Gullik Knudson and Gunnel Stordock, with their families, located near the "Big Spring" in the town of Newark; Stordock's family lived in a haystack for three months while building a house.

The evidence

• “Two well known families can trace the origin of their family name to a large spring, located near the center of the north half of Sec. 4, Town of Newark. This fine spring soon attracted the attention of the early homeseekers, and in September, 1841, Gullik Knndsen and Gunnel Stordock, with their families, located near this spring, which as a land mark was already known as the "Big Spring." Stordock with his family lived in a haystack for three months while he built a house. In 1843 he sold his interest in the place to Gunder Knudson, a brother of Gullik Knudson; so we have the tAvo brothers, Gullik and Gunder Knudson, living near "Spring-en" (the spring).”

  1908-brown-rock-county/18-scandinavians.md, Vol. 1, PDF p. 466 / book p. 432

  Brown, William Fiske, editor. Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper & Co., 1908. 2 vols. archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon01brow, archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon02brow.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources

  

• “P. O. iBeloit; born in Norway in 1800; eniigrated to America in 1839, and located in Illinois; in May, 1840, he came with his wife, and, in company with Gulack Knutson, located in the eastern part of Newark Township, and, in September, 1841, moved up to the big spring and located there, and bought forty acres of land, and lived there for two years ; he and his family first lived in a haystack for three months until they had completed a log house; he then sold out his place to Gunder Knutson, and returned to Illinois, where he lived till 1870 ; in that year, he returned to Newark and bought 200 acres of land in Section 9, with residence, barns, and all improvements. He married in Norway Mary Larson ; they had seven children, all now living.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/19-bios-newark.md, PDF p. 770 / book p. 774

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources