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UPHAM They came. They toiled. They learned.

Many were eventually displaced but who they were and what they did remains forever etched in the history of North Dakota. They were bold settlers of Icelandic descent.

A few miles east of Upham, on the south side of the Upham to Willow City road that crosses the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge, is a small plot of land that might go unnoticed if it were not for a few towering evergreen trees, trees that do not match the surrounding landscape. Beneath their stretched and protective boughs is a fenced area containing several aging gravestones. It is the Melankton Cemetery, the final resting place of some of the earliest Icelandic settlers in North Dakota.

The dates on the archway above the entrace gates to the cemetery read 1897-1941. A nearby plaque, dated 1980, tells a portion of the story of the rich Icelandic influence on the area. According to the inscription, Johann Breidfjord was the first person of Iclandic descent to settle in the Upham area. He arrived in 1885. It wasn't until the fall of 1886 that he was joined by fellow Icelanders, a group of seven who made the trip from Akra Township in Pembina County, just south of where Icelandic State Park is today.

One of the men, Helgi Goodman, obtained work on a ranch in the Upham area where he would spend the winter of 1886-87. The other six men set out on foot to return to Akra. They encountered a severe November blizzard in which they almost perished, but survived due to their Icelandic knowhow and strong will.

The following spring saw several Icelanders make the trip from Pembina County to the area along the Souris River settled by Breidfjord. Among those making the trek were Helga Goodman, wife of Helgi, and their four children George, Jonas, Gudbjorg and Arni. A stepson, John Goodman, and George Freeman made the trip as well. They became the first permanent residents, building homes near the river. Freeman married Gudbjorg Breidfjord and they established their family in the area. A bridge over the Souris River bears the Freeman name to this day.

As news of a fledgling Icelandic settlement began to spread, other Icelanders followed in the footsteps of those who moved into the area in 1887. In all, 60 Icelandic families were said to have settled in the region. They built a Felagshus (organization house) and organized the Melankton Lutheran Congregation in 1897. The nearest town at the time was tiny Willow City. It was there that many Icelandic women would take woolen goods made from the wool of their own sheep and barter for necessary household items. Upham was formed later, in 1905, much closer to most of the Icelandic homesteads.

Most of the homes were constructed of sod. Many of the men earned money by working for English ranchers. From them the Icelanders also learned the English language and gained valuable experience in working cattle. Much of the area remains rich in cattle production today.

The Icelanders made up a good portion of the population of the Upham area until the drought years of the mid-1930s when the United States purchased much of their homesteaded land for the purpose of establishing the J. Clark Salyer NWR. According to the plaque's inscription, many left at that time for the Red River Valley or the state of Washington where they settled once again.

The final paragraph on the plaque reads: "The pioneers came with little else than their Viking courage, rich Icelandic culture and burning ambition. They left us their culture, deep love and patriotism and respect for America, sound farm and ranch units, and an opportunity and appreciation for education in the professions. We honor their memory."