Jefferson Prairie Settlement, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jefferson Prairie Settlement
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 Jefferson Prairie Settlement, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Rock |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
The Jefferson Prairie Settlement was an early community started by Norwegian-American pioneers. It was located in the Town of Clinton, in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. This area, along with the nearby Rock Prairie settlement, became important places for Norwegian immigrants. They also played a big role in the growth of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Today, the small community of Bergen is close to where Jefferson Prairie Settlement once stood.
Starting the Settlement
The story of Jefferson Prairie begins with two brothers, Ole Knudsen Nattestad and Ansten Nattestad. They came from a valley called Numedal in southeastern Norway. The brothers moved to America in 1837. They were very important in encouraging other Norwegians to move to southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Ole Knutson Nattestad arrived in the Town of Clinton in 1838. His brother, Ansten Nattestad, went back to Norway. He helped publish letters written by Ole Rynning. Rynning was an early immigrant who lived in Illinois. His book, called True Account of America (or Sandfærdig Beretning om Amerika in Norwegian), shared important information about life in America.
Ansten Nattestad's trip back to Norway made many people interested in America. He gathered over a hundred people who wanted to emigrate. He led them to Wisconsin, and they arrived in September 1839. Some of these new arrivals joined Ole Nattestad at Jefferson Prairie. Others settled in the nearby Rock Prairie area.
Religious Life and Growth
The Jefferson Prairie Lutheran Church was officially started in 1844. A pioneer Lutheran minister named Claus Lauritz Clausen came to Jefferson Prairie in 1846. He moved from another settlement and made Rock County a central point for his work. He helped many Norwegian settlements in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois until 1853. Clausen also worked from Rock Prairie, which he renamed Luther Valley.
In 1846, a Norwegian Lutheran church group called the Eielsen Synod was formed at Jefferson Prairie. This group was led by Elling Eielsen. Later, in 1853, another important church group, the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (known as the "Norwegian Synod"), was organized at Luther Valley. The Augustana Synod also held its first meeting at Jefferson Prairie in June 1860.
Today, you can find a historic marker near Wisconsin Highway 140, about four miles south of Clinton. This marker shows where the Jefferson Prairie Settlement used to be. It also highlights the important role the Nattestad brothers played in its development.
