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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
 Posted - 30/05/2009 : 08:00:00
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Hi all,
PBS has been running a series called "Paving the Way" which is an early history of highway development in America. Apparently a man from Norway named Anton L. Westgard b 1865 d 1921 was an early "shaker and mover" in promoting highway development for automobile travel. Just curious if any on forum know where in Norway Anton was from...
Here is a copy from the Illinois Secretary of State's website showing the listing of Anton's first marriage:
WESTGARD, ANTHON L/ LJOLIE, MATHILDE 1895-10-19 / 239746 COOK
Hilsen,
Jackie M.
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 11:24:16
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Anton L. Westgaard was naturalized at the District court of Cook county, Ill on Oct 5th, 1891.
In 1914, the family lived in New York city.
Wife Helen (35), born at Rockester, N.Y. on 14 Feb 1879
Son Arne James (17), born (...) New York, 02 Apr 1896
They arrived New York on Apr 08, 1914 on the ship Bergensfjord, sailing from Bergen. They have been home in Norway for a visit. Possibly in the Bergen area?
Anton L. Westgaard (28) has also been home in Norway in 1894 (Possibly Oslo area?). He left Oslo on 30 Mar 1894, and list his residence as Philadelphia.
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 30/05/2009 11:31:47 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
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Kåarto
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
5861 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 12:35:30
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Hi,
Could Anton Westgaard be Anton Andreasen age 1 on Bjørndalen, a sub farm under Vestgaard, Berg parish, Østfold county.
Some confusion: Anton L. then should have been Anton A, if L dont stand for a mid name?.
Kåre |
Edited by - Kåarto on 30/05/2009 12:40:39 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 14:53:20
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I also saw this guy, but I don't think it's the right one, because this Anton does not have an "L" in his name, according to the chr record. Neither as a middle name, nor as a last name from his father.
Link
Jan Peter |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 17:44:58
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Hi,
Do you think it probable that there is more than one Anton Westgard who is a civil engineer?
In the 1900 US Federal census at Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio there is a family headed by "Anthony Westgard" who was born Sept 1865 in Norway and came to US in 1881 who is married for 10 years to a woman named "Mary" b. May 1870 in Norway. with her stating that she has born 5 children three of whom are living; children in the household are Martha, daughter, b. Aug 1894 in Ohio, Rebecca, daughter, b. June 1896 b. Ohio and John (son) b. June 1898 in Ohio. The family is boarding with B.L Bracken and his family and Anthony's occupation is civil engineer..
Hilsen,
Jackie M. |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 18:13:59
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Anton L. Westgard might be in the Philippines in census-1900.
His first wife Mathilde grew lonely in America and returned to Norway with the children.
Westgard later married his second wife, Helen, and settled in New York with his children. Helen and James
Source: paving the way
Anton L Westgard in the middle
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 30/05/2009 18:21:15 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 18:19:50
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From the link I provided above (ABOUT A.L. WESTGARD), it looks like he first arrived in New York on Aug 7th, 1884. That means he should have left Norway in July.
Unfortunately, it looks like the July 1884 emigration from Oslo/Christiania is missing from the Digitalarkivet database... 
My guess is that the "L" is his patronymic abbreviation. Could his father be Lauritz or Lars?
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 30/05/2009 18:24:26 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2009 : 23:53:51
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Hi,
At Ancestry in the application for passports database, the son James Westgard states that he (James) lived in Norway from 1899-1914, that his father A.L. Westgard deceased emigrated through the port of Christiania about 1881 and was a naturalized US citizen. On his WWI draft registration James also says that his father was born in Christiania and was then currently living in New York.
Is the place / parish Onsø sufficiently close to Christiania to be considered as Christiania?
Jackie M. |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 31/05/2009 : 00:14:56
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Good work Jackie! 
Here is Matilde Vestgard in census-1900 for Sjølie øvre farm in Ytre Rendal, Hedmark.
Sons:
Arne James born 1897 in America
Leo born 1898 in America
Terje born 27 Aug 1899
Onsø would be in Fredrikstad, Østfold.
