Neshonoc West Salem

Lake Neshonoc, an impoundment, was nothing more than a squiggly creek before Norwegian settlers in 1851 built the grist mill at the head of what is now called the La Crosse River.  There wasn't much here at the time but the criss-crossings of Winnebago Indian trails, much untamed timber, a very young settlement at La Crosse several miles toward the Mississippi, and the creek itself.  Miss Mattie Larson, daughter of an original Norwegian immigrant family to West Salem, recalled in an article

dating back to 1940, that the crude transportation her family used to get to this area from Madison were very rough-hewn wagons, "kubberulle," rolled on wheels "nothing but logs sawed straight through."  When the carts encountered even small hills, they would have to unhitch the oxen and lower the wagons by rope.  When the food supply ran low on these cross land trips, the family was put on rations.  Miss Mattie further recalls in later years – after the small settlement at West Salem

An original home (octagon in shape) in West Salem by founder of mill

had been finally dug out, so to speak, and flattened for agriculture – Sunday treats that consisted of two-days' old cream set in a pan mixed with sugar and cinnamon, then dipped with bread.  

"In the evening, supper would consist of oyster soup, sylte, lefse, rul, peresylte, bread and butter, and some kind of fruit sauce.  Then as we children grew tired, our parents would begin to talk of going home.  But first, we would have to have lunch, which consisted of coffee and cake, sandwiches, torte, fattigmand, pigekysser.  I don't remember any stir cake when I was small, except sukkerbrod, and that very seldom.  When our lunch was finished, it was time to get our wraps on, say good-bye, and thank yous and pile in the sleigh and home to the jingle of sleigh bells."  Mattie goes on to describe great Norwegian Christmas songs with phrases like "Ta dinerhn old den vardra tea den one vil den acre," public school with no music, unfortunate illnesses, and Indians that would arrive at their doorstep to beg.  "Whatever we children of the pioneers may have lacked, at least we had the pleasure and privilege of seeing nature at it's best."