Name/Title
Settee & Two Side ChairsEntry/Object ID
2022.143.1Description
Settee -from the home of Mr. & Mrs. Mikkel L. ElkenContext
Settee -from the home of Mr. & Mrs. Mikkel L. Elken
This settee and two sides chairs are from the home of Mr. & Mrs. Mikkel L. Elken, Mayville, North Dakota. This set was purchased in New York City in the 1890's.
Mikkel Elken was born in Hadeland, Norway in 1857. He moved to America in 1880 first settling in Minnesota and then in 1882 moving to Mayville in Dakota Territory. In 1886 he married Annie C. Halverson and they had five children, Corrine, Guy, (Anna) Marguerite, Helen and Macus.
When Mikkel first came to the Mayville area he secured work on a railroad section crew. Many of the rails over which the first train proceeded to Mayville were laid by Mr. Elken. His wife Annie's family came to the Mayville area in the Spring of 1881 on a train that had only been operational for four days.
After working on the railroad crew, Mikkel then had interest and later became a partner in a farm implement company until 1892. Real estate holding then became Mr. Elken's principal interests and it was said that at one time he owned about 5000 acres of land in Traill County.
This set was donated by Karen Hamre who worked for Marguerite Elken, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Mikkel Elken.
Karen maintained the Elken home for Marguerite Elken who wintered in California and spent summers in Mayville. In the 1970's Marguerite asked Karen to help her clean the attic and offered her any of the old furniture in the attic of which Karen selected this set.Cataloged By
LeAnn BeckAcquisition
Accession
2022.143Source or Donor
Karen HamreAcquisition Method
GiftLocation
Location
* Untyped Location
Reception HallBuilding
Plummer HouseCategory
Exhibit
