Farm Leadership History

Johnson's Pinegrove Farm has an interesting history.  It all began in 1900 when Oskar Edvard Kause (Pelander), born April 12th, 1880, arrived to USA, specifically the Hibbing area from his homeland of Eura Naarjiki, Finland.  His American legacy started on April 14th, 1900 when Oskar departed Southampton, England on board the S.S. St. Paul with the ships final destination being New York, New York, USA.  Oskar came to USA to find a better life than his native Finland could offer him.  It was a very trying time in Finland when he left and many like him had a dream to move to the USA and start a new life under political freedom, religious freedom and democracy.  Immigration records indicate that he came to Northern Minnesota in 1900 and settled in the Hibbing area then moved to Balsam Township around 1904.  It is my opinion that Oskar worked in one of the Mesabi iron mines to make some capital prior to venturing into farming.  Around 1904 Oskar filed for homestead on the land that is now Johnson's Pinegrove Farm.  He filed his claim at the Cass Lake, Minnesota US Government Land office that had just opened in 1903.  Once the claim was filled a person had to make improvements on the land and had to physically reside there most of the time.  After 14 months of satisfying those requirements the land could be purchased for $1.25 an acre.  If lived on for five or more years and the requirements satisfied, the land was granted for free.  Oskar cleared the land and started farming here in the year of 1904.  He built a large log barn with dove-tailed corners, a nice quaint two story log home, a concrete 25 ft high silo, pump house, privy, tool shed, sauna by the lake, root cellar carved into the hillside facing the lake and several remote Finnish style hay sheds called a "lato's".   Oskar raised sheep, cattle, milk cows, turkeys and chickens.  Homestead Land Patent #306363 was granted to Oskar in 1912 after these improvements were done.  This was eight (8) years after the initial filing. Oskar lived and worked here on his farm until his death in August of 1946.  He basically worked himself to death.  The number of very large rock piles on the property and the openness of the land are a testimony to the tenuous labor expended to break ground and create a farm here at the turn of the last century.  It is known that Oskar originally worked his farm with horses.  Many horseshoes have been found on the property especially in front of the old log barn.  In later years he used a Fordson Model F tractor along with a Model T Ford truck.  He was the first person in Balsam Township to have a heated attached garage for which he stored his Model T Ford truck in.  His house and barn still stand today.

Shortly thereafter Oskar's death, circa 1947 Christen Spoo, a fairly recent immigrant to the USA from Germany bought the Pelander farm from Itasca County.  Oskar Pelander had no known heirs so his property and belongings went back to Itasca  County.  Mr. Christ Spoo arrived to New York Harbor, USA on February 1st, 1927.  He then traveled to his residence destination of Edmunds County, South Dakota to live with his relatives the Dithmann family.  The 1930 US Federal census showed him living there alone, single in 1930.  Once purchasing Oskar's farm from Itasca County Chris took up farming where Oskar left off. Prior to moving to the Pelander farm, Chris and his family had a small farm located in very south Lawrence Township (T57, R24) along the Prairie River.  The 1940 US Federal census had Chris living on West Lawrence Road with his wife Rose (Dithmann) and three small children.  Farmer was his occupation.  I believe he purchased this farm in 1935.  Chris always referred to this farm as, "the place down by the river".  Chris and his family lived and farmed at the Lower Balsam farm until the summer of 1969 when the farm was bought by Murrle G. Johnson. The Johnson's have been farming here since the farm was purchased by Murrle at that time. 

Johnson's Pinegrove farm is the oldest continually active working farm in Balsam Township (T58, R24), 1904 to present.