Louisiana Purchase and Controversies 1803-1819
LOUISIANA was first visited by La Salle, who discovered the mouth of the Mississippi (1691), and took possession of the country in the name of Louis, King of France. Settlements were soon afterwards formed. In 1712 Louis XIV. named the region Louisiana, in honor of himself. The French remained in possession until 1762, when they ceded it to Spain. In 1800 it was retroceded to France, and in 1803 it was bought from the latter by the United States for $15,000,000 by the Louisiana Purchase. The American flag was first raised in New Orleans on Dec. 20, 1803. In 1804 the territory was divided into two governments—namely, "Territory of Orleans " and " District of Louisiana."

The offical United States flag used during the Orleans Territory time period. The 15 striped flags were used from 1794 to 1818.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county shows less than 380 people living in the whole county. Note the post office was Elk Point yet.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county, including Sioux Falls.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county. Wives jobs were listed as "Keeping house", and children were just "At home".

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county. A few merchants and lawyers included here.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county. Most people are listed as Farmers. A blacksmith, and stonemason also are listed.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county. Dr. Phillips listed.

1870 U.S. census of Minnehaha county. Lumber dealer in a new town must have had a booming business.

Nils Iversen Evjen Fosmoe & his wife & Susanna Jonasdatter Nessan homesteaded land on section 7 of Mapleton township in 1869, 1.5 miles west of Renner. Picture taken about June 16, 1872.

Mapleton Township 1870
Renner as we know it today is lower part of section 9.

Ephraim Thompson 1872
Civil war vets were given land as an appreciative token for service in the war. Some just sold it, and some moved there. 10 Union C/W vets are listed as Ephraim Thompson. This land is two miles S/W of Renner.

The bulk of the people in the Renner community were from the Trondheim area in Norway. They called themselves "Tronders".

How they wed on the frontier.
Nils Peterson(Jorgenson Evjen) & Mali Aansen wedding 1880
Sioux Falls Pantagraph & New York Times. They lived just north of Renner a few miles. Both Nils(Nels) & Mali are buried in East Nidaros Cemetery.

1876 Certificate of Naturalization issued at Minnehaha county in the Territory of Dakota, Sivert Berg became a citizen of the U.S. 100 years after the birth of our nation.

Mapleton Township
Mailing address was Republican for most of the township untill the railroad changed it to Renner in 1898

South Dakota ag

Esten & Maria Moen(Moan)
MOEN, ESTEN E., was born in Norway November 29, 1857. He emigrated to this country with his father Esten E. Eggen, and lived with him in Minnesota and Dakota until he took up as a homestead the east half of the northwest quarter of section 19, in Mapleton. He is also the owner of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 20, in the same town. He has held the office of road supervisor and has been school district treasurer ten years. He is a respected citizen.

Esten E. Moan
1857-1908

1877 Sivert Berg's homestead pre-emption claim stating he planted 600 trees, dug a well, built two houses(one probably sod), a stable, and lived there for 7 years on Sec 29 of Mapleton Township 2 miles S/W of Renner. Witnessed by Paul Brende, & Erick Johnson.

Townships 1870's

Gudmund & Johanne Ravlo (Toestenson)
Homesteaded on section 8 in Mapleton Township. The Republican Post Office was there for several years when their son Ole Gunderson farmed the land.

Esten Eggen
Picture says Baltic, but he and his wife lived closer to Renner.

Ivar(Iver) J. & Beret Krogstad
Homesteaded on section 5 of Mapleton Township with two daughters, Ingeborg & Marit.

Ole & Marie Gunderson farmed a mile N/W of Renner.

Robert Peterson aka Roulf Evjen. They changed the name because Evjen was hard to prounounce by his neighbors.

Iver Rollagson & Kari "Carrie" Peterson "Evjen"

1878 homestead certifict of Sivert Bergs 180 acres along the West side of the Big Sioux River.

John Alfred Erickson(Eriksen) Cir 1880
B.8/9/1874-d.3/9/1929
Son of Erik Pettersen & Ingeborg Skei

Paul(son), Thomas, & Ingeborg Paulson
Farmed 4 miles S/W of Renner.

Minnehaha Poor Farm 3 miles south of Renner.
MINNEHAHA COUNTY POOR-FARM. At a session of the board of county commissioners on February, 11, 1880, the proposition of N. E. Phillips to sell to the county the southeast quarter of section twenty-seven in Mapleton township for a county poor-farm was accepted. The price paid was $15,000.

1880 US Census Dakota Territory, Minnehaha, Mapleton.

1880 US Census Dakota Territory, Minnehaha, Mapleton.

1880 US Census Dakota Territory, Minnehaha, Mapleton.

1880 US Census Dakota Territory, Minnehaha, Mapleton.

1880 US Census Dakota Territory, Minnehaha, Mapleton.

Sioux Falls Times 4-19-1881
Spring has sprung and the Sioux River has caused many problems.

Peter Sivert and Anne Maria Evjen