IS IT MURDER?

IS IT MURDER? That was the headline of the St. Peter Tribune in 1889.

In 1889, the possibility of murder shocked the community. Mr. and Mrs. Svenke Torgerson were found dead in the burned-out remains of their home. Svenke Torgerson was 73 years of age and his wife, Bergit, was 69 years old. They had been among the earliest Norwegian settlers in New Sweden Township having arrived in 1855. Their farm-site was established in the northern part of New Sweden Township. The Torgersons were charter members of Norseland Lutheran Church and, eight years prior to their death, also were founding members of Norwegian Grove Lutheran Church.

The suspicion of their murder arose because, as the St. Peter Tribune points out, “some very tough looking hunters” were seen in the area the previous day. Some “tramps” were seen traveling toward Nicollet the afternoon after their death. Also, a wagon was heard speeding through the neighborhood between 1:00 and 2:00 o’clock of that morning.

Read the rest of the story in our book to be published in 2008. end