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Browse Items (84 total)
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Darby Opsahl interview, 1997 April 9
In this series of interviews by Odd Lovoll for his books “The Promise of America: History of the Norwegian-American People” and “The Promise Fulfilled: A Portrait of Norwegian Americans Today,”Odd Lovoll interviews Darby Opsahl. Darby gives a brief background on his family’s Norwegian history, then talks about his family’s values and closeness. Afterwards, he describes his childhood and illegal activities with friends, including his stay in a juvenile correctional facility, leading up to his conviction. He also describes the car accident that paralyzed him, and finishes by reflecting on Norwegian-American familial values.
This item is currently restricted.Opsahl, Darby Jon (1968-)
Darby Jon Opsahl was born August 14th, 1968, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Vera and Jon Opsahl. Darby grew up in Young America, Minnesota, where he enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Later on, he did some work as a screen printer. Darby was in a car accident in 1991 that left him with lasting injuries, and in 1994 was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. In 2004, Darby appealed his sentence, but the judgment was ultimately upheld. Darby has two children.
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The Great Storm: Minnesota's Victims in the Blizzard of January 7, 1873
On January 7-9, 1873, Minnesota residents experienced a violent blizzard when dozens of people died primarily on the State’s flat, tree-less prairies. Minnesota native, Carolyn Mankell Sowinski takes the reader back 150 years and tells the stories of these victims using primary documents and secondary sources in her latest book, The Great Storm: Minnesota’s Victims in the Blizzard of January 7, 1873. She has identified 84 people from 31 western and southern counties who died in this storm: men and women, children and babies, Civil War veterans and recent immigrants, homesteaders and villagers, state residents and visitors. Friends died together, neighbors died together, family members died together. Many died alone--suffering for one, two, or all three days. Sowinski also tells the stories of 25 people who suffered amputations and other life-changing injuries. The biography of each victim provides genealogical information, immigration story, place of residence, journey in the storm, and burial location. Each biography also includes a section titled “Adventures in Research” where Sowinski provides other information about the victim, local history, or her research process in identifying these victims. The reader will also learn about the State’s Native American population who were removed from their historic lands, making room for the homesteaders.
Carolyn Sowinski is a graduate of St. Olaf College (Class of 1980). -
Andrew Tollefson correspondence, 1881-1906
Correspondence of a Norwegian-born teacher and sheep rancher written mostly from Montana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, dealing with health, rural schools, politics, and economic conditions on farm and ranch. There are letters concerning St. Olaf College, Augsburg College, Concordia College, Augustana Academy, and Scandinavia Academy. Tollefson was a student at St. Olaf College (1890-1893). Includes letters from Sam Solberg, Edwin Solberg, Inga Halverson, Lottie Halverson, O. Sandness, L.H. Dalen, Henry Thorseson, John Edward Beum. -
Edward John Thye papers, 1945-1958
History/Biography:
Born in Frederick, South Dakota, 1896. Thye served in World War I, and returned home to work at the Deere & Webber. Thye held various positions from serving the town council of Sciota and Sciota school board, president of the Dakota County Farm Bureau, director of Twin City Milk Producers Association, and others. Thye was elected the 31st Lieutenant Governor under Harold Stassen in 1942. When Stassen resigned to served the navy, Thye succeeded him as governor. He was reelected until 1947 when he was elected as U.S. Senator – defeating Henrik Shipstead and Theodore Jorgenson.
Scope and Content:
Newsletters, speeches, press releases, clippings, and letters of a Minnesota farmer and a United States senator (1947-1958).
