Life on the Fraction by Melvin Olaf Torkelson (1899-1982)


"A true story of the early settlers on this triangle portion of land bordering the Chippewa Indian Reservation on the west, now part of Smiley Township, Pennington County, Minnesota."

Melvin's memoirs have been on the web since 1994. As such, they've been linked to from hundreds of sites and even quoted in a book by Kathleen Stokker: Remedies and Rituals: Folk Medicine in Norway and the New Land. In order to maintain the searchability of the work, I've retained an html version online and also have the scanned handwritten versions: Hazel Originals and Part 2 Originals. You may, however, prefer to view the formatted .pdf file or consider purchasing it online at LuLu.com for cost ($16-$17).