Halvor Nerison Hauge & Other Farmers

Halvor Nerison Hauge (1830-1906) had much to be proud of in 1874: an imposing brick house, modern harvesting equipment and a growing family, Christiana, Wisconsin, 1874. When Dahl published a descriptive list of stereographs (also known as stereoviews) he had available for sale in 1876, he included 'An American Farm Yard, H Hauge.' Both Hauge and his wife Martha Howe were natives of Norway--Hauge had arrived as a teenager in 1844. Their farm in Section 18 of the Town of Christiana, supported a large herd of cattle for the dairy business. Among other generous gestures, Hauge donated land near his home for a cooperative cheese factory. This view has a Devon bull as the focal point and includes some line-back cattle, not a breed known for its milk-producing qualities. Reproduced and described in David Mandel's 'Settlers of Dane County: The Photographs of Andreas Larsen Dahl' (Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, 1985) p. 26-27. (Photo by Andreas Larsen Dahl/Wisconsin Historical Society/Getty Images)