The nearly self-contained Dalton community in which I grew up consisted of families from the town as well as the surrounding farms. Town folks earned a living by serving the farming community, and the farm families relied on the services and businesses in town. Lifelong relationships were built upon trust, sharing, and caring. Most people in the area had parallel beliefs and exhibited similar behaviors. Elements of life such as religion, ethnicity, geography, and family practices were nearly identical for everyone in and around Dalton.
Our community appeared healthy because there was not a great disparity of income—no one was too rich and no one was too poor. Affluent people were considered to be those who lived in the big cities and signaled their wealth by driving a luxury car, wearing expensive clothing, and taking expensive vacations.
Pride of Heritage
The Dalton community comprised a tightly woven web of likeminded third- and fourth-generation immigrants from Norway who, for the most part, worked hard and sustained the values of honesty, charity, and love of family. Norwegian immigrants settled Dalton in the latter half of the nineteenth century. One of these was my great-grandfather, Berger Erickson. In 1852, at the age of twenty-seven, he came to America, making the voyage on a sailing vessel, which required more than nine weeks for the journey. He brought along his wife and one-year-old son, and they settled in Wisconsin. After serving in the Civil War and then farming in Wisconsin, he moved his family to Dalton in 1871. The entire family moved by ox team and covered wagons, across the woods and prairies to Otter Tail County, Minnesota, where they bought 120 acres of state land in section 36, Dane Prairie Township, north of Dalton. Berger and his wife had fourteen children. The oldest son received the farm, and in 1880 another son, Cornelius Erickson, bought land two miles south of Dalton, which is our home today. Cornelius passed the homestead on to his son Palmer (my grandfather) who in turn passed it on to Milton (my father). I tell this story because it is typical of so many of the homesteads and families in the Dalton community.
Most everyone in Dalton had relatives in close proximity. Our Norwegian-American community was proud of our heritage, and we expressed that through ethnic cuisine and social traditions. Until my Catholic mother came to town, everyone in Dalton was Lutheran. Most people attended church on Sunday and were active in Ladies Aid and the Luther League.
As a fourth-generation immigrant, Dad’s first language was Norwegian, and he retained many Norwegian mannerisms. Everyone in the area shared a common speech pattern with a strong Norwegian accent. Grandma even wrote and received letters in Norwegian. Perhaps the greatest behavior similarity was the Norwegian sense of humor and ability to have a good time, along with a love for stories and exaggeration.
Shared Beliefs and Behaviors (Social Norms)
The 1950s was a decade marked by certain societal rules. Dalton had its own character, with its own specific weaknesses and strengths. Most of us shared the same values—we believed in doing what was right, being honest, sharing, and working hard. Perhaps our greatest disadvantage was our limited exposure to other cultures.
Dalton natives valued family, traditions, holidays, and respect for the elderly. Relatives lived in the same community, helping to make it strong and intact. When farmers and their wives retired, they would turn their farm over to a son and move to a small house in Dalton.
Farms remained in the same family for generations, and local businesses had little (if any) turnover. People identified with this place. Farm families cherished their land—it had a value much greater than economics. Our relationship to the land was best summed up by something Margaret Mitchell wrote in Gone With the Wind: “Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything, for ’tis the only thing in this world that lasts. ’Tis the only thing worth working for, worth fighting for . . .”
Very few women worked outside the home. Dad’s role was a farmer and Mom’s role was a homemaker. Dad rarely did common household chores; but he did help Mom paint, hang storm windows, and do other chores that required strength. Dad was in charge of things like car maintenance, remodeling, and fixing a broken screen door or a rusty hinge. I do not believe Dad ever changed a diaper, did the laundry, or made a bed. Likewise, Mom did very little farm work. She rarely went in the barn, never drove a tractor, and did not work with any of the animals except the chickens. However, Mom and Dad balanced the checkbook and prepared the taxes together.
Childcare usually fell to Mom and us older kids. As an older sibling, I read to the little kids, bathed them, monitored their catechism lessons, entertained them, put them to bed, and babysat when Mom was gone. Both Dad and Mom supervised us kids since we had both farm chores and household chores to perform. Our parents were actively involved in our education, social outings, and 4-H activities.
Families were remarkably stable. Marriages were valued and divorce was rare, so children were raised in two-parent homes. Pregnancies out of wedlock were considered mortifying, and usually the couple “had to get married.” Parent, teachers, and elders were respected and obeyed.
I never heard Dad tell an off-color joke or cuss, and women did not swear or smoke. My parents’ age group was the first generation in our family to drink socially. Grandma did not consider it acceptable, especially for women.
“Saving face” was important. Being indebted by borrowing or receiving favors made us uncomfortable. Bankruptcy and accepting charity were considered dishonorable.
Non-confrontation was the norm; and out of respect for others’ opinions, we did not talk about religion or politics. In our Norwegian culture, it was not appropriate to be frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or about personal information.
Feeling safe was a condition of our generation. We trusted almost everyone and were open to strangers. People did not steal, and we left our front door unlocked. For me, danger lurked in a herd of cows stampeding, thoughts of drowning in the pond or water tank, or falling through the ice.
Social Etiquette
Men always vacated a seat for a woman or someone elderly. “Please” and “thank you” were compulsory. Men never wore a hat indoors, and they took it off if they were talking to a woman. If you saw a lady struggling with her shopping, you would offer to help. Men always opened the door for women and allowed them to enter or exit first.
Patriotic Citizens
As with others in the community, the Bergerson men always stepped up to answer the call of duty and serve in the military. Berger Erickson arrived in the United States in 1852, and in 1864 and 1865 served in the Civil War with Company D, Eighteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, taking part in several engagements while in the service. Grandpa Palmer served in World War I, while two of his sons served in World War II.
Town Kids and Farm Kids
I felt that the farm kids and town kids were equals. We attended the same school and dressed the same, so we were the same. I had friends in town; and, although I knew they did not carry the same workload as the farm kids, I never resented it. We had skating parties, birthday parties, and slumber parties. I knew my life would be like the town kids’ lives once I graduated from college. I had no desire to be a farm wife.
There were many things farm kids had that town kids desired, such as 4-H activities and riding horses. In fact, some town kids even joined 4-H.
Artistic Expression and Organized Sports
Although academia was highly valued, the arts were not a high priority. We were not an artistic community in the sense of attending concerts, the theater, or art exhibitions. Music was what we heard on the radio, theatre consisted of the annual school Christmas play, and art exhibitions were the beautiful handiwork creations our grandmothers made.
It would have been hard to have any cultural influences from television because we did not have one. We did listen to a lot of music—from Mom’s radio in the kitchen, Dad’s radio in the barn, and records on the phonograph player. Everything we listened to was country western.
Our small-town life may not have afforded much cultural or artistic appreciation, but we were instilled with a drive for intellectual pursuits.
The Exodus
The exodus from the Dalton community started with my generation. Lured by higher education, better jobs, and distant opportunities, we left the countryside to find our fortunes under the glow of city lights. The small farms and villages began to vanish, giving way to cities and progress. School mergers further echoed the countryside’s crisis. All of the siblings left except for Daryl. One went to Boston, one to San Francisco, one to St. Louis, and the rest to Minneapolis.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
–Romans 12:18 (NIV)