Steen

In the year of 1908 on the day of April first, Fred and Andrew Steen came to Beach, North Dakota by train from Hawley, Minnesota. Here they lived with their parents and 13 brothers and sisters. Andrew ended up leaving and going back to Minnesota discouraged after working for a neighbor as a farm hand. While, Fred stayed and continued to work at a store with Ed Slater. At the age of 21 Fred, on the day of February 10, 1908 both Fred and Andrew filed adjoining claims on an area by Ollie.

After the their first “tough” winter Fred and Andrew kept three horses from a pair a of Canadians by the names of Ed and Henry Smale. Henry and Andrew put up a sod barn using sod blocks. They obtained the sod from the bottom of the creek. It didn’t take long to set up the barn.They then laid pulls and put straw and hay on the roof. “The sod barn,” Fred laughingly said, “washed away the next spring” As part of the claim Fred and Andrew made shacks. While doing so they mined coal 2 ½ miles south and east

In 1909-1912 besides taking care of his own land Fred helped Christ Christenson with his threshing outfit.Throughout the years Fred and Christ helped by threshing others land. Fred and Andrew wanted to purchase some land.

It took about three years but Fred and Andrew had two quarter sections that were broke up or (plowed) and each quarter section contained 4 head of horses. In 1917, Fred needed a stock well and a horse powered drill wouldn’t get the jon done so Fred had Orrie Carter use a gas propelled drill. Then Fred bought 600 ft. of pipe to transfer water from the well to the barn, the the cost of the pipe was next to nothing. The pipe was 1’ ¼” in diameter. But, in the winter the pipes froze.