Memories of a pioneer child - Fred Larson's story

A few years ago I received an email from someone I didn't know who was asking questions about my paternal grandmother's family.  Her name was Regina Charlotta Peterson and then she married my grandfather, Fred Larson.  As it turned out, the person sending me the email was a cousin on my grandmother's side of the family, and I think he got my name from something I had posted on Ancestry.com.  He was from north of Duluth and we had a meet-up here in Port Wing 3-4 years ago with him and his wife, some friends of theirs who also do a lot with genealogy, and some of my Larson cousins from here.  He showed us all of the work he had done up until then and we all were really amazed, finding out things we never knew.  And we've been in touch from time to time ever since.

Yesterday I received an email from him asking me questions about the Fred Larson side of the family, and he mentioned about something that was written by Fred Larson.  I was confused and part of the confusion comes because my grandfather was Fred Larson, one of the original settlers here, and his oldest son was Fred Larson.  Well, this story was something the son, my Uncle Fred, had related to someone back in 1955.  After I saw it I realized I had seen it before, but I thought it was interesting enough to include here.

One more note of clarification - Fred, along with his sibling twins, was one of the first three children who came with his mother and father (my grandparents) to live here in Port Wing.  This was originally one long paragraph, but I'm going to break it up so it's more readable.  Now here's his story:

FRED LARSON

     My dad was one of the original settlers here. Of course McCardle was here but he hadn't brought his family yet. He built over by the Twin Falls.  My dad homesteaded here about 1890. He brought us kids and mother over here in 1891. He came from Duluth and he was a carpenter by trade. (Uncle) Charlie came in 1892. I was born in 1889.     

Fred Larson (back), twins Herbert & Hedvig (or vice versa?) photo from spring/summer 1891

Andrew Peterson and Samuelson came in 1891 because Braff and Dad helped them unload at the stone quarry and then they dragged it along the beach. Peterson brought a team of horses because he was draying in Duluth. Pete Braff and Dad came at the same time. The purpose was to file a homestead claim. The intention was to prove up and go back again, but they stayed here. 

My Dad had a ten room house in Duluth. He sold that then but he didn't get much for it. I was two going on three when I came. I was 66 the 6th of May.  T. N. Okerstrom was not here then. The land office for this territory was in Ashland.  T.N. Okerstrom came from Duluth where he stayed with my folks.  Then he boarded at Pete Braff's boarding house. 

T.N. was single then. Then he met Mary Okerstrom. She worked for Nilsenius in Ashland.  He met her there. Okerstrom had the first logging camp. That was up on Ed Danielson's place.  Julia McCardle had a homestead here, down in the draw between Rudolph's and Morrison's and Signe's place.  Julia was single.  Grandpa McCardle had a homestead over by the stone quarry.  But which stone quarry it was, I don't know. There was a stone quarry over by the Fred Sehlin place. That was the first stone quarry. Old man McCardle died over there and they buried him over there. But I suppose they moved him afterwards; I don't know where he is now.  I never saw the old man, but I seen the McCardle that was at Twin Falls and Mrs. McCardle. 

Grandma McCardle took care of Mother when Carl was born.  He was born in January, 1893. He was the first white child born here in Port Wing.  Alaena Okerstrom would have been the first one, but she was born in the hospital in Ashland. Esther Peterson—Mrs. Helsing—she was the first girl born. The first one to die here was Charlie Larson's boy, Rueben.  He was buried on Aaronson's homestead, where Christiansen (?) lives. I was at the funeral. Dan Daly's house used to be a blacksmith shop. The Iron River road went in back of the Catholic church, directly south. John Tummy drove, I remember that. He  was  a little  fellow—wore  a big black hat. (WE SHOULD ASK FRED LARSON TO DRAW A MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE OF THE  FIRST ROAD TO  IRON RIVER.) 

[That last line was a comment from someone back then who had heard his story.]

Stay tuned because there is more to come!