By 1854 adventurous Norwegians had founded a colony among the Indians in Bosque County on the western frontier. Although most of the Indians were friendly, the Kiowas and Comanches raided the settlements.

In 1867 Karl Questad, a blacksmith, was attacked by Comanches. He escaped by jumping off a cliff, but he nearly died from an arrow wound. The settlers formed a militia to protect their homes.