Anders Wagnild
Soknedal, Norway

Extracted from the History of Dunn County, Wisconsin (1925), p. 284

Anders Wagnild, an early settler in the town of Dunn, was born in Soknedalen, Norway, in 1823.  He was there married to Ingri Swenson, a native of the same place, and in 1868 they came to American and to Dunn County, Wisconsin, Mr. Wagnild buying a homestead right to 80 acres in Section 32, town of Dunn, on which no clearing or building had been done. For their first primitive dwelling  on the place Mr. Wagnild struck out quite an idea.  Without taking time at first to build a regular house, either log or frame, he searched in the woods until he found four trees of a sufficient distant apart, and at the proper distance, so that they would answer the purpose of posts and studdings.  He then made his walls by nailing siding to the trees and then added a thatched roof to complete his house, and this the family inhabited until he could fine the time to put up a log building. It was a somewhat unsteady dwelling, as when the wind blew it swayed from side to side, but it answered the purpose and was picturesque and romantic.  In time the Wagnilds developed a good farm, with all necessary buildings, and became reasonably comfortable and prosperous.  It is worthy of mention that in later years when looking up the patent or abstract of this farm property, it was discovered that no mortgage had ever been placed on it, a somewhat unusual circumstance.  The old folks lived there many years, Mrs. Ingri Wagnild passing away first, in 1894, and Anders Wagnild in 1917, surviving her about 23 years.