Christopher Larson AYGARN

   Other names for Christopher were C. L. AYGARN and Christen Larsen VÅGE.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Notes: inventor. US Patents for Wagon-dump (US1005497), Hopper (US1356587), Vehicle-Dump (US1120358), and Vehicle-Dump [Assigkoe] (US1442847 A)

• Census: farm Vaage, 1865, Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Norway. District no. Page School distr. Local parish Parish Farm Remarks (farm) Title
425 7 115 Avaldsnæs Avaldsnæs Avaldsnæs Søndre Vaage 30 1

Pers.no. Household Given name Last name Family pos. Occupation Marital status Age Sex Birth place Remarks (person) Horses Cattle Sheep Barley Oat Potatoes
2737 7 1 Lars Lars. Husfader Gbgr, Selveier g 58 m Avaldsnæs Prgj. Lars Larsen sen. 2 7 26 3/4 6 4
2738 8 Marthe Chr. Helleiksd. Hans Kone g 58 k Tysværs Prgj.
2739 9 Mathias Lars. Deres Søn tilsøs ug 24 m Avaldsnæs Prgj.
2740 10 Peder Lars. Deres Søn tilsøs ug 24 m Avaldsnæs Prgj.
2741 11 Tobias Lars. Deres Søn ug 20 m Avaldsnæs Prgj.
2742 12 Christen Lars. Deres Søn ug 16 m Avaldsnæs Prgj.
2743 13 Marthe Larsd. Deres Datter ug 26 k Avaldsnæs Prgj.
2744 14 Katrine Knudsd. Pleiedatter ug 14 k Tysværs Prgj.
2745 15 Ole Johannes. Tjenestekarl ug 20 m Avaldsnæs Prgj.
2746 16 Eli Karine Nilsd. Tjenestepige ug 18 k Avaldsnæs Prgj.

• Immigration: from Norway, 1866, America. He came to this country with and older brother when he was sixteen years of age, landed in Quebec about the 1st of November, and reached Chicago on the 21st of that month in the year 1866.

[p1131, Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill.]

• Reference: Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill, 1888, Livingston County, Illinois, USA. ³ p1131
Christopher L. Aygarn. Oftentimes those who come to the United States from foreign countries meet with reverses and sore discouragements for some years after their arrival here, but tenaciously following out the course of action adopted at the outset, almost invariably they are finally rewarded with success. Such was the case with our subject, who is a farmer and stockraiser on section 9, Rook's Creek Township. He is the son of Lars and Martha C. (Helickson) Aygarn, and was born in Avaldnes Haugesund, Norway, on the 4th of September, 1850. He came to this country with and older brother when he was sixteen years of age, landed in Quebec about the 1st of November, and reached Chicago on the 21st of that month in the year 1866. He went at once to Ottawa, Ill., where he arrived on the 23d, and there remained about three years, working by the month during the summer in LaSalle County, and boarding in Livingston County during the winter. He spent the summer of 1870 in Minnesota, and remained there during the following winter, when he again returned to LaSalle County and worked by the month.

Mr. Aygarn was married, on the 11th of February, 1872, to Miss Isabelle C. Mitchell, daughter of John and Bertha C. (Oakland) Mitchell. After his marriage he rented land in Livingston County, which he farmed for three years, and having saved some money, purchased 160 acres of land in the fall of 1874, on which he now resides. In the three years following his purchase his crops were almost absolute failures, compelling him to allow the land to revert to the original owner, losing the amounts he had already paid. Still believing in the holdfast doctrine, he continued to farm the same land until the year 1886, when he repurchased it.

