The Engeseth Farm lay at the intersection of three ecosystems:  tallgrass prairie, oak savannah, and big woods.  

 

The Engeseth family settled there in the mid-nineteenth century.  The Rindes also settled in the area, having arrived from Norway in the 1850s.  In the 1860s, Andrew Engeseth married Helena Rinde, and the 160-acre farm--what is now the Engeseth-Rinde site--was gifted to Andrew and Helena as a wedding present from Andrew’s father.  

 

The couple raised seven children on the farm.  "They weren't rich, but prosperous," according to Don Nelson, Helena's grand-nephew.  "In those days, you could support family of seven on a 160-acre farm." 

  

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