CHISAGO COUNTY.
This county, located on the west bank of the St. Croix river, between the counties of Pine on the north, and Washington on the south; the St. Croix river on the east and the counties of Isanti and Anoka on the west, presents an agreeable variety of surface, upland and generally undulating, covered with hard and soft-wood timber, well watered by lakes and streams. Its lake scenery is surpassed in beauty only by some of the lakes in Sweden. The county takes its name from the largest and most beautiful lake. In its aboriginal form it was Ki-chi-saga ; from two Chippewa words meaning, “Kichi,” large, and “Saga,” fair or lovely. For euphonic considerations the first syllable was dropped.
Chisago Lake is conspicuous for its size, the clearness of its waters, its winding shore and islands, its bays, peninsulas, capes and promontories. It has fifty miles of meandering shore line. Its shores and islands are well timbered with maple and other hard woods. It has no waste swamps, or marsh borders. In 1830 this beautiful lake was unknown to fame. No one had seen it, or could point out its location. Indians brought fish and maple sugar from a lake which they called Ki-chi-saga, or Sagi-a-gan, or “large and lovely lake.” This lake, they said, abounded with “kego,” fish.
Erik U. Norberg, born June 22, 1813, in Ullkärfva, Vestergötland, came to America in 1842 and settled a short distance west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From there he moved to the state of Michigan, where he lived until 1848, when he came to Bishop Hill, Illinois, became a member of the Eric Jansson colony, and, in the same year married Brita Johnson from Östrunda parish, Vestmanland. As he was a well educated man, having filled the office of sheriff (länsman) in his native rovince, he became a very prominent and useful member of the colony.
Two children survive him, namely: Gustaf Norberg, a leading attorney
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