Finnestad Ancestry

Here is an aerial view of the lot on the Finnestad farm purchased by Ole Olson Søndenå.    Here is a map from 1957 which also lists Gårdsnr 31 and Bruksnr 16. This is the most recent aerial photo that resembles a farm,  from 1979. This photo is from 2011 prior to the home being torn down. Finnestadveien 24 The house was located on Finnestadveien. Finnestadveien street sign Here is an aerial view from 2003. 2003 Here is the house as it looked in 2008 at Finnestadveien 24, 4029 Stavanger, Norway. Finnestadveien 24 The house was torn down 2011 - 2012.  Here is an aerial view sometime after the home was demolished. Finnestadveien 24 Finnestadveien 24 Here is the lot as it looked in 2016. Finnestadveien 24 Finnestadveien 24 Here is a panoramic shot of the general area around what used to be the Finnestad farm.

The Finnestad lot purchased by Ole Olson Søndenå in 1862 from Bjørn Larsen was located northwest of Stavanger on the western coast of Norway.      Here is a map of the area from 1866 four years after that transaction. 1866 - Stavanger 1866 - Finnestad Here is a map from 1919 many years after Ole Olson Søndenå and Mari Iversdatter Nordskår had already left Norway for America. 1919 - Stavanger This aerial photo details the property boundaries in 1937 including the previously owned property of Ole Olson Søndenå which was merged with a neighboring property. Here is a plat map of the property in 1937. A note on the last name Finnestad.     If your last name is Finnestad it means your ancestor lived on the farm.     For example, Ole Olson Søndenå: Olson represents the son of father Ole (in this case, the first name of son Ole was the same as his father).    Søndenå represents the farm where Ole Olson ...

Ole Olson Søndenå and Mari Iversdatter Nordskår left Skåreflådå on the Nordskår farm for the Finnestad farm northwest of Stavanger in 1863.     The property was purchased by Ole Olson Søndenå on November 3, 1862.    The farm number was 31 and the use number was 16.   The use number appears to be the particular building or home.    I have not encountered a better explanation for the word "bruk" The borders of farm 31 - 16 were established November 11, 1853 according to the state archives,  "Jæren og Dalane sorenskriverembete, pantebok 5a Jæren, side 21-22, no. 70f" "Jæren and Dalane sorority writing office, mortgage book 5a Jæren, pages 21-22, no. 70f" Below is a copy of the pages from the Mortgage book. Mortgage Book Mortgage Book The pertinent transaction of the purchase can be seen below: Mortgage register From the mapping authority:  "According to our registry, gårdsnummer 31 bruksnummer 16 i 11...

The 1855 Census provided residence information for Ole Olson Søndenå and Mari Iversdatter Nordskår living at Skåreflådå on the Nordskår farm outside the village of Fister in the municipality of Hjelmeland, county of Rogaland, Norway. Hjelmeland municipality Entering the village of Fister Nordskår road signs   Nordskår Farm Fister and surrounding area Nordskår Farm   Nordskår and Skåreflådå According to the local archives,  Ole Olson and family moved a few times between 1844 and the 1850's.  "They were living at Skåråflådå in 1844, in 1846 we find them at Helgøy, in 1848 they are back in Skåråflådå, in 1850 they live at Bratt-Hetland, and after that they are back in Skåråflådå again. It was quite common for “husmenn” to move a lot, as some of them had quite hard living conditions."

The top photo shows the location of Ole Sr's home. As of August 2008, the house no longer exists and is a field. It is located approximately 1/2 mile south of Gurler Road on the east side of Woodlawn Road in Lee County, Illinois. The middle photo is the site of Ole Jr's father-in-law, John S Quitno, as of August, 2008. The home is no longer in the Quitno or Finnestad family. It is located approximately 6/10ths of a mile south of Gurler Road on the west side of Woodlawn Road in Lee County, Illinois. The bottom photo is the site of Ole Jr's home. As of August 2008, the house no longer exists and is a field. It is located approximately 9/10ths of a mile south of Gurler Road on the west side of Woodlawn Road in Lee County, Illinois.

In 1900 the United States census shows Ole Sr and Ole Jr and their families both living in the same township, Alto in Lee County, Illinois. Based upon the census records, I have estimated that Ole Sr, wife Mari, daughters Mary B and Sarah lived approximately 1/2 mile from Olr Jr, wife Caroline, son Oliver, daughters Josephine, Lettie and Alice, while daughters Evelyn and Lillian were listed as boarders with the Offtedal family a few miles south.