to his boat, they took off the hooks. The 
men, seeing that they were determined, sent for an interpreter, and their 
goods were put on board the good side wheel steamer.

After arriving in WI, Ole H. FARNESS purchased 110 acres of Government land 
in this neighborhood, for which he paid $110. For farm contained a small, 
rough log house, covered with shakes, but he soon hewed the logs on the 
inside, erected an addition a few years later, and they lived there for 21 
years. In 1868 they moved into their present large frame dwelling. At one 
time he owned 620 acres of land, but he now has only 310 acres, where he 
raises about 50 head of cattle, about 20 head of good sheep, from 50 to 80 
hogs, and from 8 to 10 horses, mostly of the heavy draft stock, but also a 
few good drivers.

Ole H. FARNESS was married in Norway to Gertrude ESSE, and they had six 
children. Gertrude (ESSE) FARNESS, who was born 13 Apr 1827, died on 02 Jan 
1859. The youngest daughter, a babe of eight months, was buried with her in 
the same coffin. She had buried one child previous, and at her death left 
three sons and one daughter. (1) Herman, a furniture dealer of Madison, WI, 
has a wife, three daughters, and six sons; (2) Lars, a farmer of MN, is 
married and has six children; (3) Randey, wife of Sven GILBERTSON, a farmer 
near Appleton, Swift County, MN, has three children; and (4) Ole, deceased, 
was a graduate of the Rush Medical College, of Chicago, IL, and also of a 
school in Minneapolis, MN. He was a well known and successful practitioner 
at Rice Lake, Barron County, WI, and his death occurred from exposure, at 
Prairie Farm [Barron County, previously called Dallas County], WI, at the age 
of 36 years, and at his death left a wife and two daughters. 

In 1860 Ole H. FARNESS married Miss Anna NELSON, a native of Norway, and a 
daughter of Nels and Gertrude (NELSON) KNUTSON. She came to America with her 
parents in 1852, at the age of 15 years. Ole H. and Anna (NELSON) FARNESS 
have lost two infant sons, and one daughter, Sarah, at the age of five years. 
They have seven living children: (1) Gertrude, wife of Bower BOWERSON, a 
prominent farmer, residing in Primrose, Dane [p 311] County, WI; (2) Nels, a 
farmer of MN, is married and has one son; (3) Thomas, a graduate of the high 
school of Madison, WI, is now employed as salesman in a dry goods store in 
that city; (4) Betsy, wife of Iver BOYUM, a merchant of Fillmore County, MN, 
and they have one daughter; (5) Joseph, aged 17 years; (6) Simon, aged 15 
years; and (7) Benjamin, aged 12 years. Ole H. FARNESS is till enjoying 
good health, although he has done a vast amount of hard labor during the past 
50 years, and the grand increase of the $400 with which he landed in NY has 
been produced only by hard work. He is a firm adherent of the Norwegian 
Lutheran Church, and an estimable and respected citizen.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly