Dreams of America

Weary of losing money, Tosten looked toward America.

"It was in March that I moved to my own farm "Styrkestad." I had $800 in cash and 13 loads of property, as we say. When I had been there seven years, I had gone back $100 every year. Then I thought I had tried long enough. I was not satisfied when I could not take care of myself. I did not like to keep on until I had lost the place either, because I did not understand such transactions. Those who did could do it that way. It was America I thought of and dreamed of, but how to manage to get there was another question."

--excerpt from Tosten's autobiography, written in 1917

The Farmer Finds a Wife

When Tosten was 30, he bought a farm called "Styrkestad," and decided it was time to get married.

"If I was to be a full-fledged farmer, I had to have a wife. So now I had to try a little along that line, too. But seeing I was going to be busy, it was not wise to make the distance too great. I tried my luck in the immediate vicinity and the final answer was "Yes, she supposed so," seeing I had a place where she could live and call home.

On April 25, 1878, I was married to Sigrid Larsdatter Gjeldaker. Seeing that was taken care of, it was to settle down for good."

-- excerpt from Tosten's autobiography, written in 1917