Includes these speeches/addressed by Thye:
- "The One Hundred Anniversary of Minnesota," (1949); "Need for Action on Hoover Commission's Recommendations," (1950)
- "Address before the National Lutheran Educational Conference, Washington D.C.," (1952)
- "Alaska and Hawaii Deserve Statehood," (1952)
- "Norway's Constitutional Day," (1952)
- "Norway's Independence Day," (1954)
- "All Segments of Nation's Economy--Agriculture, Industry, Labor--Must be kept in Balance," (1954)
- "Sen. Thye says Dairy Problems Demand Changes," (1954)
- "Thye Cites need for Research in Fighting Disease," (1954)
- "Sen. Thye Gets Action on Egg Price Hearing," (1954)
- "On Continuing Small Business Administration," (1955)
- "Sen. Thye would Continue Small Business Agency," (1955)
- "Sen. Thye asks Hearings to Clarify Wheat Inspections," (1955)
- "A Stalwart Friend Speaks for Small Business," (1958)
- "Remarks of Introduction by Sen. Thye at St. Olaf College [welcoming Princess Astrid, & Prime Minister Gerhardsen] (1958)
- "Thye Leadership Praised by Colleagues--Remarks by Hon. Karl E. Mundt (South Dakota) and Hon. Styles Bridges (New Hampshire), (1958)
- "Sen. Ed Thye Speaks for the Farmer, remarks by Thye, Andrew F. Schoeppel (Kansas) and George D. Aiken (Vermont), (1958)
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Tollief George Thomsen papers, 1924-1950
Correspondence and articles (32 typescript pages) of a Norwegian-born farmer at McGrath, Minnesota. The articles consist of anecdotal accounts of land claims, Indian neighbors, transportation, housing, forest fires, livestock, drought, wildlife, and schools during pioneer days in Aitkin County. Includes: A Norwegian version of one of the articles ("Et pioneerminde fra Tørkeaaret 1894") was published in "Minneapolis Tidende," Sept. 6, 1934, a clipping of this was transf. from the C.G.O. Hansen clipping collection 1996. See in Minn. Historical Society, Thomsen reminiscences, 1938-40. 4 items, P1505 Memoirs of pioneer in Aitkin co. 1893, information on other homesteaders, on mail delivery, transportation, and relations of settlers with the Chippewa Indians. "A Pioneer memorial from the drought year, 1894" (written, 1934), "Pioneer Days--Idun Township" (1949) -
Thora Magelssen scrapbook, 1923-1932
Scrapbook of a Rushford, Minnesota teacher and homemaker, contains letters by Knut Gjerset, Kristian Prestgard, J.B. Wist, and O.E. Rølvaag clippings pertaining to them and Adolph Gunderson, Ragnvold Nestos, Henrik Shipstead, Dikke Reque, and the Magelssens. -
Henry B. Hamre record books, 1912-1930
Account books and undated prescription books of a Northfield, Minnesota pharmacist. Includes: Miscellaneous ledgers 4 Sales Records: 1912-1930 3 Prescription Books, undated Excerpt from the History of Rice & Steele Counties (1910): "Henry B. Hamre, for many years identified with the drug business of Northfield, was born in Goodhue County, Minnesota, Oct. 15, 1857, son of John and Emily (Norland) Hamre, natives of Norway...Henry B. received his education in the public schools, and in 1881 he came to Northfield and became a clerk in the drug store of Blackman and Kelly, remaining with them in the capacity of clerk until 1902, when he purchased an interest, and in May, 1909, he bought the remaining interest, thus becoming sole owner of the store...Mr. Hamre was married Oct. 25, 1893, to Bertha M. Gilbertson, a native of Norway..." -
Knud Wefald papers, 1887-1998
Wefald was a Norwegian-born lumberman, poet, congressman, and Minnesota railroad and warehouse commissioner.
Includes:
- Two addresses, 1925 and 1933 "Wefald Family in America," by Nana Wefald Wilson "Family History of Knut Stork Wefald and His Wife Sarah Skre[?],"
- loose-leaf notebook Poems by Wefald Translations of Norwegian poets Extracts from the "Congressional Record" (68th and 69th) Copy of his "Dikt i Samling
- Selected Poems," Telemark, Norway, 1987
- Collection of clippings, many of which report on the speeches he made.
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Ole E. Rølvaag papers, 1896-2020
Biography/History:
Ole Edvart Rølvaag was born in a fishing village on Dønna, Norway, on April 22, 1876. He immigrated to the United States in 1896 and worked as a farmhand in South Dakota from 1896–98. After graduating from Augustana Academy in Canton, South Dakota, in 1901, Rølvaag earned a B.A. from St. Olaf College in 1905 and returned to the college to earn a M.A. in 1910. Between his B.A. and M.A., he studied at the University of Christiania.
From 1906 to 1931, he served as a professor of Norwegian language and literature at St. Olaf. During his career he authored Norwegian language textbooks and novels, essays, and poems about the Norwegian-American immigrant experience. Two of his novels, Giants in the Earth (1927) and Peder Victorious (1929), received international acclaim as accounts of immigrant pioneer life on the Dakota prairies in the 1870s.
Rølvaag worked to preserve and enrich Norwegian-American culture during his lifetime. He helped found the Society for Norwegian Language and Culture in 1910 and the Norwegian-American Historical Association in 1925. In 1926, Rølvaag was knighted (Order of St. Olav) by King Haakon VII of Norway.
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Julius Boraas papers, 1891-1997
Papers of a professor of education at St. Olaf College: articles on educational subjects, a history of the Boraas family, correspondence, biographical data, clippings, diaries (55 volumes, 1899-1951), and a record of Boraas's public addresses. Some material concerns his work as superintendent of schools in Goodhue County, Minnesota, and with the Minnesota State Board of Education, on which he served 28 years.