Zoom right in to a high-resolution view into a panorama of life on the family farm. This photo dates from around 1910 and was printed as a postcard, however there is no information to identify the exact farm pictured. Circumstantial information points to its location being near Caledonia, and possibly closer to Wilmington, and the style of barn is definitely Norwegian. Is that a massive boulder in the background, or a large stack of hay? Enjoy the rich details below, and please post a comment if you can help identify the farm.
Hell’s Belle, as she became known after her quiet hobby of murder was discovered, is reported to have murdered more than 40 people between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing without a trace. Belle was a lonely-hearts killer in pursuit of insurance money. Here’s her chilling story, just in time for Halloween. 
In 1886, the Iowa and Minnesota Telephone Company ran telephone lines through Decorah, connecting the region to long lines to the east, and Decorah became the central station for Winneshiek county lines in 1895. Farmers were slower to connect their farms and villages to the telephone network, as they had to organize and finance the enterprises on their own. Decades before being swallowed up into the “Bell” network, small private or co-op companies were founded in each community, and were extended and interlinked as communities raised money for the projects. Telephone service came to Highlandville and surrounding farms in 1902. 
When his chores were done, farmer Ole S. Johnson, who lived just east of Spring Grove, traveled around the region in his horse and buggy and talked with those early settlers who were still around in the 1910s. Their generation was on the way out, and Johnson endeavored to interview as many as possible – over 260, in the end. 
Universitetet i Bergen posted this really helpful family relationship chart showing almost all conceivable relations, including in-laws and half-siblings. There’s no translation provided, but the point of the chart is that you won’t need it. 
A legion of FamilySearch.org volunteers have manually indexed the 1940 census line by line to come up with a searchable database of the census records. Though the 
On the night of Wednesday, June 6, 1906, a tornado ripped across Winneshiek and Houston counties, and extended its range of destruction into La Crosse and western Wisconsin. Two were killed near Caledonia. A spate of storms causing unprecedented damage occurred across the upper Midwest that week. Where is Norwegian Ridge?
Norwegian Ridge was an early name for the area around Spring Grove, Minnesota, where many Norwegian immigrants established their farms and families in America. Read more...@NorwegianRidge
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