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 31/05/2009 00:17:08 |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 31/05/2009 : 00:46:42
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Hi,
Interesting play in records. Her surname on the marriage record may be an interpretation of Sjølie. Also interesting in the stories about the family that there were three children 2 boys and 1 girl and in 1900 there appears to be 3 boys, no girls! It's rather curious & a little mysterious. I was beginning to entertain the notion that Anton might have been carrying on a "double" life.
The reason I asked about Onsø was there was a Ludvig Anton Larsen leaving through Kristiania in 1881 age 16 born or residing Onsø. US destination was New Buffalo which is in Berrien County, Michigan But I just tried to find again in the emigrants database and couldn't. Will try later.
James' death certificate is viewable here:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/results.asp?type=basic&tLName=westgard&tFName=&sCounty=all&tYear=#null
Here is the departure info from the Digitalarkivet list:
Oslo 6137A 1881 Juli 01 Halvor Martin Larsen m G Arb. 47 Onsø New Buffalo 3639 Norge 325,- Angelo
56172 Oslo 6137B 1881 Juli 01 Ludvig Anton Larsen m u 16 Onsø New Buffalo 3640 Norge
Halvor Martin is this Ludvig's father as may be seen on the following baptismal record #2. This mitigates against Ludvig a bit since he was born in 1864 rather than 1865:
Source information: Østfold county, Onsøy, Parish register (official) nr. 4 (1861-1877), Birth and baptism records 1865, page 66.
Permanent pagelink: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=6221&idx_id=6221&uid=ny&idx_side=-69
Permanent imagelink: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20060928030805.jpg
In the departures there is also an Anton Larson age 16 from Ringsaker leaving in 1882 headed for Sacred Heart (Minnesota?).
Here is Mathilde's death record and Anton is recorded as Anton Larsen Westgard in it:
Source information: Hedmark county, Ytre Rendal in Rendal, Parish register (official) nr. 11 (1901-1925), Death and burial records 1909, page 230.
Permanent pagelink: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:kb_read?idx_kildeid=1511&idx_id=1511&uid=ny&idx_side=-177
Permanent imagelink: http://www.arkivverket.no/URN:NBN:no-a1450-kb20051102060177.jpg
Hilsen,
Jackie M. |
Edited by - jkmarler on 01/06/2009 05:24:55 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 11:47:16
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A note in Mathilde's death record says that she died at Dr. Dedichen's private asylum, which was a hospital for the mentally ill patients from the upper middle class society.
Jan Peter |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 18:38:40
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Hi,
Here is a fresh clue:
From the Rowberg Biographical File, Scrapbook XXXIII page 77 is an article published in Visergutten 26 Mar 1914 based on an interview A.L. Westgaard gave to "Aftenposten" titled "En Kristiania-gut har gjort karriere." Roughly transcribed & translated about his origin in Norway it says "..Jeg er fodt i Hamar." "I was born in Hamar." He moved with his parents to Kristiania when he was two years old and he migrated to the U.S. in 1883. But it doesn't give his birthdate.
Hilsen,
Jackie M. |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 19:08:53
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Could it be this one?
Anton Larsen
Christening: 05 NOV 1865 Hamar, Hedmark
Parents: Ole Martin Larsen & Gina Andersdr
Census-1865 Census-1875
Jan Peter |
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jkmarler
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
7790 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 19:22:50
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Hi,
Yes, in the vernacular of the TV cop shows, I "think he looks good for it!" It would be nice if we had a few more details on Anton in U.S. to compare to the records in Norway to be more certain. Particularly his naturalization records might reveal something and an obituary. With that many brothers & sisters there must be descendants of them who might be informed about Anton, as well.
Thanks for the help!
Jackie M. |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4961 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 20:27:51
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No proof of any connection to a Westgard farm, but here is the chr records of Anton found above, and sister Valborg:
Anton
Source: Hedmark county, Hamar in Vang, Parish register (official) nr. 11 (1852-1877), Birth and baptism records 1865, page 65.
Valborg Johanne Leontina
Source: Hedmark county, Hamar in Vang, Parish register (official) nr. 11 (1852-1877), Birth and baptism records 1867, page 75.
Jan Peter |
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Anton L Westgard