Mr. and Mrs. Aygarn have had six children: Lewis Oliver, born on the 18th of July, 1873; Bertha Josephine, on the 3d of August, 1875; John Tobias, born on the 13th of October, 1878, and died on the 25th of December, 1878; Martin Gustav Melanethon, born Dec. 3, 1879; Harriet Tabitha, Oct. 30. 1882; Christian Thomas Millard, Aug. 4, 1886. Christopher Aygarn is the youngest of a family of thirteen, all of whom grew to years of maturity excepting one; eight of whom were married, and six are still living. The names of all of them are as follows: Lars, deceased, was married and lived in Norway, leaving several children in good circumstances at his death; Anna Christina [Ole Richardson's wife] married in Norway, came to this country, lives in Minnesota, and had several children; Ellieck came to Illinois and then removed to Minnesota, where he married and has a large family; Oliver came to Illinois, married and enlisted in the army about 1863; served through the war, receiving a slight wound on the neck, was honorably discharged, and died on the 1st of November, 1870, leaving one child, Lars Aygarn who lives in Illinois; Katrine was married in Norway, has quite a large family, and is the only one of the children remaining there; Martha Christina died in Norway; John, who was in the army three years, and received an honorable discharge is unmarried, and lives in Illinois; Peter and Matthias were twins, and both grew up to manhood. Upon coming to America, Peter became a sailor and enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served about eleven years, when he was taken sick and sent to the hospital at Norfolk, Va., where he died of numb palsy; Matthias remained on the farm in Norway until he became a man, and then upon emigrating to America, he also concluded to become a sailor, and followed the sea until 1868, when he went as a sailor on the Lakes. After two years' service he concluded to become an Illinois farmer and finally in 1883 he went to Dakota, where he took a homestead and died, unmarried; Lisa Margretta came to this country when she was thirteen years old, married Thomas Ryerson, lives in Rook's Creek Township, and has several children; Lars Tobias married and died in Norway. He was quite a genius and invented a fanning-mill and threshing-machine where ran by either wind or water power, and also a machine for separating oatmeal; Christine died at the age of two, and Christopher is the subject of this sketch. He took out naturalization papers, and cast his first vote for Gen. U. S. Grant upon his second election, but in political matters since, he has been an advocate of the doctrines of the Greenback party. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, filling the office of Secretary of that organization, and this seems to be about the only office he desires to hold, for he has been elected to various township offices, and invariably refused to serve.

• Reference: A History of the Norwegians of Illinois, Strand, 1905, Illinois, USA. ⁴ CHRISTOPHER L. AYGARN,

Of Pontiac, Ill., was born in Avaldsnes, Hauge-
sund, Norway, on Sept. 4, 1850. His parents were
Lars and Martha (Heliekson) Aygarn. He at-

<picture>
C. L. Aygarn.

tended school in Norway until 15 years old, when
he was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. He
came to America, with an older brother, when 16
years, going to Ottawa, Ill., where he arrived



272



A HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIANS OF ILLINOIS



Nov. 23, 1866. Here he worked on a farm for
three years and then went to Minnesota, where
he spent one year 1870.

He now came to Livingston county, Ill., where
he married Miss Isabelle -C. Mitchell, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. John and Bertha (Oakland)
Mitchell, on Feb. 11, 1872. He then rented some
land in Livingston county and cultivated it for
three years. Having saved some money, he pur-
chased a 160-acre farm in 1874. The three fol-
lowing years were almost complete crop failures,
compelling him to let the title revert to the
original owner, with the loss of the amount he
had paid upon it. Still believing in the "hold-
fast" doctrine, he continued to farm the same
land until 1886, when he re-purchased the farm,
and after two years sold it at the handsome pro-
fit of $19 per acre.

In 1888 he went to Rowe, a small station near
Pontiac, and established a general merchandise
and grain business, and with it he built and oper-
ated a large drain-tile and brick factory, employ-
ing a big force of workmen; his annual output
running as high as 250,000 drain tiles and a mil-
lion of brick. He is practically the founder of the
town, having built two elevators there, besides
his business blocks and residences. In 1900 Mr.
Aygarn sold out his tile and brick interest intend-
ing to devote his attention to the grain business
exclusively. He had much opposition, the grain
buyers of that section, in connection with the
railroads and Chicago commission men, having
combined to limit Mr. Aygarn's field of opera-
tion. He was then doing business both at Rowe,
and Pontiac. This injustice was fought, out in
court, however, and our subject won in a fight
which was begun in the interest of the farming
and business community rather than in his per-
sonal interest. He now operates two grain
elevators with a capacity of 20,000 bushels each,
the railroads giving him the same facilities ac-
corded larger corporations in the same line of
business.

Mr. and Mrs. Aygarn have three children
Lewis Oliver, born July 18, 1873, and married to
Anna Nelson; Martin Gustav Melanchton, born
Dec. 3, 1879, and married to Mabel Lillian Mitch-
ell; Christian Thomas Millard, born Aug. 4, 1886.

The family are members of the English Luth-
eran Church on Rook Creek, of which Mr. Ay-
garn was the organizer and has served alternately
as chairman and secretary for the last fifteen
years. Mr. Aygarn is a highly respected man
and enjoys a well earned reputation for industry
and integrity.

Christopher married Isabel Celia MITCHELL, daughter of John MITCHELL and Bertha C. OAKLAND, on 11 Feb 1872 in Livingston County, Illinois, USA.¹ (Isabel Celia MITCHELL was born on 27 Aug 1851 in Illinois, USA and died on 12 Apr 1902.)