The 1880 United States census showed Bent Ingwaldson (age 15, born in Norway) living in Traill County, Dakota Territory, with his parents, Eric and Carrie. Eric is a farmer.
The 1885 Dakota Territory census shows B. E. Ingwaldson (age 20, schoolteacher, born in Norway) living in Traill County, Dakota Territory. He is the son of Erik (age 56, farmer, born in Norway) and Kari (age 50, born in Norway). His siblings are Ole (age 17, born in Minnesota), John (age 14, born in Minnesota), J. (age 12, born in Minnesota), Thea (age 8, born in Minnesota), Julia (age 6, born in Minnesota), and Eliza (age 2, born in Dakota Territory).
B. E. Ingwaldson was a teacher (age 22) in the Sullivan school district just east-northeast of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, when the June 16, 1887 Grand Forks/East Grand Forks tornado struck. The school building collapsed on the teacher and his students inside.
“Ben Ingwaldson was one of the boys of the first year. He had a buck saw and went about in town earning what he could that winter (1884) to support himself. He lived in a cheap little room in town and prepared his own meager meals. I visited him there once but was glad to get away. There was too much smell!!” (Description given by Dr. W. J. Marcley, who graduated from UND in 1891, The Quarterly Journal of the University of North Dakota, Volume 13, 1922-1923, Published by the University, Page 368)
B. E. Ingwaldson was one of the eight graduates of the first class of the University of North Dakota. These eight students graduated on June 13, 1889.
EIGHT GRADUATES! The First Graduates from the University of North Dakota. Excellent Essays by the Ladies and Orations by the Gents. Gov. Mellette and Ex.-Gov. Ordway Compliment the Institution. A Large Number of Friends and Visitors Enjoy the Exercises. First Graduates. The University of North Dakota is Progressing. At the University today from an early morning the students were busy preparing to leave the institution and depart for their homes. This year the close of the school term is marked with more interest – eight students have been presented with diplomas as a reward of their years of study. Before 10 o’clock this morning the assembly hall was filled with students and friends who had arrived to enjoy the exercises of commencement day. The hall was very nicely decorated with flags, ferns and flowers. Hall’s orchestra opened with a delightful piece of music, during which the graduating class marched to their seats. The ladies were handsomely dressed in white, while the gentlemen were neatly attired. … “Our Immigration” was the topic Ben E. Ingwaldson chose for his oration. He went back to the early history of the world and showed how different were the migrations of those days to the present time. He spoke of the Dakota immigration and of the ability of Dakota to give many thousand of homes to more immigrants who were willing to settle here and work. He pointed out some of the dangers arising from a mixed population of foreigners and Americans, especially in a new country. He declared the best safe guards against unruly foreigners was to be found in our liberty, integrity and education. … B. E. Ingwaldson in his oration on “Immigration,” related many solid facts concerning the immigrants who have come to this country and who have done so much to advance its welfare and develop its resources. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Thursday Evening, June 13, 1889, Volume XV, Number 189, Page 4)
Benjamin E. Ingwaldson was a law student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis from 1889 to 1891. (Bachelor of Law 1891, Bjarne Eric Ingwaldson, Buxton, North Dakota)
The University of North Dakota alumni association elected the following officials: … treasurer, B. E. Ingwaldson, Belmont… (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Thursday Morning, June 18, 1891, Volume XIII, Number 169, Page 1)
Death of a Young Attorney. Special to The Journal. Fargo, N. D., Jan. 10. – The death of B. E. Ingwaldson was a surprise to his many Fargo friends, who had no idea that his condition was serious. He was a well-known local attorney and formerly state’s attorney of Traill county and was the first state secretary of the Young Men’s Republican Club of North Dakota. When Lieutenant Hildreth went to the Philippines Mr. Ingwaldson removed to Fargo and formed a partnership here. He was about 35 years of age and unmarried. A number of relatives reside near Buxton in Traill county. (The Minneapolis Journal, Thursday Evening, January 10, 1901, Page 6)
Attorney Ingwaldson at Rest. Special to The Journal. Fargo, N. D., Jan. 11. – Short funeral services under the auspices of the Odd Fellows and Woodmen were held over the remains of Attorney B. E. Ingwaldson last evening and this morning the remains were taken to Buxton, in Traill county, for interment. A number of the relatives of the deceased and fellow members of his lodges accompanied the remains. Mr. Ingwaldson was in the first graduating class of the state university and was making a mark in the legal profession. The local bar association held a meeting yesterday afternoon and adopted appropriate resolutions. (The Minneapolis Journal, Friday Evening, January 11, 1901, Page 14)