Name/Title
Halvorson family: Mathias O. and Clara (Jordahl) Halvorson of Buxton, Traill County, NDEntry/Object ID
2025.10.1Description
This family history folder contains photographs and documents describing the lives of Mat O. and Clara (Jordahl) Halvorson. Mat was an early businessman in Buxton in Traill County, ND. He was also a brother to Ostina (Halvorson) Hovet of Hillsboro, ND (see Catalogit entry
As written on page 74 in the 1875-1975 Centennial book, Traill County History "Yesteryears", Vol. I (below), Mathias O. "Mat' Halvorson was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on 17 June 1863. His parent's, Ole and Ingeborg (Rognstad) Halvorson had come to Eau Claire from Norway in about 1860. His father, Ole, first worked in the timber industry around Eau Claire, but then homesteaded land 25 miles north of Eau Claire in Chippewa County.
In 1887, Mat first came to Traill County to work on a threshing rig during the harvest before returning to Wisconsin to become a teacher. In the summer of 1889, Mat returned to Traill County to work the harvest and teach school. Then in the Autumn of 1890, he formed a mercantile business partnership, "Halvorson & Langseth", in Buxton, ND. In the 1900 US Census for Buxton, Mathias Halvorson, age 36, is recorded as a "Merchant", and is listed in this 1900 census with his sister, Ostina Halvorson, age 34, his parents, Ole, age 76, and Engeborg, age 73, Halvorson, and his business partner, Ole Langseth, age 40. Interestingly, on this same 1900 US Census page is listed Miss Clara Jordahl, age 25, a "Hotel keeper", who along with a sister Nettie, age 22, and brothers Oscar, age 20, and Alexander, age 27, Jordahl, operated this Buxton hotel with 11 Lodgers recorder at this census time, including lodger O. K. Hovet, Ostina Halvorson's future husband. Obviously, Mathias Halvorson and Clara Jordahl became friends.
On 19 August 1902, Mathias O. (Mat) Halvorson, age 38, married Clara Josephine Jordahl, age 28, in Lake Park in Becker County, MN, at the Lake Park Lutheran Church [US ELCA Marriage Record]. Clara Jordahl was born on 20 February 1875 in Lake Park to parents Peter and Elizabeth (Hanson) Jordahl. Clara was raised and schooled in Lake Park, but as noted above, by the age of 25 Clara Jordahl had moved to Buxton, ND, where she owned and operated a hotel [1900 US Census]. After Clara and Mat married in 1902, they continued to live and work in Buxton, where they raised six children, Owen, Inez, Mildred, Hortence, Sylvia, and Roald Halvorson [family tree, below; 1910 & 1920 US Census data]. Their six children are shown in a family photo (below), which was taken in about 1915 at Fuller Studio in Hillsboro, ND. Another Fuller photograph, taken a bit earlier in about 1910, shows Mat and Clara's three oldest children, Owen (born 18 Jan 1903), Inez (b. 1 Mar 1904), and Mildred (b. 4 Mar 1906) with their first cousins, Kenneth Olson (b. 2 Mar. 1904) and Irvin Olson (b. 28 Apr. 1906); these are the two oldest children of Ole K. and Ostina (Halvorson) Olson. The five children in this photograph are grandchildren of Halvor 'Ole' & Ingeborg (Rognstad) Halvorson.
In the early 1900s, Mat or M. O. Halvorson became a successful businessman in Buxton as indicated by being a charter member of its Commercial Club [news, Hillsboro Banner, 21 Jan. 1910]. He was also the secretary for the Stockholders of the Buxton Farmer's Elevator Company [news, Hillsboro Banner, 7 Jun. 1912]. Mat was also a member of the North Dakota Merchants Association [news, Hillsboro Banner, 11 Mar. 1927]. In 1930, Mat and Clara Halvorson continued to live on Ives St. in Buxton, where Mat, at age 66, was still a "Retail Merchant" [1930 US Census]. Their son Roald, age 17, a "Student", continued to reside with them in Buxton in 1930. In the 1940 US Census, taken on 4 April, Mat at age 77 had retired and he and Clara, age, 65, continued to reside in the Village of Buxton. Their son, Roald Halvorson, age, 27, was now "Postmaster" at the Buxton Post Office. Roald was appointed US Postmaster in Buxton at the age of 21, at the time, reportedly the youngest Postmaster in the USA [Obit info, Spokane Review, 22 Jan. 2012].
Mat O. Halvorson passed away, age 80, at a hospital in Bremerton, Kitsap County, WA, on 12 February 1944 [WA Death Certif.]. Mat Halvorson was interred at Acacia Memorial Park, located in Lake Forest Park in King County, WA [US FaG grave-marker, below]. As noted in his obituary [Kitsap Sun, 14 Feb. 1944], he was survived by "his wife Claire [Clara], of Bremerton; two sons, Owen of Bremerton and Roald of Buckston [Buxton], N. D.; four daughters, Mrs. [Inez] Elsworth, New York City, Mrs. Mildred Bartlett of California, Mrs. Hortence Dennis of North Dakota and Mrs. Sylvia Crook [Cook] of Seattle and six grandchildren."
After her husband Mat died in 1944, Clara moved to Seattle to live with her daughter Sylvia (Mrs. Leroy A. Cook) and family [1950 US Census]. Clara J. (Jordahl) Halvorson lived to the age of 84, passing away on 13 July 1959 at the L.C. Foss Sunset Home on Greenwood Ave in Seattle [WA Death Certif.]. At the time of her passing, Clara was being cared for by her daughter, Sylvia, who lived with her family on 1st Ave NE in Seattle. Clara (Jordahl) Halvorson was interred at Acacia Memorial Park in Lake Forest Park, King County, WA [US FaG grave-marker, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.10Source or Donor
Hovet CollectionLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
